Summer's back. The National Weather Service says the brief cold snap that chilled us off on Thursday is leaving the area and the next few days should be as hot as the days we usually have in July.

Today is expected to be pleasantly warm, with sunshine, light winds and highs in the mid-70s. After an overnight low around 60, Saturday should see more sunshine and temperatures stepping up into the 80s for the Elmwood Avenue Festival of the Arts. And that's just the beginning, forecasters say. Sunny skies and highs in the 80s should prevail right through the middle of next week.

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Debuting today is the third-generation model of the Kindle e-book reader. It comes in two versions -- one with both 3G and Wi-Fi for $189, about the same price as the current Kindle, and one with just Wi-Fi for $139. The Wi-Fi-only version can only download books if you're in a wireless hot spot. Display is the same size on the new model, but it's smaller, lighter, turns pages faster and has better contrast.

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Fall semester activities begin today at Niagara University with the New Student Convocation ceremony at 4 p.m. in the Gallagher Center. Designed to mirror commencement exercises at the end of the year, it features an academic procession of students and faculty, a welcome from a faculty member, an alumni greeting, a message from the Rev. Joseph Levesque, college president  and a recitation of the NU Creed led by the student body president.

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OK, class. Here's your assignment. Live in poverty for one month. That's what about 75 master's degree students in the University at Buffalo School of Social Work will have to do in the school's first-ever "poverty simulation."

They'll compress a month's worth of poverty into three hours this afternoon in Talbert Hall on the North Campus in Amherst, acting out various scenarios as they scuffle and scramble to provide the basics of food and shelter for their families during four 15-minute "weeks." Then they have to try to get help from various government and nonprofit agencies.

"We thought this would be a way for students to begin their journey toward becoming professional social workers," says associate professor Diane E. Elze, director of the master's degree program. "In their courses, they will be learning about the structural and institutional causes of poverty, and this simulation will sensitize them to poverty's impact on the daily lives of families."

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Preparing students and alumni alike for another challenge in life is "Menopause The Musical," which opens this evening in UB's Center for the Arts on the North Campus in Amherst. Featuring song parodies of hits from the '60s, '70s and '80s, it takes to the Mainstage Theatre stage at 8 tonight, at 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday and again at 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $40.50 to $49.50.

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Country superstars Brooks & Dunn bid farewell to their fans as they bring their Last Rodeo tour to Darien Lake Performing Arts Center at 7 p.m., making up for that date they had to cancel back in July when Ronnie Dunn had to rest his vocal cords. Opening is another country legend, Merle Haggard, and a guy who just might become a legend someday, prodigy Tyler Dickerson, whose debut hit was titled "Tell Your Sister I'm Single." Tickets are $48.50 to $73.75 reserved, $27.75 for the lawn. Tickets for the July 10 show will be honored.

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Meanwhile, "unforeseen circumstances" are blamed for the cancellation of tonight's show at Artpark in Lewiston by Bachman & Turner -- mainstays of the '70s rock group Bachman-Turner Overdrive. Friends who learned about it when they went to buy tickets say they were told that the show was canceled due to poor ticket sales. Tickets for this stop on the Forged in Rock tour were $59.50 for reserved seats and $45 for the lawn. Refunds are available at www.tickets.com or the Artpark box office.

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Artpark may be dark tonight, but the annual Lewiston Jazz Festival promises to brighten up various venues in the village from 5 to 10 p.m., climaxing with the West Point Band's Jazz Knights. It continues Saturday from noon to 10 p.m. with local and national performers, including Curtis Stigers, and there's more Sunday afternoon. For the full schedule, see Gusto or visit www.lewistonjazz.com.

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It's the final day of the M&T Plaza Event Series, the free lunchtime concert in front of M&T Bank headquarters across from Main Place Mall in downtown Buffalo. Taking things out in style is one of the area's most durable rock groups, the Dave Constantino Band.

Other free outdoor performances today include the Jerry Andres Band at 7 p.m. in the final concert in Youngstown's Free Summer Concert Series in Faulkner Park; and This Vehicle at 7:30 p.m. on Old Falls Street in Niagara Falls.

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Speaking of hits from the '60s and '70s, singer and songwriter Neil Sedaka will offer his contributions to the era -- songs like "Calendar Girl," "Laughter in the Rain" and "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do" -- when he appears at 8:15 p.m. in the Chautauqua Institution Amphitheater. Tickets are $38.

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Jon Anderson, the singer who gave the '70s British progressive rock group Yes its distinctive sound, offers his renditions of the group's best-known songs and selections from his lengthy solo career at 8 p.m. in the Bear's Den at Seneca Niagara Casino in Niagara Falls. Tickets are $45 to $65.

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Carolyn Mark, the Canadian alt-country singer and songwriter who once paired with Neko Case in the Corn Sisters, plays a house concert at Marty Boratin and Susan Tanner's House, 7341 Nelson Drive, Hamburg. Opening is Katie Panfil. Music starts around 6 p.m. Contribution is $10. For info, call 812-4671.

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Coming while the crop is still at its peak, the eighth annual Tomato Festival opens today in Evangola State Park near Farnham for three days of crafts, games, contests, live music, hay rides and, of course, a farmers market. Special attractions include the Miss Evangola Pageant at 7 p.m. today, a Biker Wear Babe Contest at 3 p.m. Saturday and the Tomato Trot 5K walk and run at 9 a.m. Sunday. For good measure, there's an inflatable midway by Bouncers Paradise. Hours are 4 to 9 p.m. today, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Admission is free.

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The 28th annual Buffalo Irish Festival kicks up its heels today through Sunday at the Erie County Fairgrounds in Hamburg with Irish food and beverages, Irish clothing and other stuff to buy, and Irish music by Seamus Kennedy, Makem & Spain Brothers, Aoife Clancy and Robbie O'Connell, Tom Sweeney, Gerry Timlin, Emish, Penny Whiskey, Dave North Trio and The McKrells. It's open from 5 to 11 p.m. today, noon to 11 p.m. Saturday and noon to 9 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $8 adults, $5 seniors and kids 4 to 12. Parking is free. For more info, visit www.buffaloirish.com.

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The Bisons dropped another extra-inning heartbreaker in Syracuse on Thursday night. They try again to find a win against the Chiefs at 7 p.m. Listen on WWKB 1520 AM.

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Movies opening on local screens today include "Get Low," with Robert Duvall, Bill Murray, Lucas Black and Sissy Spacek in a film about a man who wants to have his funeral while he's still alive to enjoy it; the horror film "The Last Exorcism"; and Matt Dillon and Idris Elba in "Takers," about bank robbers out to pull off one last heist.

danderson@buffnews.comnull