Dine Out Vancouver Festival is an annual highlight on food lovers’ calendars, a way to support local restaurants and fill our dreary January days with flavourful fun. Now, for the first time, Dine Out is going all summery on us, with its inaugural Dine OutSide.

Just as with the wintertime festival, prix-fixe menus form the heart of the event, with participating establishments offering set meals for $15, $25, $35 or $45.

Presented by Tourism Vancouver in collaboration with community partners, Dine OutSide takes place from August 21 to September 21.

Picnic packs to enjoy at a favourite park or any of the City of Vancouver’s new pop-up plazas will also be on offer. To make it a mini staycation, several hotels are offering exclusive rates and packages as part of the celebration of food and drink.

“Dine OutSide is a terrific way to support the city’s exceptional culinary talent and enjoy the benefits of a city immersed in nature – whether that’s enjoying drinks on a patio or taking a picnic to Stanley Park,” Royce Chwin, CEO of Tourism Vancouver, said in a release. “Our restaurant and hospitality partners who make up an important part of our tourism industry have been hard at work the last few months to ensure the safety and health of patrons. There’s never been a better time to explore what our city is dishing up.”

Restaurant and hotel offers will be released on August 13 at dineoutside.ca.