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Growing up in suburban North Atlanta, the only time I ever heard about the solstice was during the astronomy segment of science class. It wasn’t until I moved out West that I learned it’s basically the unofficial national holiday of the outdoors.

“What are you doing for the solstice?” a friend asked me the first year I lived in Colorado.

“What?” I asked.

“It’s the longest day of the year,” they said, as if that were obvious. “What are you doing to celebrate?”

Celebrating the solstice (which falls on June 20 this year) had never occurred to me before. It probably didn’t help that I grew up in a pretty conservative household where pagan celebrations were largely frowned upon. And summer solstice is basically as pagan as it gets. In ancient times (circa 5,000 years ago, in places ranging from Egypt to Indigenous North America to the English Isles) the summer solstice was an occasion for late-night revelry and debauchery. Dancing around campfires, performing magic, visiting henges, worshipping ancient gods—all that jazz. So, it surprised me to learn that mountain town communities across the West have not only embraced the ancient tradition, but reimagined it as a modern celebration of nature, community, and outdoor recreation.

The Connection Between the Solstice and Magic 

I’ll take any excuse to play outside, but that’s not the only reason I love the summer solstice. In ancient times, magic was during midsummer. Some cultures believed the night of the solstice—sometimes called Midsummer’s Eve—was the moment when the human realm and spiritual realm collided. Fairies and sprites could reach across the thin membrane between worlds, leaving gifts, sharing secrets, or tugging human heroes from one universe to the other. You could end up meeting a god, going on a quest, or falling into a world of possibilities beyond your imagination.

It’s not hard to see where ancient people got those ideas. In June in the Northern Rockies, light lingers in the sky until 9:00 PM. Time seems to slow, and you feel as if you’re in limbo—as if the twilight will last forever, and the night will never come. In this narrow window, you feel like anything could happen. The ancient rhythms of nature seem to pound louder in your ears. You know magic doesn’t exist, but for a moment, you almost believe it could.

With so much uncertainty and heaviness in the world, we could all use a little bit of that sparkle—that gorgeous, lion-hearted, invincible belief that there’s another world, another future out there just beyond our fingertips. Even if we only believe it for a day. So, this year, I’m going out of my way to celebrate the solstice. Maybe I’ll capture a little bit of that magic. Maybe I won’t. Either way, it’ll be worth the time spent outside.

8 Ways to Celebrate the 2025 Solstice 

There are tons of ways to go about celebrating the solstice. Vikings, for example, used the extra daylight to sneak in a longer pillage sesh. Earlier peoples might have built a circle of stones or leapt over a bonfire. remains an annual tradition in Germany, Finland, Spain, and a number of other countries. Fires are said to ward off evil spirits, bolster the sun’s power ahead of the harvest season, and represent defeat over darkness. If you want to get ceremonial, go for it. But if your goal is just to get outside and make the most of the sunshine, here are eight other ways to spend your solstice.

1. Plan an epic linkup. In Boulder, Colorado, where I live, climbers spend all year waiting for long summer days. Come June, the sun sets late—which means there’s finally enough time to drive to the cliff and get a few pitches in after work. My favorite way to celebrate is with a linkup—tagging a handful of classic climbs in Eldorado Canyon State Park, linking multiple , or staging an all-day that doesn’t end until the last traces of sun are gone from the sky.
2. Go for a sunset run. Long summer days mean you can get in a long run after work without having to worry about running in the dark—a goddamn blessing if you feel nervous running at night (or just hate jogging with a headlamp). This year, I’ll be celebrating the solstice with an evening run, albeit with a slight twist: It’s an uphill beer mile in the mountains with a few of my craziest friends.
3. Join an impromptu jam sesh. A number of outdoorsy towns boast regular drum circles or similar musical communities that plan something special around solstice time. Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre, for example, is known for its big-name concerts, but the solstice brings a different kind of show. At dawn, drummers and musicians gather on the steps of the amphitheatre and greet the earliest sunrise of the year with a grassroots jam session.
4. Go dancing. If you’ve ever considered dabbling in Paganism, summer solstice is your time. While many cities offer Friday-night dances (salsa, country swing, and Lindy hop are among the most popular), some towns host slightly more woo-woo offerings for the solstice. See if you can find an outdoor ecstatic dance or silent disco near you. Or, plan your own: head to the park with a couple of buddies and groove to your favorite tunes until dark.
5. Summit something. In mountain towns, trail runners and hikers often take advantage of the solstice to knock out mega objectives that wouldn’t be possible with fewer daylight hours. But the size of the objective doesn’t really matter: standing on top of anything, even your local hill, is an incredible way to celebrate playing outside and to kick off summer with a triumph.
6. Plan a costumed bike ride. Some ancient peoples would celebrate solstice by donning special robes for ceremonies. The modern version: Set a theme for a costumed bike ride and do a lap around town with your friends. Bring lights, play music, and end the ride at your favorite brewery, pub, or BBQ spot.
7. Jump in a creek. Long days mean plenty of sunlight to bask in. Pack a picnic lunch to your local creek or lakeshore, go for a swim, and air-dry in the warm June rays. If you have a stand-up paddleboard or kayak, watching the sun set from the middle of a lake is another must-do.
8. Go camping. My favorite way to celebrate long summer days is to pitch a tent—it doesn’t matter where. Sleep under the stars at your local state park, snag a site on forest service land, or set up shop in your backyard. Stay up late, and if local regulations permit, build a campfire. It’s the perfect way to kick off a classic American summer and nod to all at the same time. And who knows? Maybe, at that moment when worlds collide, you’ll experience a little solstice magic for yourself .