Many are excited to take the holiday trailer out for the first time this season, kick back and relax, with plenty of sunshine in the forecast for the long weekend.

A local Conservation Officer wants everyone to have a safe long weekend, in order for that to happen, Nick Mandrusiak encourages you to make smart decisions.

“If you’re doing stuff like mixing booze and going boating or swimming or drinking and driving or all the rest of it, just try and take that step back and have a look at what you’re doing and think what is the possible outcome of this”.

Mandrusiak will be working the long weekend at Aspen Beach at Gull Lake, where a liquor ban is in place.

         (courtesy Aspen Beach Provincial Park Facebook Page)

“We’ve been doing that for I believe about 15 years now because you get those folks in close proximity to each other, you add alcohol to the mix and you just start seeing those bad decisions.  Our water rescues that we do out on the lake, generally alcohol is involved, when we’re breaking up the loud music, and the parties and the bon fires and stuff is getting wrecked, alcohol is involved”.

The province meantime is encouraging ATV users to drive sober and safely this long weekend.

An average of 14 people die each year in ATV incidents, and more than half of all ATV fatalities between 2002 and 2013 tested positive for alcohol.

Around 600 people are admitted to hospital every year in Alberta following crashes involving ATV’s.

If you're staying close to home for the long weekend, the forecast looks great for a number of activities, including the opening of the McKay Ranch Aquatic Centre at the Abbey Centre in Blackfalds.

The outdoor water park opens for the season today (May 18th).

The first Lacombe Farmers Market of the season is today (May 18th), from 9-1 at Michener Park.

The Ellis Bird Farm east of Lacombe opens for the season on Monday.

The May long weekend also kicks off the summer season for Alberta's 20 provincially owned and operated historic sites, museums and provincial archives.

There's a new experience being offered in Wetaskiwin at the Reynolds-Alberta Museum, the McLaughlin story exhibition, detailing a family of risk takers that shaped Canada's transportation history.