Every summer I fall head over heels in love. Just like any love, it waxes and wanes a bit throughout the year, but inevitably the summertime is always a passionate affair. This love isn't for any one person or even a single thing -- it's a love of my entire city.
It starts around the beginning of May. Opening weekend of our two farmer's markets bring a little buzz to the crowds. Everybody breaks out summer wardrobes and ditch the gym in favor of playing outdoors under the sun. The days start getting longer, so even weekday evenings can be spent out on porches, sipping wine and eating delicious grilled food.
As May turns into June, more signs of summer start to creep in. Homegrown gardens start taking off. Local makers host festivals to showcase their products. Tuesdays are spent picnicking on the grounds of the university art museum, listening to Grammy-winning artists play at Jazz in June and Thursdays are reserved for a summer-long concert series at a local park. Suddenly there are options for free outdoor yoga classes at different public squares or parks practically every other day. The extensive bike paths are full of people exploring every different corner of the city, from downtown bike lanes to crushed gravel paths way out next to llama farms!
And sure, it sometimes gets almost unbearably hot here in July and August (and I guess May and June too...), but the heat isn't so bad when you're splashing around in one of the many neighborhood public pools, hitting up a local lake or hanging out at the zoo in the evening drinking local beers and watching penguins waddle around and swim at Brews at the Zoo. If you prefer, you can cool off with an iced coffee (or even another beer) at one of the four Mill coffee shop locations. Or maybe coffee isn't your thing? No worries -- Zesto's, the university Dairy Store, Ivanna Cone and C&L Dairy Sweets all have some fantastic local ice cream options that are perfect little destinations to head to on your bike.
The sheer number of outdoor events makes my heart burst with excitement every year. Rib fest (which is fun even if you're a vegetarian), food truck gatherings, a Nelly and Juvenile concert outdoors in the middle of downtown (!?), rain barrel and composting workshops, local food walking tours, bike rides that tour through local breweries and end up at Pioneer's park, next to the bison fields -- the list goes on and on. The only way you could be bored in Lincoln in the summer is if you're actively trying to be.
Lincoln is absolutely not the only city that's bursting at the seems with summer vibes. Surely your city is too! Facebook, Meetup, heck, even your local newspaper or bulletin boards in local shops will be chocked full of things to do so get out there and fall in love with everything there is to do and see during this awesome time of year!
It starts around the beginning of May. Opening weekend of our two farmer's markets bring a little buzz to the crowds. Everybody breaks out summer wardrobes and ditch the gym in favor of playing outdoors under the sun. The days start getting longer, so even weekday evenings can be spent out on porches, sipping wine and eating delicious grilled food.
As May turns into June, more signs of summer start to creep in. Homegrown gardens start taking off. Local makers host festivals to showcase their products. Tuesdays are spent picnicking on the grounds of the university art museum, listening to Grammy-winning artists play at Jazz in June and Thursdays are reserved for a summer-long concert series at a local park. Suddenly there are options for free outdoor yoga classes at different public squares or parks practically every other day. The extensive bike paths are full of people exploring every different corner of the city, from downtown bike lanes to crushed gravel paths way out next to llama farms!
And sure, it sometimes gets almost unbearably hot here in July and August (and I guess May and June too...), but the heat isn't so bad when you're splashing around in one of the many neighborhood public pools, hitting up a local lake or hanging out at the zoo in the evening drinking local beers and watching penguins waddle around and swim at Brews at the Zoo. If you prefer, you can cool off with an iced coffee (or even another beer) at one of the four Mill coffee shop locations. Or maybe coffee isn't your thing? No worries -- Zesto's, the university Dairy Store, Ivanna Cone and C&L Dairy Sweets all have some fantastic local ice cream options that are perfect little destinations to head to on your bike.
The sheer number of outdoor events makes my heart burst with excitement every year. Rib fest (which is fun even if you're a vegetarian), food truck gatherings, a Nelly and Juvenile concert outdoors in the middle of downtown (!?), rain barrel and composting workshops, local food walking tours, bike rides that tour through local breweries and end up at Pioneer's park, next to the bison fields -- the list goes on and on. The only way you could be bored in Lincoln in the summer is if you're actively trying to be.
Lincoln is absolutely not the only city that's bursting at the seems with summer vibes. Surely your city is too! Facebook, Meetup, heck, even your local newspaper or bulletin boards in local shops will be chocked full of things to do so get out there and fall in love with everything there is to do and see during this awesome time of year!
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