SUMMIT STATION — A few scattered showers Sunday did not keep people from enjoying the 15th annual Bear Creek Festival at the Schuylkill County Fairgrounds.
“We have a lot of die-hard Bear Creek fans here,” Andrea Geist, agricultural program coordinator with the Schuylkill Conservation District, said.
Geist co-chaired the event with Jenna Fehr, conservation district manager.
The free, family event ran from noon to 4 p.m., and had food vendors and various activities sponsored by the conservation district and other organizations and businesses in the county. Schuylkill County Trout Unlimited held its annual fishing derby, while Home Depot had bird house building for children. There was also live animal demonstrations from Red Creek Wildlife Center and a photo hunt with booths set up throughout the fairgrounds.
“The great thing about this is that it is an opportunity to educate everyone about the environment and agriculture,” Geist said. “It’s also one of the few free family events we still have in the area and it is a one-of-a-kind event.”
“It’s a great opportunity for us and the organizations we work with to show what we do in the community,” Fehr said.
Jake Smalley, 6, of Lake Wynonah, had his eyes focused on the tractor pull competition. His father, Jason Smalley, said they come to the Bear Creek Festival every year.
“It’s just a good time,” he said. “There’s a lot for the kids to do.”
Meanwhile, Nathan Summers, 5, of Friedensburg, spent a lot of time by the creek with a fishing rod.
“He likes to fish,” his father, Tim Summers, said.
Summers said they recently moved to the area from Reading.
“I think the area and the people here are just awesome,” Summers said.
Sarah McTish, the 2016 Pennsylvania Honey Queen, was also at the festival promoting education about honey bees. McTish, Mohnton, was named queen by the Pennsylvania Beekeeper Association in November. She attends Penn State University, where she is pursuing a degree in agriculture sciences and a minor in entomology.
She said honey bees are responsible for about 80 percent of pollination in the world and educational events like the Bear Creek Festival help promote interest in agriculture and the environment.
“It’s important to reach the younger generation because they are our future beekeepers and it is important for the general public to realize where their food comes from,” McTish said.