Tag Archives: summer

Summerween: When fall is so close and you need a tide-me-over

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New this year to my home decor, my own Pine-O-Lantern. And yes, that’s a Pennywise rubber duck beside it and yes, he floats.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s a lot of things I like about summer. The slow sunny vibes. Not having to deal with snow. The sense of vacation and rest and time spent outdoors and pools and parties. Plus strawberries (my favourite fruit).

One thing I cannot stand about summer? The heat! My gosh, the heat! If the temperature stays between 20 and 25 degrees that’s pretty perfect. Over that, especially when it’s humid out? It’s miserable and sweaty and hard to sleep in or work out in.

OK, rant over. Why am I bringing this up? Well, because as much as there’s lots to love about summer, there is, in my opinion, an even better season following it. Fall.

*happy sigh* Ah fall, my favourite. Cool breezes, beautiful colours, you can still spend time outside without melting or freezing, pumpkin spice everything, delicious food in general. And, what may be best of all, HALLOWEEN! Yes, I am a Halloween fangirl. Have been my entire life. Horror and creepy things in general are my jam, not anything too extreme though, fun scary (though your mileage may vary on that), and Halloween is when we celebrate all of it. And after a long year of snow and rain and heat, we Halloween Heads are ready to embrace it. But we have a few more weeks to go and summer can still be fun.

But did you know there’s a compromise? A way to soak in the summer sun and still feed that need for scary season? If you haven’t been properly introduced to Summerween yet allow me to be the first to do so.

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The Ultimate Summer Blockbuster – A Very Subjective Battle

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Image-of-movie-theatre-popcorn-bucket-with-spilt-popcorn-on-table

There’s always been one thing that marks the summer season for me, and thankfully for everyone who is a heat-hater and a (crazy) winter-lover, it’s a sure-fire way to beat the heat. If you can’t get yourself to the beach or a pool, what better way to keep the summer sweat off than heading to the movies? Before you start raising your brows at me, if you’re struggling with the endless string of humidity and… more humidity, sitting yourself down in a dark and way too air-conditioned room for approximately two hours and change does sound nice, no? Plus, there are snacks, and who can’t be convinced by the siren call of snacks?

That’s not the only reason summer brings the theatre to mind, though. With summer comes blockbuster movie season! Sometimes you might get a whole three months of flops, or you could get a marathon of slam dunks like 2024’s release schedule of Deadpool & Wolverine and Alien: Romulus. With the new Fantastic 4 (which if anything, I will solely be seeing for Pedro Pascal) and Superman already hitting the big screen, and movies like Weapons, Freakier Friday, and Nobody 2 soon to release, I have a feeling we might be in for another summer blockbuster season that will ensure no one gives you funny looks for avoiding the sun. But until then, I thought we could look at the blockbusters of years past, so if you’re keen on setting up your haven from the great outdoors, hang onto your popcorn buckets! I’ve polled our staff at VPL for their favorite blockbusters of all time to bring them to you in a head-to-head bracket battle in a search for the Ultimate Summer Blockbuster (subjectively, as I will be sole judge and jury, and box office numbers don’t count). If you’ve got your snacks, let’s dive right in!    

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Storywalks 2025

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Are you smiling? After a long, cold bitter winter, we’re finally showered in sunshine and taking in not just green but all colours! If you can’t wait to go hiking, before you go, please don’t forget to check out the cool services that Vaughan Public Libraries offer – they may bring you more fun experiences and help you save some money.

First and foremost, our annual Storywalks are back to take your reading outdoors! Each spring, we put out beautifully designed storyboards of critically acclaimed picture books in our city parks and trails so you can read while you hike during the summer months. This year, we have eight Storywalks as outlined below, plus one pop-up Storywalk that you’ll have to discover in the city trails or events (it’s a secret for now, LOL). For details of these books, please keep on reading until the end of the post :).

Vaughan Public Libraries Storywalks 2025 at-a-glance

Second, Vaughan Public Libraries is introducing Birding Canada Backpacks this year in partnership with the City of Vaughan, Birds Canada, and Vortex Optics. These backpacks are designed to help you learn about local wildlife and enjoy the outdoors. Each backpack includes binoculars and a variety of resources to support both experienced birders and those trying birdwatching for the first time.

Third, we’ll be doing an Explore Your Trail program on July 5 at Marita Payne Park. Other than travelling the local trails with a high-tech twist, you’ll be introduced to the new Food Forest Community Garden at the park. This is a free-use vegetable garden for the community that is supported by the City of Vaughan. 

Of course, on top of these new initiatives, we continue to offer  Nature Backpacks and Ontario Park Passes. Check them out today and enjoy the outdoor fun!

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