It’s the most wonderful time of the year.

No, not Christmas — summer! Summer is just a few days away, and I don’t know about the rest of you, but I could not be happier.

After such a long, harsh winter and what seems like a spring-time of constant rain, I can’t wait to spend my summer days soaking up the sun.

More than just bringing warmer weather, summer is a time when the Michiana region comes to life. Festivals and activities abound, and there is really no excuse to spend summer vacation laying around on the couch.

Much like every other person in the world, one of my favorite summer activities is to spend a day out on the beach. Luckily, Michiana delivers in the beach department. Between St. Joseph, New Buffalo, Union Pier and several others, there are plenty of places in the area to lay down your beach towel and sink your toes into the sand.

After you are done splashing around in Lake Michigan, our beach communities also offer many fun attractions to make a whole day of it. Personally, there are few things I love more than grabbing a slice at Silver Beach Pizza and browsing local shops in St. Joseph after an afternoon in the sun.

If having every spare inch of your body covered in sand is not your thing, ditch the beach and maybe check out one of the region’s many wineries. From Tabor Hill to Lehman’s to Lemon Creek, Round Barn, Red Top and so many more, you could spend an entire day and then some tasting some of the best wine the region has to offer.

For more family-friendly fare, check out one of the many summer festivals coming our way including the Berrien County Youth Fair, the Cass County Fair, Dowagiac’s Summer in the City, Niles’ Brew Fest and many more.

Also, don’t forget to enjoy evening music through Niles’ Summer Concert series, which hosts a different artist at 6 p.m. everything Thursday in Riverfront Park. Dowagiac also hosts its own summer of music at 7:30 p.m. every Thursday on the lawn of the James E. Snow Professional Building, located at Main and Front streets downtown.

This list of fun summer activities is only the tip of the iceberg of what Michiana has to offer. New venues and businesses are popping up all the time to provide even more fun — you need only to check out our newspapers and magazines to see proof of that.

I, for one, feel blessed to live in a region that has so much to offer. I am so glad that the weather is warmer, and I finally have the chance to appreciate it. So, let’s all commit to turning off the TV every now and again and exploring all that Michiana has to offer this summer.