Summer is always a good time to visit Toronto, Canada's bustling and cosmopolitan city on the north shore of Lake Ontario, and this year it's the scene of an ambitious new international arts festival.

Events run the gamut from music to visual arts and design at Luminato -- http://www.luminato.com/english/ -- the city's June 1-10 festival of arts, creativity and fun. The music side includes jazz, opera, "world music" and a comedic "Not the Messiah" inspired by the Monty Python movie "Life of Brian." Theater has a broad collection of dramas, and there's a "Family Events" category with exhibits, a "Carnivalissima" carnival, a drumming festival and a celebration of the '60s called "Summer of Love." The 100 or so events include some that are free.

Some events are scheduled for the Distillery -- http://www.thedistillerydistrict.com/ -- a 13-acre national historic site and pedestrian-only district in an industrial area of Toronto that once was a huge distillery. Today, its brick buildings are home to artists' studios and galleries, cafes and restaurants, and stores featuring imported and Canadian products. Take a quick look at the photo gallery.

But don't forget the rest of the city. Tourism Toronto -- http://www.torontotourism.com/visitor -- has city maps, a "Virtual Tour" slide show (look for No. 5, the sunset), and guides to all the shopping, night life, sports and family outings you can fit into your visit. Then dive into "What to See + Do" for more ideas, including tours and itinerary suggestions, plus guides to neighborhoods such as the Harbourfront, Little Italy, Chinatown, Old Town and Cabbagetown, which is nicer than it sounds.

If you drive you can save a buck or two, because Tourism Toronto's shopping section includes a link to the duty free shops at the international border between Toronto and Niagara Falls, N.Y. Some tourists who drive might also take tents and sleeping bags, so "Where to Stay" includes a link to the Glen Rouge Campground in the city's own 12,000-acre Rouge Park. For more possibilities on places to stay, check out "Special Offers" for hotel packages built around themes such as shopping, family, sightseeing and romance.

Don't worry about the weather. Toronto has PATH -- http://www.toronto.ca/path/index.htm -- a 16-mile network of underground arcades full of shops and with connections to major buildings, parking, subway stations, hotels and attractions. It's included in the city government's visitors' Web site -- http://www.toronto.ca/visitors/index.htm -- along with links to a downtown map, public transit pass, city museums and the GO Transit system.

From the underground, go to the other extreme at the CN Tower -- http://www.cntower.ca/portal/ -- where you can dine in the revolving 360 Restaurant, more than 1,100 feet above the city, or go still higher to one of the observation decks, including the Sky Pod at a dizzying 1,465 feet up. If the height makes you chicken out, you can still enjoy the surrounding Entertainment District -- http://www.thedistrict.ca/ -- with its restaurants, boutiques, hotels and live theater.

Outside the city, you could get tickets for Shaw Festival 07 -- http://www.shawfest.com/ -- specializing in the plays of George Bernard Shaw at Niagara-on-the-Lake. Or, you could head west from Toronto to the city of Stratford and its Stratford Summer Music festival -- http://www.stratfordsummermusic.ca/ -- and its Stratford Festival of Canada -- http://www.stratfordfestival.ca/ -- featuring Shakespearean drama and more recent works such as "Oklahoma" and "To Kill a Mockingbird."