• Sober & Social Patio Happy Hour | Friday, June 30 | 4-6 p.m. | The Loading Dock, 2028A Lindell Ave. | Free | Join Killjoy at this weekly meetup for a chance to wind down + enjoy alcohol-free drinks from a small, curated menu.
• Pop-Up Pride Event | Friday, June 30 | 6-9 p.m. | 8th & Roast, 104 Charlotte Ave. | Free+ | View artwork by Will Maddox, listen to music by Norabea, shop vendors, play bingo, and sip on special drinks.
• Get Happy: A Judy Garland Centennial Celebration | Friday, June 30 | 7:30 p.m. | Schermerhorn Symphony Center, 1 Symphony Pl. | $32+ | Broadway stars Morgan James and Nicholas Rodriguez join the orchestra to bring Garland’s songbook back to life with rare interviews, family photos, and vintage footage of “The Judy Garland Show.”

• Craft Your Art Out — Summer Edition | Saturday, July 1 | 1-4 p.m. | Nashville Public Library, Bellevue Branch, 720 Baugh Rd. | Free | This art class for adults doesn’t have any guided instruction, so you’re free to create whatever your imagination dreams up with all materials provided.
• Nashville SC vs. D.C. United | Saturday, July 1 | 7:30 p.m. | GEODIS Park, 501 Benton Ave. | $22+ | Watch the Boys in Gold play on home turf on Military Appreciation Night.
• Moonlit Night Hike | Saturday, July 1 | 7-9 p.m. | Beaman Park Nature Center, 5911 Old Hickory Blvd., Ashland City | Free | Bring good footwear for this moderate 2-3 mile hike.

• Red, White & Pool Hosted by Spritz Society | Sunday, July 2 | 11 a.m.-5 p.m. | W Hotel Nashville , 300 12th Ave. S. | $30+ | The party will include beats by local DJs, swag giveaways from Spritz Society, and a pop-up with free spritz samples.
• Sit and Sew | Sunday, July 2 | 1 p.m. | Make Nashville Makerspace, 620B Davidson St. | Free+ | This class is designed to allow you to work on whatever you want to, share ideas, tips, techniques, and knowledge — all experience levels welcome.
• Celtic Throne | Sunday, July 2 | 7:30-9 p.m. | Ryman Auditorium, 116 5th Ave. N. | $35+ | This Irish dance show is set against imagery of Ireland, the Scottish Highlands, and scenes from the British Empire + traditional America — tickets are buy-one-get-one free with promo code “CELTIC23.”

• Consider us your one-stop fireworks shop. We’re sharing four public displays, where to watch, road closures, and parking tips via our Fourth of July fireworks guide.

• Are you hosting this weekend’s festivities, but don’t know where to start? Source everything you need to build your own backyard barbecue with this guide — from locally-produced meats, spices, sides, and baked goods.

• In case you missed it, we’re curating a Nashville summer bucket list for y’all — but we want your input. Send us your warm weather must-dos, or something you’ve always wanted to do, but haven’t had the chance to. You could be featured in an upcoming newsletter.

Why Go?

• The town offers free family-friendly programming in peak summer months and has great shopping, restaurants + beach activities — think paddle boarding and jet skiing.

Act like a local:

• Food: Get delicious seafood dishes at The Blue Point, then take your bottle of wine to sip on the dock while watching the sunset. Looking for something more casual? Head up the boardwalk to Coastal Cantina.
• Explore: Head north to Corolla to see wild horses or climb the historic Currituck Beach Lighthouse. Duck is just a ~20-minute drive from some fun + historical sites — like The Wright Brothers’ Memorial and Jockey’s Ridge State Park.

Where to stay:

• Vrbo: Oceanfront Condo, a boardwalk’s distance from the beach (~$280/night)

• The perfect outdoor string lights do exist, and they’ve got a secret weapon: solar power. Light up your yard with a 50-ft strand.*

• A crushable summer beverage that won’t leave you with a hangover the next day? Try Ritual Zero Proof’s All Day Margarita made with alcohol-free tequila.*

• How to make skincare more fun: the Marshmallow Whip Maker, which turns any cleanser into a fluffy, marshmallow-like foam that’s rich and creamy on the skin.