It’s May, the overture to summer, and the demands of the season are starting to build.

There’s so much to do in just three months that I keep a mental checklist: must get to a ball game, an outdoor concert, a neighborhood festival, an art walk, fireworks, a farmers market, a restaurant patio, a family picnic, a hiking trail. And so on.

If you’re like me and want to maximize this glorious time of year, you’ll find a great resource in Ohio Magazine’s annual “103 Days and Nights of Summer” (see Page 76). Associate Editor Jessica Esemplare and interns Jessica Roblin and Allison Pohle prepared this compendium of activities through lots of research and calls to communities across the state. The result is a truly diverse calendar of fun, with entries for all ages and interests. Just a sampling:

Kick off the summer with a cone or sundae at the Utica Sertoma Ice Cream Festival on May 26, then head west to Columbus for the annual Asian Festival on May 27. Looking for an outdoor activity on Wednesday, June 13? Why not pick your own strawberries at Sunrise Farm in Burton? A MoonPie-eating contest is just one of the events at Wapakoneta’s Summer Moon Festival on July 18, an apt celebration for the birthplace of astronaut Neil Armstrong. If you need a break from all the activity, try a little Yoga in the Hills in the Hocking Hills on August 22. Cap off your summer on September 3 with a relaxing day of boating, fishing, hiking or biking at Caesar Creek State Park.

There are 96 more activities to choose from, so we advise keeping this issue handy. You might even plan a mini-vacation with it. For example, you could take in a Chillicothe Paints baseball game on Saturday evening, June 2, then swing north to the Hocking Hills on Sunday, with a side trip to the Paul A. Johnson Pencil Sharpener Museum in Logan. Or, take in the Amish Country Quilt Show on June 7 in Dalton and then head two hours south to Marietta’s Brick Street BBQ on June 8.

The possibilities are mind-boggling. And throughout the summer, Ohio Magazine will be adding great events to our print and online listings. Go to ohiomagazine.com for the latest updates, and to sign up for our weekly events e-newsletter.

I know my summer datebook is filling up fast. Peruse this issue, and we’re sure yours will, too.