Summer doesn’t officially begin until June 20, but it’s Memorial Day weekend and Cincy’s signature mugginess is in full effect — the season is upon us! Stay hydrated, slap on the sunscreen and get ready to make the most of this three-day weekend. It’s tradition to fire up the grill and open pools at the start of summer, but the biggest local ritual this time of year is the Taste of Cincinnati, taking over downtown Saturday-Monday. Fifth Street will fill with local food vendors, plenty of booze stations, carnival rides, four performance stages and more. This year is the debut of food trucks at the Taste — be sure to stop by Café de Wheels, Pizza Bomba, Taco Azul and Queen City Cookies’ mobile eateries in addition to the traditional Taste staples. Pick up an issue of this week’s CityBeat for a guide to the Taste with a map and full menu or click here for a digital copy. Tonight OTR’s green general store Park + Vine celebrates its fifth anniversary. P+V is a hub for local goods, vegan food, eco-cooking/gardening/living classes and much more. Danny Korman and the rest of the P+V crew have introduced Cincinnatians to kombucha keg parties, bike-friendly culture and even tasty vegan cheese (seriously, it exists). Stop by the shop from 6-11 p.m. tonight and enjoy a street market with local environmental organizations, food and produce vendors. Inside, there will be music, a Flashbox photo booth, beverages and the usual great shopping. Across the street, Northside vintage outfitters Chicken Lays An Egg present a fashion show at the park adjacent to Old St. Mary’s Church. As bike month comes to a close, celebrate the way countless teens end their high school careers — with a prom! Saturday the City of Cincinnati Bike Program hosts a Bike Prom ride from Northside’s Hoffner Park to Fountain Square (and back), kicking off at 4:30 p.m. Dress in your snazziest bike-friendly formal wear, get your photo taken prom-style under a balloon arch and even vote for a king and queen. After the ride, head to Mayday in Northside for after-prom: Mobo Bicycle Cooperative’s annual fundraiser. Dance to classic prom tunes, participate in a busted bike build-off, sign up for a silent auction and enjoy delicious Mayday drinks-n-'dogs all night long. The ride is free, after-prom admission is $10. Exhale Dance Tribe presents its season closer Saturday with Imprint. The contemporary Jazz show features original choreography by Exhale founders Missy Lay Zimmer and Andrew Hubbard. Dancing With the Stars champ and 98 Degrees alum Drew Lachey hosts the evening. Check out Lea Lachey, Sherene Schostak and Traci Swain, a father-son live art performance, solo by Andrew Hubbard and much more. The show begins at 8 p.m. Saturday; purchase tickets here.There's even more going down this weekend: Read Rick Pender's Stage Door for theater shows, follow our music blog for nightly concerts (and plenty of music festivals this weekend), and check out the To Do page for more.

The "Best of Taste" awards — a precursor to the Taste of Cincinnati food fest later this month — were doled out today. Eighty dishes from 30 restaurants were served to judges — "celebrities, foodies and the epicurious" — and they awarded the Crab and Shrimp Dumpling with Noodle from Arloi Dee Thai Bistro the coveted "Best Damn Dish" prize.Here's the full list of winners:AppetizersBest of Taste: Strasse Haus, Fried Peanut Butter & JellyAward of Excellence: LaRosa’s, Spinach RondoAward of Merit:  Market Street Grille, Stuffed Chicken Amore Soups/SaladsBest of Taste: du jours/Courtyard Café, Hunter’s Home Turkey ChiliAward of Excellence: ZZ’s Pizza Company, Caprese Salad   Award of Merit: City Barbeque, Gumbo                SeafoodBest of Taste: Arloi Dee Thai Bistro, Crab & Shrimp Dumpling with Noodle             Award of Excellence: ZZ’s Pizza Company, Seafood Pizza  Award of Merit: Mahagony’s, Shrimp and Grits                 EntreesBest of Taste: Andy’s Mediterranean Grille, Gyro Wrap                                     Award of Excellence: Claddagh Irish Pub, Jameson Burger  Award of Merit: Lazlo’s Iron Skillet, Walking Chicken Saltimbocca           Vegetarian EntreeBest of Taste: du jours/Courtyard Café, Black Bean Burrito                            Award of Excellence:  J. Gumbo’s, Bumblebee Stew  Award of Merit: LaRosa’s, Skinny Wheat Pizza DessertsBest of Taste: ZZ’s Pizza Company, Banana Cream Pie                      Award of Excellence:  du jour’s/Courtyard Café, Raspberry Cloud Pie          Award of Merit: Claddagh Irish Pub, Bread Pudding                       Best Damn Dish                  Arloi Dee Thai Bistro, Crab & Shrimp Dumpling with NoodleTaste of Cincinnati is coming up Memorial Day weekend, May 26-28. Visit TasteofCincinnati.com for more details.