Nothing gets my tail wagging quite as much as the gentle flutter of colorful butterfly wings; and fortunately this time of year, Balboa Park offers a primo location for butterfly watching in the sunken Zoro Garden.

Sandwiched between the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center and the Casa de Balboa, this picturesque stone grotto earned its initial claim to fame as the site of a nudist colony during the 1935 California Pacific International Exposition. At the time, some two-legged folk were fascinated by the prospect of living au natural like their four-legged counterparts, until they realized that their lack of fur made it too cold for them to keep it up year round.

The queen of the nudist colony’s pageant was named Zorine, hence the name Zoro with one r rather than two. About sixty years later, the garden was transformed to foster a colony of butterflies instead by incorporating plants and trees that provide the necessary food and shelter for all stages of a butterfly’s lifecycle. Among these botanical resources are sunflowers, passion vines, monkey flowers, as well as ficus and Moreton Bay and Indian Laurel Fig trees.

Now some of the most beautiful butterfly breeds, like monarchs, sulfars, skippers, and swallowtails, have a safe, sunny, wind-protected environment to flourish—and I have an ideal spot to enjoy the benefits of living au natural.

There are so few places for me to combine my three favorite pastimes: watching great films on a giant screen, picnicking with my pack, and lounging on a green lawn. And there is only one place I know of in San Diego where you can do it all for free, and that’s the annual Screen on the Green summer film series, presented by the San Diego Museum of Art.

Now in its tenth year, the popular community tradition turns it up a notch by collaborating with the San Diego International Children’s Film Festival to help kick off opening day of Comic-Con on July 24. The special Friday evening presentation, beginning at 8:00 p.m., will feature 13 of the best kid-friendly short films.

In town for the big convention, Andrew Marshal from DreamWorks animation studio will be on hand that night to introduce his independently produced “Gallery Girl,” in which a young girl from an Egyptian hieroglyphic gets tired of her flat existence and ventures into other paintings. I’m also looking forward to “Garpenfargle,” which offers a true-to-life dog’s-eye view of what exactly happens when a fellow pup is left home alone. See for yourself:

The family fun continues on the “Green” the following Thursday, July 30, with the visually spectacular Adventures of Baron Munchausen. And on August 6, the series concludes with Shadow Magic, an indie dramedy centering on the introduction of moving pictures (i.e., film) to China. As always, be sure to arrive early to mark your favorite spot.

If you’re like me and need a weekend fix to get you to the next weeknight Twilight in the Park performance, a great little community park on Balboa Park’s East Mesa has just the ticket. On select Saturday evenings this summer, Bird Park, which I wrote on recently, hosts its own little concert series that lets me rock n’ roll all over a nice green lawn.

Like Twilight in the Park, the Bird Park Summer Concert Series offers a wide range of music styles, from Cajon and blues to rock and jazz. Coming up on July 25, I plan to catch the funky jammin’ sounds of Chris Kelly’s Brian Buckit, which fuses festive New Orleans jazz with high energy rock n’ roll. The series wraps up two weeks later with the “First Class Sultry Lady of Blues,” Ruby and the Red Hots, on August 8.

Bird Park is located next to the Morley Field Sports Complex at 28^th and Thorn Streets, and concerts run during the dinner hour from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. It’s street parking only in this quaint craftsman community, so plan on arriving early to find a cool spot on the grass lawn to set up your picnic. Bear in mind glass, grills, and alcohol are not permitted, and four-legged friends should come accessorized with their favorite leash.

Buddy Writes: Dear Cosmos, I’m sure I speak for many in our pack when I say you do a wonderful job of presenting a dog’s-eye view of Balboa Park, but I wonder if there is a good resource available that gives more of a child’s-eye view?

Cosmos: I’m so glad you asked as I just happen to be pawing through a new book hot off the presses titled Balboa Park A to Z. It features 26 colorful illustrations of places to go and things to do in Balboa Park, beginning with “A is for Alcazar Garden” and ending with “Z is for Zoo.”

Each illustration is accompanied by a preschooler-friendly verse about the pictured attraction while a couple of brief paragraphs below provide more in-depth info that older pups and parents will appreciate. In the back, a useful map locates each place referenced in the book by its letter designation.

Like my blog, this book serves as a wonderful guide to all the nooks and crannies in the Park that tykes of all ages will enjoy exploring, from the Puppet Theater and Fountains to the Rose Garden and Museums. I must admit, however, I am a bit partial to the entry for letter N, which is, of course, for Nate’s Point Dog Park.

So be sure to tell your family to fetch a copy in the Balboa Park Visitors Center next time they visit the Park or to simply order one online in advance of their visit.

While I do love the beach as much as the next surf dog, I know that the over-crowded Fourth of July weekend is a less-than-ideal time to go, especially when Balboa Park offers at least 25 other Fun and Affordable Things to Do. Since I’m sure everyone has browsed that impressive list by now, I wanted to highlight five tail-wagging things you must do this weekend:

Stay-for-the-Day Pass—Although I never like being told to “Stay!” I wouldn’t mind staying a whole day in the Park to visit four world-class museums—including two great photography exhibitions of Ansel Adams and Richard Avedon—for the low price of $29.

Gardens in Full Bloom—Spring is gone, but not without leaving many gorgeous gifts to see and sniff in the Alcazar Garden, Inez Grant Parker Memorial Rose Garden, Botanical Building, and elsewhere throughout the Park.

Walking Audio Tour—Don’t want to leave your best (canine) friend at home? Then bring him or her on a leisurely self-paced walking audio tour. I’ve used one myself! (Check out the coupon pages for a special discount.)

Picnic in Style—You don’t need crunchy sand in your food to enjoy a great Fourth of July picnic. Balboa Park has a number of grassy picnic spots, including Redwood Circle, Pepper Grove, Bird Park, and Pine Grove, to name a few.

House of USA Lawn Program—But for a good old-fashioned Fourth of July picnic, complete with hot dogs, potato salad, apple pie, and patriotic tunes, be sure to check out the Sunday, July 5, lawn program at the International Cottages. And Dog Bless America!