Summer hasn’t officially started yet – though you wouldn’t know it by the great weather we are having.

If outdoor, warm-weather fun is high on your list of things to do, look no further than Marysville Parks, Culture and Recreation. We are so fortunate to have a wealth of opportunities for kids and adults alike during the summer. Our annual Strawberry Festival is a fantastic way to kick off summer and get our community excited about all the wonderful activities we have planned for the next few months.

If you’re looking for a low-key adventure, our parks are a great place to explore. From an afternoon picnic and fishing at Ebey Waterfront to a walk along the estuary at Harborview Park, we’ve got over 20 parks to choose from and a park for every activity. Of course, we have a park that’ll help you cool off: our popular Comeford Spray Park is open through Labor Day daily from 11 a.m. to 7 pm.

We’ve also got a variety of day camps and summer activities for kids kicking off at the end of June. Your children will love to make new friends, play sports and games, create arts and crafts, and have new adventures. There’s a different theme for each day camp, from music, to cooking, to ooey-gooey concoctions, to waterpalooza and sports. We have a camp designed around Marysville’s 125th Birthday Bash where kids will participate in games and

activities from 125 years ago, even learning how to make home-made butter.

For children ages 4 through 6, we offer Mini Camp adventures. Whether your child is interested in sports, arts and crafts, or just playing outdoors, they’ll have a blast at our Mini Camps.

Don’t miss out on our children’s concert series. We’re bringing back Wednesday concerts tailored for our young ones. The fun begins at noon July 13 at Lions Centennial Pavilion in Jennings Park with Johnny Bregar and the County Dogs. The first Children’s Concert will be followed up with Eli Rosenblatt and Friends on July 27 and Recess Monkey Aug. 10 to wrap up the series.

For whole-family entertainment, you just can’t beat our Sounds of Summer Concert Series and Popcorn in the Park outdoor movies. Our free Friday-night concerts begin on July 15 and feature some of the Northwest’s most-talented artists and tribute bands. All you’ll need is a lawn chair, blanket and snacks to enjoy cool tunes on a hot summer night.

If movies are more your style, grab your friends and family and join us on Saturday nights beginning July 16 for a great lineup of popular films – including Minions, Inside Out, Star Wars – The Force Awakens, Shaun of the Sheet Movie and The Good Dinosaur. Our local Marysville Kiwanis club provides the popcorn.

Also, Junk in the Trunk returns and will be held at the Municipal Court parking lot on July 9 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Junk in the Trunk features local vendors and merchants with a variety of goods for sale. Touch a Truck will be returning on Sept. 10 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Asbery Field. This is a fun opportunity to bring the family out to sit in the driver’s seat, honk horns, set off sirens and explore some of Marysville’s biggest rigs.

This year we started offering a variety of shows and events at the newly renovated Marysville Opera House. For adults we are featuring Un-Wine’d Wednesdays the second one each month and Blues and Brews on the third Thursday of each month. A local winery or brewery will be featured at each event accompanied by music entertainment.

Visit the city website at www.marysvillewa.gov for details, to register for a camp or to find a new park within Marysville to explore.

We hope you’re as excited as we are to enjoy these great community events this summer. We’ll see you at the park.

Jon Nehring is the mayor of Marysville. His column runs monthly.