ROBERTSDALE, Alabama --- After a year’s hiatus, the 22nd Annual Honeybee Festival is set to return this Saturday at Honeybee Park in Robertsdale.

A fundraiser for the Robertsdale Volunteer Fire Department for 10 years, the organization was not able to hold the festival last year. This year, with the help of the City of Robertsdale and the Central Baldwin Chamber of Commerce, the festival is being organized by the Central Baldwin Education Foundation, which will run its Honeybee 5K and 1-mile run/walk for the third straight year.

“This is definitely our biggest fundraiser of the year,” said CBEF President Lenora Kendrick, “and we’re excited about the opportunity to expand our ability to help local schools.”

The Honeybee 5K begins at 8 a.m., followed immediately by the 1-mile walk/run.

Awards will be handed out for first, second and third place, overall male and female finishers, along with overall awards for male and female juniors, masters, grand masters and senior masters. Awards will also be given in 14 age groups for the one-mile run/walk beginning with 0-7 and running through 71-plus.

On-site registration and packet/event T-shirt pick-up begins at 7:30 a.m. at the Robertsdale Senior Citizens Center, 22651 E. Chicago St. The events will be on flat paved surfaces and follow a course on the east side of downtown Robertsdale with refreshments provided at the end of the race.

The Festival itself will begin around 10 a.m., and will include arts, crafts, games and food. Of course, honey vendors and honeybee demonstrations will also be available.

In addition to professional arts and crafts vendors selling their wares at Saturday’s festival, Kendrick said, the CBEF has opened up the festival for all of its local schools to host booths.

“We have several school organizations, PTOs and clubs that will be holding fundraisers throughout the day,” she said. Some will be selling crafts, some will be selling raffle tickets, others will be selling food. The Robertsdale Golden Bear Quarterback Club will also be on hand selling T-shirts.

The Central Baldwin Education Foundation was formed in 2008 with the help of the Central Baldwin Chamber of Commerce, as a way to support Robertsdale High School’s feeder schools, including Central Baldwin Middle School and the area’s six elementary schools, Robertsdale, Loxley, Silverhill, Summerdale, Elsanor and Rosinton schools.

In 2009, the CBEF began giving out grants to qualifying teachers at the various schools and to date, has given more than $40,000, Kendrick said.