Summer always seems conspicuously late to the party. Especially in this city, where sunshine is understood to be a much-needed balm for winter wounds, each relatively mild day is precious. So by the time the official start to the season finally rolls around—this year on June 21—we Chicagoans have already made significant headway on our warm-weather to-dos. Hence the Reader‘s Summer Guide now, in mid-May, when the possibilities are endless, and the forecast, more metaphorically than meteorologically, is nothing but blue skies. —Jake Malooley