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ILLINOIS STATE BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION
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Calendar Page
Events


​Northern Illinois
​Summer Meeting - August 16, 2025 - Minooka, IL
Time left to purchase 2025 Summer Meeting Ticket(s)
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The 2025 ISBA Summer meeting is being co-sponsored by the following ISBA affiliated beekeeping associations.
  • Will County Beekeepers Association
  • Cook DuPage Beekeepers Association
  • Illinois Valley Beekeepers Association
  • Fox Valley Beekeepers Association
 
For information and how to register for the Summer Meeting, click the following link.

2025 Summer Meeting

Registration deadline is July 31, 2025

Downstate Illinois

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​Field Days -  Live Colony Examinations -  Central Illinois Beekeepers Association - Heyworth, IL

The Central Illinois Beekeepers Association (CIBA) will conduct live colony examinations on the indicated dates.
The time for each date is 11 am - 2 pm. (weather permitting).  All are welcome to attend.

July  2025
  • ​7/19 Saturday
  • 7/25 Friday
  • 7/26 Saturday
  • 7/27 Sunday
August 2025
  • 8/3 Sunday
  • 8/8 Friday
  • 8/16 Saturday
  • 8/24 Sunday
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​Persons with questions or interested in attending should email Patti Koranda at [email protected] or call 309.826.0089​

Location:  
6424 Alexander Road
Heyworth, IL. 61745 

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​November 7 & 8, 2025  -  ISBA Annual Fall Meeting  -  Springfield, Illinois
The 2025 ISBA Fall Meeting and Show Me The Honey Show is on November 8, with the Honey Judging Class on November 7.

​November 7, 2025
  • All day Honey Judging Class - Sanctioned by American Honey Show Training Council.  Lunch is on your own for the day of the class.  There is a Mexican restaurant at the Northfield Center and plenty of other food establishments within walking distance or less than a 2 minute drive of the Northfield center.   Click here to see a Google map of eateries
  • Entries to be accepted for the Show Me the Honey Judging contest from 3 PM to 5 PM on Friday and on Saturday 7:00 AM - 9 AM. There will be at least 24 categories spread across 4 classes to compete in.
  • We are pleased to announce one of our guest judges will be Monica Siwiak from Richmond, Texas.  She is an AHSTC certified judge and the top winner at last year’s ABF Conference.  We will be hosting a  “Meet the Judge” table for you to ask questions and get some pro tips from Monica.   
    The Honey Show Rules will be the same with two additional categories (see below) to liven up the show even MORE!   The official rules will be posted in the near future.   
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PHOTOGRAPHY
  • (Essay) – should convey a story or message pertaining to apiculture, and must contain at least four (4), but no more than seven (7) photographs.
  • The photograph(s) must be related to some aspect of apiculture, and must be the original composition of the Exhibitor. All photographs must be either  3”x 6”in or 5”x7”in size. The photograph(s) must be mounted, matted, or framed. The photograph(s) must stand up for display; either equipped with an easel back, or the entrant must provide an easel on which to display the exhibit. Judges evaluate entries on the following: subject matter, aesthetic appeal, technical proficiency, creativity, and originality. *A white index card with a description of the item must accompany each exhibit.
 
NEEDLECRAFT RELATED to BEEKEEPING 
  • This category includes any decorative or artistic exhibit of needlecraft, some examples of which might include knitting, crochet, lace, embroidery, quilting, cross-stitch, needlepoint, or weaving, relating to honeybees or beekeeping. An Exhibitor may submit one example of any beekeeping-related needlecraft of their own creation. Judges evaluate entries on the following: subject matter, aesthetic appeal, technical proficiency, creativity, and originality.  A white card with a description of the item must accompany each exhibit.
  • If the exhibit is already signed or marked in some identifying way, the exhibitor may obscure the signature or identifying mark. *If a label does not self-adhere to an exhibit, it is permissible to pin or clip the label to the exhibit. 
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​November 8, 2025 ALL DAY FALL Meeting and Honey Show
  • Annual Fall Meeting (lunch included for tickets purchased before cutoff)
  • Entries to be accepted for the Show Me the Honey Judging contest (cutoff time for entries to be decided)Judging & Results of the Show Me the Honey Contest  

Two of the confirmed speakers are:
  • Krispn Given - is the Senior Apiculture Specialist and Honey Bee Breeder in the Department of Entomology at Purdue University. His research is focused on selecting for resistance to the varroa mite by selecting bees with desirable behavioral traits, grooming and mite-biting. Today he is recognized as one of the leading international authorities in the fields of instrumental insemination and honey bee breeding. He started breeding bees 30 years ago.
  • Jerry Hayes - started out as a backyard beekeeper, studied under Jim Tew at Ohio State University,  was  a Research Technician at the USDA/ARS Baton Rouge Bee Lab, Dadant and Sons Regional Mgr., Dadant And Sons New Product Dev., Chief of the Apiary Section for the Florida Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Monsanto Honey Bee Lead, VP. of Vita Bee health North America and now Editor of Bee Culture magazine.

Additional Information to be published as it is confirmed (presentation topics, list of vendors, etc) and other neat and interesting things being worked on as well as vendors.

Vendors who are interested in having a presence at the Fall Meeting should contact Rose Leedle 
[email protected]  or Steve Petrilli [email protected].  Do not delay as the available vendor space fills quickly.

Rose and Doug Leedle will be sponsoring the Club Participation Trophy again so gather up your buddies and bring in those MANY beautiful hive products!  

We are looking for Honey Show sponsors for THE BEST in SHOW and SWEEPSTAKES Award.  $125 each for prize money and ribbon.  Please contact the ISBA Treasurer Rose Leedle [email protected]  (phone 618.724.2786) or Pam Carter (Show Me the Honey Show Chairperson) 317.710.9291 [email protected]  to make a donation. 

We are sincerely grateful for our wonderful sponsors that contributed last year.  ​

"Breakfast with Bees"
Open Invitation To All Beekeepers
Weekly Zoom Meeting

Join James and the “Breakfast with Bees” community.
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Are you a Beekeeper looking to expand your beekeeping experience?
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You are invited to join in and participate in a free Zoom meeting every Saturday morning.
with an expanding community of beekeepers from all levels of experience.
Hosted by: JAMES KONRAD, FVBA

All are invited to: "Breakfast with Bees" – Saturdays 7:30 am. via zoom.
  • We are a group chat and beekeeping community open to all who want to participate.​
  • Each week our gang of beekeepers of all levels; hobbyists, masters, sideliners, educators and commercial, all join via zoom to discuss weekly beekeeping topics for successful “sustainable management” of our hives.
  • Everyone is encouraged to contribute, ask questions, discuss, and learn.
  • Our community of beekeepers meets every week to discuss our beekeeping experiences.
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Meetings every Saturday morning, Start time is 7:30am.
Join us on zoom with the following,
Meeting ID = 889-0962-1870
Passcode = bees

For more information.
​Email: [email protected]

OUT OF STATE
No out of state events listed at this time

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