We asked readers to finish the sentence “It’s not summertime in Chicago until … .” Here’s what you said, lightly edited for clarity:
“Last day of school.”
— Travis Taylor
“I’ve had my first pulled pork sandwich from Robinson’s ribs at a festival or street fair.”
— Joan Pantsios
“The Cubs are in fourth place.”
— David Coulter
“Buckingham Fountain fires up.”
— Wade Travers
“I have my first swim in Lake Michigan.”
— B. Sampson
“We have 80-degree weather and you smell BBQ grill smoke.”
— Noel Tapia
“Summer begins late in June. As the song goes, ‘leave Chicago to the Eskimos,’ so do not expect summer to come early or last long. It is short, but often hotter than it is supposed to be. The lake often heats up and keeps the fall much more tolerable than the icy spring when the lake is cold.”
— Frank Collins
“The first fire hydrant gets opened up.”
— Brian McDermott
“Cicadas.”
— Michael Kricksen
“Gas prices rise.”
— Eric Has
“It took me until I was in my 40s to realize it doesn’t stay consistently warm until June 15.”
— Dave Gellert
“The street cleaning signs go up.”
— Dave Buckley
“The first construction sign is up.”
— Peter J. Gallanis