![Bergen Dankey,5, buzzed about after picking up some candy from a bee hive pinada. His parents are part-time honey producers with 150 hives in the metro area. He likes to help with "smoking" the bees and pulling honey frames. "Pollinator Party: a Celebration of Bees" was held across from the Peace Garden in Minneapolis, .] Richard Tsong-Taatarii/rtsong-taatarii@startribune.com](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/LOF6ZDBPC6DXUUU5QMCYFFV74U.jpg?&w=1080)
pick of the week: The annual Pollinator Party keeps getting bigger — growing in size and gaining in importance as awareness increases of the crucial role bees play in the production of fruits, vegetables and flowers. At this year's event there will be ice cream made from honey, skin care products made from honey and just good, old honey made from honey. Other attractions include information on how to become an urban beekeeper and bee-themed live music. Sponsored by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board and the University of Minnesota's Bee Squad and Bee Lab, the fest takes place from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Lyndale Park Gardens (think: Lake Harriet Rose Garden). Admission is free. (bit.ly/2ubPoEo)
A look back: Long before the Lynx and the WNBA, there was the first cricket match between two female teams. Played in England on July 26, 1745, it featured "eleven maids of Bramley and eleven maids of Hambledon, all dressed in white" and wearing different colored ribbons in their hair to designate which team they were on, according to newspaper accounts of the event. "The girls bowled, batted, ran and chatched [sic] as well as most men could do in that game." (For those for whom no sports report is complete without the score, Hambledon scored a 127-119 victory.)
Day by day: Friday is national Get Gnarly Day. Gnarly can be used as a synonym for bad ("gnarly teeth") and good ("gnarly guitar riffs"). But in this context it takes its meaning from surfers, who use it to mean exciting ("gnarly waves"). Hey, dude, just because we're a thousand miles from the nearest surfing beach doesn't mean we can't get stoked.
Life Hack: If you work out early in the day and the sweaty clothes in your gym bag get a little noxious by the time you get home, put a bar of scented soap in with them.
recommended reading: A treadmill for downhill skiing? It's for real, and it's enabling Minnesota ski buffs to pursue their passion year-round. Learn all about it in Wednesday's Variety.
JEFF STRICKLER • jeff.strickler@startribune.com
