Honey Festival · September 12–13, 2026 · Ellensburg, Washington
The Kittitas Valley — a high intermontane valley in central Washington flanked by the Stuart Range to the north and Manastash Ridge to the south — produces some of the Pacific Northwest's finest irrigated alfalfa and clover honey, supplemented by the sage and bitterbrush of the surrounding shrub-steppe slopes. Ellensburg's Central Washington University hosts this September harvest festival celebrating the valley's agricultural identity, with a Washington State Honey Competition, hive inspection demos from the Kittitas County Beekeepers, culinary pairings of valley alfalfa honey with Kittitas County beef and Yakima Valley wines, and educational workshops from WSU Extension on pollinator habitat in dryland wheat country. The festival coincides with the peak of the goldenrod and rabbitbrush bloom on the surrounding hillsides, giving visitors a chance to see active forager flights.
Type: Honey Festival
Date: September 12–13, 2026
Location: Central Washington University, 400 E University Way, Ellensburg, Washington
Official website: Ellensburg Kittitas Valley Honey & Harvest Festival
Honey festivals feature tastings, vendor booths, educational talks, and family-friendly activities celebrating local honey production and beekeeping traditions.
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