PUNTA GORDA: SUMMER'S IN BLOOM

Gilchrist Park on the Charlotte Harbor waterfront will be the central gathering point June 13 and 14 for the fifth annual National Hibiscus Festival. Activities include a Saturday morning plant sale featuring many varieties of hibiscus along with other tropical plants. Also on tap for the weekend: The Secret Garden tour, Lil Miss Hibiscus Pageant, the Punta Gorda Sailing Club's Hibiscus Regatta and an antique car show.

Details: 941-575-3302 or 941-639-0760; www.puntagorda hibiscusfestival.com.

CANADA: JAZZY TRIBUTE

This year's Montreal Jazz Festival (June 26-July 6) is dedicated to the memory of the late jazz great (and Montreal native) Oscar Peterson. Among the 3,000 musicians scheduled to appear are Woody Allen, Aretha Franklin, Abbey Lincoln, David Murray, Steely Dan, the Wailers, and Return to Forever. Several city blocks are closed to traffic for the event, and an art gallery, street performers and a musical park for children are part of the program.

Details: The 11-day festival opens June 26 with U.K. singer Katie Melua. Tickets and info at www.montrealjazzfest.com or 888-515-0515

RHODE ISLAND: KEEP THE FIRES BURNING

Providence's WaterFire is lighting up the city's rivers on 15 nights through October, but sponsorship cutbacks have put a bit of damper on this year's event. WaterFire creator Barnaby Evans says there will be 11 full bonfire lightings and four partial lightings for the free arts event, though he hopes to add one or two more full lightings. The bonfires are built in braziers on three rivers in downtown Providence. WaterFire, which has been held for more than a decade, is considered one of New England's most popular public arts events.

Details: Full lightings are scheduled for June 21, June 28, Aug. 2, Aug. 16, Aug. 30, Sept. 13, Sept. 20, Sept. 27 and Oct. 11; partial lightings on June 3, June 18, Sept. 17 and Sept. 19. Information: www.waterfire.org.

-- Associated Press

The High Museum of Art is hosting The Louvre and the Ancient World, an exhibition featuring masterpieces from the founding cultures of civilization. More than 70 works from the Louvre's Egyptian, Near Eastern and Greco-Roman antiquities collections are on display. Might want to plan your visit around the third Friday of the month this summer, when the High turns into a jazz club at night.

Details: The exhibit runs through Sept. 7. Info: 404-733-HIGH (4444) or www.high.org. Admission, $18 adults, $11 for ages 6-17.

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