Sun's out, live music's on—prep for Canada Day weekend.

Morning. It's 16 and sunny out there—proper summer weather, UV's running high at 8.0, so if you're spending the day outside, you'll want the sunscreen. You've got a full fifteen and a half hours of daylight before sunset at 8:55 PM, so there's plenty of time to sort your day and still catch something tonight.

Speaking of tonight—Ibrahim Maalouf's playing Confederation Park at 8:30 PM if live music in the open air sounds like your move. It's warm enough, the sun won't dip until late, and you get the whole evening stretched out. If circus is more your speed, Paranormal Cirque's running two shows at St Laurent—one at 5:30, another at 8:30—so you can pick whichever slot works.

Earlier in the day, Escapade Music Festival's going at the RA Centre from 1 PM, and if you're into basketball, the Titans are home at Ottawa Stadium for a 3:30 game against New Jersey. Solid way to kill an afternoon before the evening plans.

On the food front, there's some good stuff worth trying. If you're after brunch or lunch, Chiqui Bakery just opened in Vanier with authentic Mexico City pan dulce—worth the trip if you're in that corner of the city. Le Mien's doing hand-pulled noodle bowls in the ByWard Market if you want something warm and filling, and Cactus Club's dropped a nine-dollar smash burger for summer, plus a frosé if you're feeling the frozen route. If you want something a bit fancier for dinner, Château Laurier's reimagined their waterfront spot with Émilie's Terrace—good option if you want to sit outside and stretch the evening.

Couple of things on the local radar: Canada's soccer fans gathered at Lansdowne yesterday to watch the World Cup, so the city's got that energy in the air as we head into the long weekend. The Senators have been busy this week—GM's been defending some trade moves and they just drafted eight prospects, so if hockey talk's your thing, there's plenty to chew on.

Weather's on your side today. Get out of the house, catch live music if the mood strikes, and enjoy the fact that you've got real daylight left when evening rolls around. Canada Day weekend's practically here.

Stay warm out there.