Al Zawra'a Summer Nights

Baghdad's largest park turns its lakeside stage over to a week of free evening programming: local bands, a children's theatre tent, food stalls from Karrada and Adhamiyah, and a small craft market under the trees. It runs from late afternoon until close to midnight, when the heat is finally bearable. Bring a mat — most families sit on the grass rather than in the seating, and the best spot is the western bank of the lake with the sun going down behind the fairground.