Although attention is turning toward school supplies and thoughts of bag lunches, there's still plenty of time to enjoy summer and the unique smells that come with the season. This week, we asked people "If summer had an official scent, what would it be?" Reponses came flooding in. Turns out, the smell of summer is hard to pin down—because it’s not just one thing.
For some, summer smells like freshly cut grass. For others, it’s bonfire smoke drifting through the yard. And for quite a few, it’s the unmistakable aroma of barbecued burgers and hotdogs sizzling on the grill.
Fresh cut favourites
By far, the most common answer was fresh cut grass. It’s the smell that instantly transports you to a sunny afternoon, lawnmower humming in the background. Many listeners took it one step further, mentioning fresh cut hay or alfalfa, which carries that sweet, earthy scent unique to the countryside.
Some combined it with other classic scents, like Hannah Penner’s pick of “BBQ, bonfires, freshly cut grass” or Michelle Yarych’s “fresh cut grass, BBQ, flowers and rain.” And for Brenda Dyck, it’s “freshly cut alfalfa and the fresh smell that comes with a rain.”
BBQ season
There’s something about the smell of food cooking outdoors that gets people talking. Claude Plante summed it up perfectly: “When your neighbours are all cooking and you get that nice BBQ smell travelling across the neighborhood. Yummy.”
Melissa Bilous had a similar thought, describing the moment when you smell the BBQ somewhere nearby but have no idea who’s doing the grilling. Russ Ell Mason added his twist: “Burger sizzling off the grill, in the background a slight aroma of fresh cut grass.”
Bonfires and campfires
Bonfire smoke was another favourite, bringing with it memories of camping trips, marshmallow roasting, and summer nights spent outdoors. For some, like Mergie Fiesta, it’s paired with fresh grass. For others, it’s part of a bigger lakeside picture, like Marlene Turnbull Craik’s “sitting by the lake listening to the water splash on shore smelling the campfire.”
Rain, flowers, and sweet treats
Many listeners mentioned the smell of summer rain, both before and after it falls. Others pointed to lilacs, roses, and other blooms as the season’s signature fragrance.
Some went in a sweeter direction, saying watermelon, freezies, lemonade, or peach pie define the scent of summer. Hawaiian Tropic sunscreen even made multiple appearances, bringing with it the unmistakable coconut-and-beach vibe.
A sensory snapshot
Whether it’s the crisp scent of fresh cut grass, the smoky aroma of a bonfire, or the sweet tang of lemonade, summer’s smell is about more than just fragrance—it’s about the memories attached to it.
And while the season will eventually give way to cooler days, there’s still time to breathe in those unmistakable scents before they disappear for another year.
Fall officially arrives on September 21st, that leaves us with 36 days of summer.
-With files from Carly Koop.