The temperature is tolerable and there are so many styles of portable chairs to choose from. Do you really need another reason to attend an event or festival this summer?
Now that Canada Day has come and gone, here as some other Canadian celebrations this summer:
Where: Vancouver, B.C.
When: Until Sept. 25
What: Bard on the Beach, a summer-long Shakespeare festival presented against a breathtaking British Columbian backdrop: mountains, sky and ocean. This year's lineup includes Much Ado About Nothing, Antony and Cleopatra, Falstaff and Henry V. More info: www.bardonthebeach.org
Where: Shediac, N.B.
When: July 7 to 11
What: Shediac Lobster Festival, home of the nightly lobster-eating contest in which 10 volunteers are chosen from the crowd and challenged to eat three lobsters with their bare hands as fast as they can (hopefully after they've removed the exo-skeletons). More info: www.tourism_newbrunswick.ca
Where: Dawson City, Yukon
When: July 16 to 18
What: The Dawson City Music Festival -- if you're looking an excuse to get thyself up to the remote but picturesque outpost known as Dawson City, let it be this celebration of tunes, now in its 32nd year. Be sure to catch The Good Lovelies, winners of this year's Juno for Best Roots Album. More info: www.dcmf.com
Where: Saskatoon, Sask.
When: July 18 to 25
What: Back to Batoche Days, commemorating the Metis Resistance of 1885. This family-oriented event celebrates Metis culture.
Visitors are invited to camp, pitch a tipi or sleep under the prairie sky, sample bannock, tap their toes to fiddle music and watch the experts execute a Red River Jig. More info: www.mn-s.ca
Where: Kapuskasing, Ont.
When: July 23 to 25
What: Lumberjack Heritage Festival, including an arm wrestling competition, professional logging show, burling, chainsaw bucking, axe throw and all those activities that sound like they ought to come with the warning "do not attempt this at home." More info: www.kaplumberjack.com
Where: Winnipeg, Man.
When: Aug. 1 to 14
What: Folklorama, a way to meet the world within the confines of Winnipeg. Learn about cuisine, clothing, culture and everything in between at 40 international pavilions located around the city. More info: www.folklorama.ca
Where: Quebec City
When: Aug. 4 to 8
What: New France Festival, when Quebec City does an impression of itself during the French regime. Expect costumes, food, performers, storytelling, dancing, music and re-enactments. More info: www.nouvellefrance.qc.ca
Where: Conception Bay, N.L.
When: Aug. 12 to 15
What: Brigus Blueberry Festival, a Newfie party that's anything but blue. Think "screech ins," dinner theatre, beauty pageants, fireworks and a pie eating contest. More info: www.brigus.net/blue.