Now that the Fourth of July holiday has officially marked the start of summer in Queens, we once again pause to reflect on all the wonders available in the borough we call home. The list is a long one, and growing all the time. A glance at the calendar listings in this newspaper will quickly demonstrate that the borough is crammed from one end to the other with summer activities to delight, educate, instruct and entertain all ages.

Summer would not be summer without outdoor concerts and these are held almost everywhere throughout the borough. Name a park with a lawn big enough to spread out a blanket or two and the odds are good a concert schedule is posted. The Central Astoria Local Development Coalition (CALDC) series of Waterfront Concerts kicked off with an Independence Day Fireworks Celebration June 25; the next event is set for July 12. The CALDC Summer Fun Children’s Series began today, but there is always room for one more participant. Movie Night will start August 6. This is just one example; other parks throughout the borough offer similar schedules.

Queens College and the Queens Museum of Art among other, similar venues throughout the borough present a wide range of activities in addition to their fascinating year-round exhibits. Most are offered for free or nominal sums. Year-round activities are also in full swing at the Queens Zoo, Alley Pond Park, the Queens Botanical Garden and many other institutions. For them, summer is a time to broaden their offerings and open their doors wider so that more of their Queens neighbors can make their acquaintance and hopefully develop relationships that will keep going even after autumn arrives.

Dress requirements for most events are informal. One can show up at a concert in a park in a bathing suit and be comfortable as can anyone else in slightly dressier attire. Seating arrangements are casual as well. Reservations for an outdoor concert are seldom necessary, and as for many other activities such as craft classes, a phone call so that the sponsoring organization can be sure to have adequate supplies on hand is all that is required.

The bounties of summer in Queens are ours for the taking and most can be reached by subway or bus. Many can even be easily traversed on foot, providing the added benefit of a walk through some of the most culturally diverse neighborhoods the city has to offer. We have said it before and we say it once again: Why bother to travel to see the world when the world is willing to come and see you? Many travelers do not visit as many cultures in one lifetime as are easily seen in the course of a casual stroll through any part of this borough, all here for the taking.

From Long Island City to Little Neck and from Bayside to the Rockaways, Queens has something to offer everyone. Visit the Tourism Council Web site at www.discoverqueens.info for a listing of organizations that offer a vast array of summer activities. If you lack immediate access to the Internet, just read the Calendar page of this newspaper. The list of things to do and places to go is almost endless.

Queens truly has something for everyone, no matter your age and your tastes. All summer lies before us, awaiting our pleasure. Queens offers the best “staycation” possibilities anywhere. All we need do is enjoy them.

May this be the best summer ever for us all.