It's high time to let your hair down, kick off your shoes, walk barefoot in the grass, enjoy a long dip in a cool pool. It's finally summer and this year more than ever, we deserve to enjoy its fleeting pleasures.

The longest day of the year has already passed and before you know it, kids will be lamenting the fact that it's back to school time. Fear not! Turn off the TV, close that laptop and get out and enjoy the very best days of summer in Snowmass.

Flick & Float

Take one part drive-in movie coupled with one part mellow river trip. What do you get? A “Flick and Float” party at the Snowmass Recreation Center that's free to members and $15 to non-members.

Here's how it works: Bring your favorite floaty device, preferably a semi-small pool float, settle into the tepid, non-chlorinated pool and enjoy a showing of the classic animated 'toon “Finding Nemo” beginning at 8:15 p.m. on July 7. Subsequent summer evening float parties are planned for July 28 and August 11, with flicks to be named later.

Come and join the locals and make new friends at the Snowmass Recreation Center, (970) 922-2240.

Icy fine treats

Refreshing and at the same time, a wee bit indulgent, nothing says summer like ice cream and nobody does variations of the sweet treat better than The Sweet Life in Base Village. In its first summer of operation, The Sweet Life offers an ice cream parlor/candy store on the first floor, diner-style eatery upstairs.

Go ahead, substitute that thick and frosty chocolate shake for a “real” lunch. Down that fizzy Black Cow on a sizzling hot July afternoon. Maybe peach or mango sorbet is the order of the day.

While your troubles may not melt away like lemon drops, as their slogan promises, even those without a sweet tooth will be tempted by the more than two dozen ice cream flavors found in the landmark red barn building in the base. Call (970) 923-9903 for summer hours.

Jammin' on the hill

Thursday nights during the heart of summer, there's really only one place to be, Fanny Hill, right after work until dark. It doesn't matter who is playing - it's usually quality stuff, some familiar to the audience, others not so well known. Big names, new names, classic stars and up-and-comers, it doesn't matter really.

Grab a blanket, a picnic (or not) and leave the alcohol at home (it's cheap and pretty easy to buy on the hill) and get ready for a fun and friendly and mostly free evening, which often culminates with a spectacular sunset. For the opening event in the series, on July 2, fireworks at dusk will provide a fitting finale to the day.

Dream teams

Team sports rule in the Village. Whether it's children's soccer, teen volleyball or pick-up basketball games, our spacious and plentiful fields and indoor facilities make it easy to put together a team for some good, clean fun. Our own field of dreams, featuring Mt. Daly and golf course views, would make Shoeless Joe proud.

Enjoy the small-town charms of softball on Tuesday nights at 6 or 7 p.m. Cheer on the Base Pillagers or wRec'd as they compete in the tight, four-team league. The season runs through July 28, so there's still plenty of time to hear the crack of the bat, take in the soft seasonal air and capture that perfect summer moment.