Top 10 things for Torontonians to do outdoors this summer

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June is finally here and there’s no time like the present to start ticking off your summer bucket list.
Here’s a Top 10 list of things for Torontonians to do while the weather is warm:

1. See a Toronto Blue Jays game

The boys of summer are back and even thought they’re having an up-and-down season there are some exciting players to watch like star shortstop Bo Bichette, who is having a great season with the bat. Plus, who doesn’t love having a cool beer and a hotdog in the sun when the roof at Rogers Centre is open?

2. Go to Toronto Islands

Ferries and water taxis take you to several beaches just minutes way from the Big Smoke, including Hanlan’s Point (a clothing-optional beach) and Gibraltar Point Beach. There are also places to explore (like Centreville, Far Enough Farm) and eat at (Island Cafe, Rectory Cafe) when you’re not swimming in Lake Ontario. And let’s not forget looking back at the magnificent Toronto skyline.

3. See a concert down by the lake

Budweiser Stage is expected to have a record 70 concerts this summer. Among some of my faves are The Cure, Wednesday; Tears for Fears, June 29; Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds and Garbage, July 3; Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, July 5; Zac Brown Band, July 14; Boy George and Culture Club, Aug. 1; Queens of the Stone Age, Aug. 4; Chris Stapleton, Aug. 17 and 18; The National, Aug. 20; City and Colour, Aug. 25; Blue Rodeo, Aug. 26; Arctic Monkeys, Aug. 30 and Sept. 1; and Beck and Phoenix, Sept 3.

4. Eat on a patio

It sounds simple, but it’s nothing to take for granted given the thermostat usually takes a plunge come November. There are such classics as Cafe Diplomatico (on College), the Queen Mother (on Queen) and Le Select Bistro (on Wellington) to numerous newer places on stretches along Ossington, Dundas and Queen in Leslieville.

5. Get out of town

My rule for day trips is between two to three hours, although of course you can stay overnight, too. To the east, there’s Prince Edward County (Wellington, Bloomfield, Picton) and its proximity to Sandbanks Provincial Park (the largest dune/freshwater system in the world). To the west, I love Bayfield (beside Goderich with some of the best sunsets ever), while to the north it’s Bruce Peninsula (OK, this is four hours) and to the south, I recently enjoyed Niagara-on-the-Lake, which is a part of the region’s sprawling wine country.

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6. Go see a professional tennis match

This time it’s the men who will play the National Bank Open at Sobeys Stadium between Aug. 5-13, so you could see everyone from the Spaniards Carlos Alcaraz and (maybe) Rafael Nadal to Serbia’s Novak Djokovic to Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime and Dennis Shapovalov. Plus there’s on-site eating, drinking and tennis shopping.

7. Swim in a public pool

Ten pools — Alex Duff Memorial Pool, Kiwanis Outdoor Pool, Heron Park Community Centre, Grandravine Community Recreation Centre, McGregor Park Community Centre, Monarch Park, Parkway Forest Outdoor Pool, Westgrove Park Outdoor Pool, Sunnyside Gus Ryder Outdoor Pool and West Mall Outdoor Pool — will open on a partial schedule starting next Saturday (until Sept. 4) and the remaining 45 pools will open on the same partial schedule on June 24 (until Sept. 3) before the full schedule kicks in on June 30.

8. Go see a soccer game

It’s been a tough season for Toronto FC, but a summer night at BMO Field is hard to beat. And Italian stars Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi are fun to watch. Liberty Village is a short walk way for pre- and post-game celebrations.

9. Watch a movie under the stars

Toronto’s popular outdoor movie screenings have added Downsview Park as one its locations in July and August and it’s free, beginning at dusk every evening. Tickets must be reserved on the official website one week prior. The Downsview schedule so far is The Super Mario Bros. Movie, July 11; Top Gun: Maverick, July 27; Strange World, Aug. 9; Dungeons and Dragons: Honour Among Thieves, Aug. 17; Nostalgia Night: Film TBD, Aug. 31.

10. Have a picnic in a park

Whether you’re toting homemade chicken and ‘slaw or gourmet takeout from a Toronto restaurant, the city has no shortage of parks to picnic in. Among the best are Riverdale Park East with a side of some of the best views of the Toronto skyline at sunset; Sugar Beach with its sand, white Muskoka chairs, pink umbrellas and lake views; and 150-year-old High Park with nature trails, a pond, an adventure playground and a small zoo.