If you’re still looking for a great place, other than the nearest kennel, to drop off your pups this summer, then look no further than the many unique camps offered by various Balboa Park organizations. From chess to art, science to photography, there’s sure to be something for everyone in your litter. But hurry, half and full-day slots are filling fast!

With swimsuit weather upon us, it’s time many of my two-legged friends start to think about the best ways to trim down while staying cool. Fortunately for us, the most picturesque public swimming pool in San Diego is located right here in Balboa Park.

First opened in 1933, the Bud Kearns Memorial Swimming Pool, inside the Morley Field Sports Complex, offers all the charm you’d expect from the oldest public pool in San Diego. Where else can you enjoy recreational lap swimming and water fitness classes surrounded by palm trees and grassy hills in a gorgeous park setting?

Pool hours vary, depending on the time of year, but the summer schedule that kicks in June 22 offers ample time for lapping, splashing, and chillin’ seven days a week. And while many facilities are raising fees to meet budget shortfalls, single-day adult admission to the pool is actually dropping from $5 to $4 beginning July 1. There are also discounted multi-use passes. A complete program of prices, hours, lessons, and other aquatic activities, including the annual Dive In Movie Night, are available online.

So whether you like to dog paddle, do the crawl stroke, or simply roll over and float, the Bud Kearns Pool is your best bet for beating the heat and the summer beach crowds.

German bratwurst sizzling on an open grill. Tangy barbeque beef skewers from China. Juicy Swedish meatballs. Hot stuffed dumplings from the Ukraine. These are just a few of the marvelous treats that will be filling my doggie dish this Sunday, May 24, when the annual Ethnic Food Fair presents highly edible delicacies from 32 different cultures.

Hosted by the House of Pacific Relations International Cottages, the Ethnic Food Fair is the most anticipated event in Balboa Park by such wide-ranging, yet discriminating palettes as my own. Where else can you sample a vast array of hearty main dishes, unique side fixin’s, rich decadent deserts, and sweet exotic beverages from so many countries all in one place?

And as if all the great food wasn’t reason enough to change your Memorial Day weekend plans, the Ethnic Food Fair also features arts, crafts, and entertainment from various participating countries. Hitting the main stage from 10am to 6pm will be a continuous stream of dancers, performers, and musicians courtesy of the Houses of Hungary, Peru, Denmark, Turkey, Columbia, India, Lebanon, and Puerto Rico, to name a few.

Best of all, since most of the event is outdoors, you don’t need to worry about dropping any food, as a fleet of canine vacuum cleaners (a.k.a. me) will be on high alert to quickly dispose of any spillage.

Great outdoor festivals—and the wonderful food they bring—just keep coming to Balboa Park this time of year. And this weekend is no exception, as the venerable Indian Fair returns for its 26^th year to the San Diego Museum of Man.

If you don’t know where the Museum of Man is, just look for the landmark California Tower on the west end of the Park’s central mesa and follow your snout to its base. There on May 16 and 17, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., you’ll find the picturesque California Plaza transformed into a lively marketplace. Dozens of Native American tribes from all over the Southwest and Alaska will be presenting music, singing, dancing, and, of course, tasty traditional foods. Be sure to browse the artists’ market where you can see live demonstrations of how jewelry, pottery, baskets, textiles, and masks are made.

A small admission fee of $5 for adults and seniors and $1 for children ages 3 to 17 grants entry to the Indian Fair, as well as to the museum’s exhibitions and indoor performances by storytellers, dancers, and musicians. And to top it all off, a special “Family Day” on Saturday, May 16, will feature kid-friendly museum tours and interactive craft activities for pups of all ages.

Millie writes: With summer just around the corner, can you please help me mark out territory for the best out-of-the-way picnic spots in Balboa Park?

Cosmos: While there are ample spaces throughout Balboa Park’s vast 1,200 acre campus to stake out a private picnic, I highly recommend these four lesser-known areas of the Park if you want to get off the beaten path.

Bird Park: This park’s open grassy field is ideal for kite flying or touch football. Views of the downtown skyline form a majestic backdrop to the free summer concerts that take place here. Located near the Morley Field Sports Complex at 28^th and Thorn, there is also play equipment for the little ones.

Pine Grove: The shadiest spot on this list, the Pine Grove picnic area is accessed via the one-way loop at the corner of Balboa Drive and Juniper Street. Numerous picnic tables are widely scattered among the many trees, presenting a tempting rest stop for joggers, rollerbladers, and dog walkers.

Activity Center Garden Court: Tucked behind the Activity Center on Park Boulevard this quaint spot combines the historic beauty of the Balboa Park Administration Building with formally landscaped gardens, benches, and tinkling fountains. Your kinsfolk would have to send out the dogs to find you here.

Golden Hill Park: A great place for viewing fireworks from Petco Park, this neighborhood park is actually one of the oldest developed areas in Balboa Park. Just off 26^th Street, the park’s large open grass fields are surrounded by unusual botanical treats, including two large Moreton Bay Figs.