It’s summer and the living is festive
Summer festival season about to begin
Break out the ice cream and sunscreen: summer’s finally here.
The summer solstice — the longest day of the year and official start of summer — makes its welcome arrival June 21. In Peterborough the sun will reach its highest point for the year at precisely 1:04 p.m.
“I’m really enjoying the weather so far, all the sun,” said Peterborough resident Darlene McGann as she walked through Millennium Park with a couple of friends.
It’s a stroll the three coworkers take each day during their lunch break, they explain.
The quiet path running along the Otonabee River is a favourite for many who wish to escape the office for an hour — or a few.
Kaitlin Burnside, a summer student at Peterborough’s Ministry of Natural Resources office, sits on a bench in the sun with a group of friends, dreaming of her cottage in Haliburton.
“I just hope the weather improves,” she said. “It’s so awful and rainy on the weekends right now.”
Burnside’s wish may for friendlier weekend weather might not come true anytime soon.
This weekend will likely bring thunderstorms our way, and meteorologists are predicting a fairly soggy Canada Day weekend.
The weather will warm up in the middle of July, however. as Environment Canada is predicting a temperate summer with an average high of 25 C and a low of 20 – nowhere near as scorching hot as last summer.
Back at Millennium Park, three-year-old Ivy Vym was enjoying the sun with her family, picking flowers for her mom and dad. Her baby sister, Anneka, toddled in the shade behind her.
“It’s great to be able to take the kids out every day,” said Ivy’s father, Mike Vym. “We want to start doing more stuff outside with them. The sunlight’s so good for you.”
He and his wife, Melodie, take their kids to Millennium Park every week.
“This is a beautiful little town,” said Tracy Tebbenham, watching her son, Graham, playing near the water at Little Lake. “There’s so much to do in Peterborough, so many things to see.”
This is the Tebbenhams’ first time at the waterfront. They are moving to Peterborough from Thunder Bay later this August, but wanted to explore their new city a bit before the big move.
Summer festival circuit
Now that summer is really here, consider this list of some of the season’s biggest events to keep you and yours entertained: Little Lake MusicFest: One of Peterborough’s most popular summer attractions, starts at 8 p.m. June 29 with Great Big Sea’s lead singer Alan Doyle. The festival continues every Wednesday and Saturday night with musicians and bands from across Canada. This year’s lineup ends Aug. 24 with Honeymoon Sweet, a Toronto band popular in the 1980s. New Canadians Centre’s Multicultural Canada Day: On July 1 from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Del Crary Park, this massive celebration of Canada’s cultural diversity will host over 40 vendors selling food and crafts from all over the world. Organizers expect more than 8,000 will attend. Peterborough Ribfest: If you’re feeling peckish, Peterborough Ribfest — a celebration of all things barbecued — starts July 13 at Millennium Park and ends July 15. This year’s live entertainers are Jack DeKeyser and Elliott Brood. Peterborough Ex: The city’s longest-running attraction is back from Aug. 8 to Aug. 11 at Morrow Park, with a midway, demolition derby, agricultural exhibits and many tractor-related activities. Peterborough Folk Festival: The three-day festival starts Aug. 23 at Nicholls Oval and ends Aug. 25.