A mega-size glass bee enclosure was an addition to the festival, giving people an up-close look at how the insects make honey.

“People have been putting their hands all over the glass hive,” beekeeper and Beechworth Honey owner Steven Goldsworthy said.

“You don’t get the opportunity to do that anywhere without getting stung.”

Soraya Halge, of Melbourne, said her two-year-old son was fascinated by the bee enclosure.

“We get lots of bees in the backyard, but he hasn’t seen how they make honey,” she said.

The crowd was five deep on Ford Street for the grand parade on Saturday afternoon.

Festival co-chairwoman Jodie Goldsworthy said about 15,000 people had watched the Easter Saturday parade.

More than 20,000 people had attended the three-day event.

“We are actually photographing the crowd this year,” she said.

“It will give us a better idea of the crowd size.”

Mike Orton led the parade on his horse in a re-creation of Daniel Cameron’s legendary ride through Beechworth in 1855.

Cameron made such a large discovery of gold that he had his horse shod with shoes of gold.

The 40-minute parade was a sea of floats and dancers, including a Chinese contingent of Falun Dafa dancers and musicians .

Beechworth Ghost Tours’ Andrew Osborne was getting into the spirit of things as he and his crew danced to Gangnam Style.

The sound of African drumming had on-lookers mesmerised as they marched through the centre of town.

Nicole Metcalfe, of Lavington, said the drummers were her favourite in the parade.

“The kids are having a ball — there’s so much to see and do here,” she said.

Further down the street there were roving musicians, people making lotus flowers and others learning to play drums.

Other favourites were the annual fun run, a family bike ride and the Easter egg hunt.

Children also enjoyed the Beechworth Honey Kids Corner with art competitions and face-painting.