Brooklyn wasn鈥檛 about to let her parents talk her into putting a warm jacket over her bee costume, even though she may have been shivering, just a little bit.

鈥淣o, I鈥檓 not cold,鈥� she insisted, as the determined three-year-old from Clayton Heights explored the annual Festival of the Bees, the official opening of the 91原创 Demonstration Garden at Derek Doubleday Arboretum on Saturday, May 25th under grey, damp, and cold conditions.

She wasn鈥檛 the only one to dress up for the occasion.

Visiting kids could borrow vests with black and yellow stripes from the 91原创 Environmental Protection Society (LEPS) table, where society executive director Nichole Marples was wearing what she described as 鈥渂ee forage鈥� with a bright sunflower pattern.

鈥滻鈥檓 dressed up as the nectar and the pollen that the bees collect from the sunflowers,鈥� Marples explained.

Visitors to the free, kid-friendly event were encouraged to wear costumes to the celebration of bees that included beeswax candle making, seed bomb creating, bee house making, a plant sale, seed swap, live music, and more.

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Among the vendors and presenters, at the 鈥溾�� table, Aldergrove鈥檚 Zach Choboter was explaining how he broke a Guinness World Record for the longest journey on roller blades in 2021, made to raise awareness of climate change and the importance of protecting bees.

鈥淚t was kind of an adventure,鈥� is how he described it.

Choboter skated more than 9,000 kilometres from Whistler to St. Johns, Newfoundland. Now, he wants to blade around the world.

鈥淚鈥檓 going to do a bunch of fundraising this year and next year, become the first human to inline skate around the world, which will be really sweet,鈥� Choboter said.

Marcel Sachse from the Pinsch of Soil farm in 91原创 brought plants that gardeners can use to encourage pollinators to visit.

鈥淲e have everything from tall trees like crab apples ,and also tall perennial sunflowers, to ground covers and edibles like arugula and herbs,鈥� he said.

鈥淭hey can help bees but also 鈥� do well in salads or stir fries so it benefits everyone.鈥�

READ ALSO: Pollinators were celebrated at the Festival of Bees in 91原创