Credit: Illustration by Jason Stout

With so many events being put on hold, so many plans switching to “TBD,” nothing’s really a sure thing these days. Except this: A new season will still arrive, regular as clockwork.

Our annual Summer Fun issue is an Austin Chronicle tradition. We thought about canceling it, but haven’t we had enough cancellations already? Instead, we’re celebrating summer traditions and gently tweaking them for the times.

Missing the usual May kickoff of the Paramount Summer Film Classics Series? Shoot your own classic movie homage with your iPhone and some ingenuity. Lamenting the Summer Olympics, now rescheduled for this time next year? Staff writer Kevin Curtin re-creates a decathlon at home (and only narrowly averts breaking any bones). Craving a summer fling? We’ve rounded up some recommendable adult toys for a party of one.

We’ve also got ideas for al fresco dining, tips for building an outdoor soaking tub and a solar oven, the latest on which summer camps are opening back up, new music playlists to power your backyard barbecues, and more creative ways to fun summer up.

Find all our Summer Fun stories at austinchronicle.com/summer-fun.

This article appears in May 29 • 2020.

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A graduate of the Michener Center for Writers at the University of Texas, Kimberley has written about film, books, and pop culture for The Austin Chronicle since 2000. She was named Editor of the Chronicle in 2016; she previously served as the paper’s Managing Editor, Screens Editor, Books Editor, and proofreader. Her work has been awarded by the Association of Alternative Newsmedia for excellence in arts criticism, team reporting, and special section (Best of Austin). The Austin Alliance for Women...