Ms. Cheap's Summer Guide: Free music, movies and more

Summertime in and around Music City offers 15 glorious weeks of free music, free movies, free family fun, plus free cultural and educational opportunities, some suggestions for enjoying the great outdoors, fun places to get wet and festivals.

So I give you my Ms. Cheap's Guide to Summer, my annual listing of things to do between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

Everything on my list is FREE, and I have included contact information on all entries so that you can check for more details and updates. Hope my guide helps you to stay cheap and have fun this summer.

Click a category to jump to it:

Music

Movies

Water Activities

Culture and education

Family fun

Outdoors

Festivals

MUSIC

•The popular Saturday night Centennial Park big band dances in the event shelter at the back of the park run through August. They are 7:30-10 p.m. and include dance lessons at 7 p.m. and again at 8:30 p.m. Here is the lineup: ); July 11: The Merchants of Cool (rumba); July 18: The Paul Ross Orchestra (salsa); July 25: The Jazz Alliance (cha-cha); Aug. 1: The Jerry Vinett Big Band (tango); Aug. 8: Radio Daze (rumba); Aug. 15: The South Jackson Street Band (foxtrot); Aug. 22: Rory Partin & His All Star Big Band (waltz); and Aug. 29: The Moonlighters (swing). Details: www.nashville.gov/parks. 615-862-8440. And if you wonder whether the dance is canceled due to weather, check www.twitter.com/bigbanddances.

• The Fourth Annual Jazz on the Cumberland concert series at the waterfront at Cumberland Park at 592 S. First St. features smooth and traditional jazz on scattered Sundays through October, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Summer dates include July 19 and Aug. 16. 615-862-8400. 615-731-9001 or see www.nashville.gov/parks/calendar.

•The Music for Seniors Free Concert Series, sponsored by Metro Arts, FiftyForward and others, offers a 10:30 a.m. Aug. 3 Nashville Jazz Workshop concert at The Jazz Cave at NJW, 1319 Adams St. To RSVP, email sarah@musicforseniors.org or call 615-330-1937.

•Gallatin's Third Thursdays on Main is a series of outdoor concerts held monthly On July 16, it is Savannah Jack, and on Aug. 20 The Stacy Michhart Band. Concerts begin at 6:30 p.m. www.mainstreetgallatin.com.

•There is a Brown Bag Lunch jazz concert series from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Thursdays through October at Centennial Park's event shelter. 615-731-9001 or www.nashville.gov/parks.

•The 60-member Williamson County Community Band, sponsored by the Williamson County Parks & Recreation Department, will have free concerts: , 6:30 p.m. July 25 at Aspen Grove Park, 3200 Aspen Grove Drive, Franklin, and 3 p.m. Aug. 16 at the Brentwood Library, 8109 Concord Road in Brentwood. 615-790-5719 or www.wcparksandrec.com.

•Smyrna Parks and Recreation has a Music at the Mill concert series at Gregory Mill Park, 390 Enon Springs Road in Smyrna. The lineup includes: Aug. 14, My July Band. Gates open at 5:30 p.m., and music starts at 6:30 p.m. 615-459-9742, ext. 2622, or www.townofsmyrna.org.

•The Hendersonville Arts Council has several summer concerts at Monthaven Mansion, 1154 W. Main in Hendersonville, including the W.O. Smith School. www.hendersonvillearts.org or 615-822-0789.

•Several Middle Tennessee wineries offer concerts this time of year. Take a picnic, buy a bottle (or not) and enjoy good, live outdoor music. They also have free wine tastings.

Arrington Vineyards in Arrington, Tenn., has the largest offering with its Music in the Vines concert series 5-9 p.m. every Friday and Saturday and 2-6 p.m. Sunday. www.arringtonvineyards.com.

The Sumner Crest Winery in Portland has concerts 6-9 p.m. about twice a month through October. 615-325-4086 or www.sumnercrestwinery.com.

Beachaven Winery in Clarksville holds its Jazz on the Lawn concert series on scattered Saturday nights through October. Next up is Richard Waters and Friends on July 11, South Street Players on July 25, Eight O Five jive on Aug. 8, King Bees on Aug. 22 and Tina Brown on Sept. 5. 931-645-8867 or www.beachavenwinery.com. Beachaven also has started a DJ on the DOCK Summertime Happy Hour on alternating Thursdays, with tunes played on the loading dock 4-7 p.m. with beach games, dancing and food trucks.

•Murfreesboro's Friday Night Live, its first Friday concert series on the downtown square, takes place 6:30-9:30 p.m. On Aug. 7, Skyline Drive and Sept. 4, John Carter Cash with Dirty Proper. 615-895-1887 or www.downtownmurfreesboro.com.

•Crockett Park in Brentwood has a series of 7 p.m. Sunday concerts in the Eddy Arnold Amphitheater through mid-July, with Who's Bad: Michael Jackson Tribute Band on July 12. 615-371-0060 or www.brentwood-tn.org.

•Murfreesboro's Cannonsburgh Village has a Third Friday Outdoor Concert series featuring different bluegrass and/or country bands each month from 7 to 9:30 p.m. at 312 S. Front St. in Murfreesboro. 615-890-0355.

•Goodlettsville's Music on Main concert series takes place in City Hall Park from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The lineup includes: ; Reckless (country/Southern rock) on July 16; and The Nash Tones (fun, variety) on Aug. 20.

•The Streets of Indian Lake in Hendersonville has a "Rockin' in the Streets" concert series 6:30-9 p.m. Thursdays between June 4 and Aug. 27.

•Enjoy Music on the Square in downtown Waverly every first and third Saturday of the month from June through September. It is 7-10 p.m. on the square. 931-296-2101.

•Perry County's Music on Main Street Saturday night concert series is back for its seventh year, alternating from week to week between Linden and Lobelville, Tenn., through August. The concerts are at 7:30 p.m. and include an array of musical styles and performers, including Charlie McCoy, Leipers Fork Bluegrass, Skyliters, Chicago Charlie Fink and Doug McCormick. Details: Call 931-593-2285 or 931-589-2736 or see Music on Main Street on Facebook.

•Be a part of Trinity Music City's live studio audience at several "Praise the Lord" concerts, i. Doors open at 6 p.m., with the program at 7 p.m. Trinity Music City, which also offers free tours Tuesdays through Saturdays, is at 1 Music Village Blvd. in Hendersonville. 615-822-8333 or www.trinitymusiccity.com.

• Lightning 100's "Live on the Green" concert series takes place Aug. 20 and Aug. 27 and Sept. 3 and Sept. 10-12 at Public Square Park in downtown Nashville. The lineup will be announced in late June. www.liveonthegreen.net.

•The Nashville Public Library's Concerts in the Courtyard series takes place Tuesdays at lunchtime in the courtyard at the main library, 615 Church St., from August through October. www.library.nashville.gov.

MOVIES

•Movies Under the Stars in Murfreesboro, which has been a mainstay since 1947, has a fine lineup of family-oriented flicks that will be shown at 8:30 p.m. at various locations through July 25. The free outdoor shows are at Cason Lane Trailhead on Monday nights, Cannonsburgh Village on Tuesdays, Siegel Neighborhood Park on Thursdays, Mitchell-Neilson Primary on Fridays and Hobgood Elementary School on Saturdays. 615-890-5333.

•The Nashville Public Libraries will show movies all summer, including "The Omega Man" at 2 p.m. Aug. 8 at Main; July 18, Aug. 1 and Aug. 15 at the new Bellevue branch; "Monday Matinees" every Monday at noon in July at Edgehill branch; and Family Movie Time at 2 p.m. and Aug. 22 and July 14 at the Edmondson Pike branch.

The Goodlettsville branch has lots of movies, including " "Up" at 5:30 p.m. Aug. 18. Or you could see "The Incredibles" at 10:30 a.m. July 25 at Green Hills.

There also are "Music Movie Matinees" at 10 a.m. July 28 and Aug. 25 with popcorn, cold drinks and a music movie at Hadley Park branch. For details on these or for a full movie schedule, see library.nashville.org.

The Nashville library system also has more than 150,000 DVDs that you can check out, plus music, magazines and e-books that you can download to your devices. www.library.nashville.org or 615-862-5800.

•The Brentwood Library, 8109 Concord Road, will show "Raiders of the Lost Ark" on July 12. All are at 1 p.m. www.brentwood-tn.org/library or 615-371-0090.

•The City of Franklin offers free, outdoor family movies at 8 p.m. at Pinkerton Park on Murfreesboro Road. Dates include July 10. Just pack a picnic and a lawn chair and enjoy these movies under the stars. 615-550-6947.

•Jailhouse Industry's outdoor Lawnchair Theater, at 4144 Old Hillsboro Road in Leiper's Fork, features classics and family movies at dusk on Fridays through August. www.jailhouseindustrys.com.

•Belcourt Theatre, 2102 Belcourt Ave. in Hillsboro Village, has a monthly second Saturday outdoor movie that starts just after sunset in the parking lot, featuring fun movies and quirky shorts and ads from the 1950s through the 1980s projected on the Belcourt's outdoor wall. Bring lawn chairs. Dates and movies include, "Coal Miner's Daughter" on July 11 and "Kiss Me Deadly" on Aug. 8. www.belcourt.org or 615-383-9140.

•Mt. Juliet Parks and Recreation has a "Music & A Movie" event on Fridays this summer with a live musical performance followed by a family-friendly film at Charlie Daniels Park amphitheater. Dates and movies a 7:50 p.m. July 10, "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day"; 7:30 p.m. Aug. 7, "Big Hero 6"; and 7 p.m. Sept. 4, "When the Game Stands Tall." Bring lawn chairs or a blanket and pack a picnic dinner. www.MJParksandRec.org or 615-758-6522.

GET WET

•The Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park fountains, which represent Tennessee's 31 rivers, run from about 9 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. daily with a light show after dark. The fountains are a great place to cool off and learn a little history and geography along the way. 615-741-5280 or www.tnstateparks.com/parks/about/bicentennial-mall.

•A great place to get wet is the riverfront at Cumberland Park at 592 S. First St. on the east side, where there is an interactive splash pad that is open 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and noon-6 p.m. Sundays through Sept. 1. The park has lots of other fun for all ages with an amphitheater, walking trails, a wading pool and picnic area. The park is between the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge and the Korean War Veterans Memorial Bridge. 615-862-8400.

•Little ones love the Watkins Park and Kirkpatrick spraygrounds. These are small, fenced playgrounds with lots of water-spraying features. Watkins is on 17th Avenue North across from M.L. King Magnet School, and the Kirkpatrick Sprayground is at 620 S. Ninth St. in East Nashville. For hours, see nashville.gov/parks or call 615-862-8480.

•Most of our area lakes' swimming beaches have a $4 access fee, but Lock 3 Beach on Old Hickory Lake off Walton Ferry Road in Hendersonville is free and has a small swimming beach and picnic tables (615-847-2395). For information on other lake access for Old Hickory, see corpslakes.usace.army.mil/visitors/projects.cfm?Id=H313280.

•Several nearby state parks have free swimming beaches, too. Montgomery Bell in Burns (615-797-9052), Rock Island (931-686-2471) and Long Hunter State Park (in the Bryant's Grove area of the park) near Hermitage/Mt. Juliet (615-885-2422) all have swimming beaches open to the public. www.tnstateparks.com.

•Metro Parks' community pools (Cleveland, Looby, Easley) have open swim times, but hours vary. The regional recreation centers and Napier Center have indoor community pools that are open year-round. Check individual pools for times at www.nashville.gov/parks or 615-862-8400.

•Enjoy water fun at the Don Fox Community Park, 955 Baddour Parkway in Lebanon, where there's a wading pool designed for young children featuring water umbrellas and other fun spraying features. There's a 2½-mile paved trail, two playgrounds, a track and plenty of picnic tables. 615-449-0303.

•Mt. Juliet has a "Splash Day" set for July 25, when it will turn Charlie Daniels Park into a water park for the day. It will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and there will be inflatable water slides, a water gun area and all sorts of wet and wild fun. www.cityofmtjuliet.org/parkevents.cfm.

Charlie Daniels Park also is home to Ava's Splash Pad, which opens Tuesday. Hours are 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 2-4 p.m. Sunday.

•There are dozens of free activities and outings planned by Paddle Adventures Unlimited, a free paddling meet-up. www.meetup.com/paddleadventuresunlimited.

CULTURE AND EDUCATION

• The Frist Center for the Visual Arts is always free for ages 18 and younger and free on Thursday and Friday nights for college students. It also is part of the Blue Star Museum program, which offers free admission to military personnel and their families Memorial Day and Labor Day. If you go, don't miss the ArtQuest area upstairs, where all ages are invited to create art while visiting the center museum. The Frist Center also has free architectural tours on the first and third Saturdays of each month at 4:30 p.m., when you can learn all about this landmark building. www.fristcenter.org or 615-244-3340.

•The Aaron Douglas Gallery on the third floor of the University Library at Fisk University, 1000 17th Ave. N., is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The Fisk campus is beautiful and fun to explore. Other campus art displays include Jubilee Hall and the Aaron Douglas Murals in Cravath Hall. 615-329-8720, www.fisk.edu.

•Vanderbilt's Fine Arts Gallery in Cohen Memorial Hall at 1220 21st Ave. S. has "Up Close & Personal: Intimate Devotions and Everyday Objects in Late Antiquity." There also is an exhibit opening June 4: "Thrills & Chills! The Fantastic World of The American Circus." Both are up through Sept. 4. 615-322-0605, www.vanderbilt.edu/gallery.

•The Centennial Art Center Gallery, in Centennial Park at 25th Avenue North and Park Plaza, has an exhibit opening June 5 (free reception 5-7 p.m.) featuring Brenda Stein, woodturning; Kim Barrick, painting; and Lee Hamblen, painting.

On Aug. 7, the gallery will hold a reception 5-7 p.m. to open the Annual Juried Exhibit Statewide featuring art by members of TN CRAFT. www.nashville.gov/cac.

•Check out local art galleries such as Art & Invention Gallery (www.artandinvention.com), Local Color (www.localcolornashville.com), The Arts Company (www.theartscompany.com) and York & Friends (www.yorkandfriends.com).

•One of the most popular monthly art events is the downtown First Saturday Art Crawl. The festive First Saturday "crawls," during which you can visit the Fifth Avenue galleries plus as many as 20 other downtown galleries, feature a free shuttle that will take you around. And most of the galleries have free snacks and wine, as well as great art on exhibit. www.5thavenueofthearts.com.

•The downtown Franklin Tour of the Arts is 6-9 p.m. the first Friday of every month in and around downtown Franklin. The Franklin Art Scene includes more than 30 galleries and working studios around historic downtown. www.franklinartscene.com.

•There also is the Wedgewood-Houston first Saturday art event (www.am-wh.com), which works the same way with lots of great art and receptions in several locations.

• Take your downtown art tour with the Downtown Partnership's "Make Your Own Art Walk," which lets you create your own tour and map. Just go to nashvilledowntown.com and plan your tour, choosing galleries, outdoor sculptures, historic churches, architectural gems and whatever else strikes your fancy from a long list of options.

•On the Salon@615 author talk summer calendar is: An; Brad Thor ("Code of Conduct") on July 13; and Paula McLain ("Circling the Sun") on Aug. 4. All are at 6:15 p.m. at the main library at 615 Church St. You can just show up, but if you want to ensure a seat, get the advance tickets, which are free but have a $2.50 servicing fee. To get tickets, go to http://nashvillepubliclibrary.org/salonat615/reserve-tickets. The free series is put on by Nashville Public Library, the Nashville Public Library Foundation, Parnassus Books and Humanities Tennessee.

•The Tennessee State Museum in the James K. Polk Building at 505 Deaderick St. houses a collection of artifacts from the 18th century and has a particularly strong showing of prehistoric Indian pieces and Civil War and military material. And don't miss the mummy. This museum, which is closed Mondays, is always free. 615-741-2692 or www.tnmuseum.org.

• The Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park on James Robertson Parkway in downtown Nashville is a treasure if you are up for a walking outdoor history lesson. You can "tour" the state via a 200-foot granite map and see the visitors center for information about Nashville as well as other state parks. The history wall takes you through Tennessee history, and there is a World War II memorial and beautiful carillon. The fountains, which represent the 31 rivers in our state, are up and running for summer. Rangers offer free walking tours at 10 a.m. and 1 and 3 p.m. each Wednesday. Tours last about an hour and start under the train trestle. Just show up and enjoy a nice half-mile to one-mile walk through Tennessee history. http://tnstateparks.com/parks/about/bicentennial-mall or 615-741-5280.

•Learn Civil War history at the Stones River National Battlefield in Murfreesboro. You can get a map at the visitors center and enjoy a self-guided tour of this historic 700-acre battlefield.

There are Saturday morning bike tours led by rangers, and the popular hourlong Hallowed Ground Lantern Tours, also free, are offered on select Saturdays starting in June and running through early September. You need a reservation, which they start taking at 9 a.m. Mondays preceding tours. Limit is 35 people, and the spots fill fast. 615-893-9501, www.npca.org/parks/stones-river-national-battlefield.html.

•Attend a Metro Council meeting and learn how your city government works. Meetings take place at 6:30 p.m. the first and third Tuesdays on the second floor of the Metro Courthouse. Get the agenda at www.nashville.gov; click on "Metro Council." 615-862-6780.

•Cannonsburgh Village is a living history museum of early Southern life at 312 S. Front St. in Murfreesboro. It's open Tuesday through Sunday. You can see a gristmill, a one-room schoolhouse, a town hall, a log home, a general store and other reminders of pioneer times. 615-890-0355, www.murfreesborotn.gov.

•Visit Fort Negley, 1100 Fort Negley Blvd. The 153-year-old fort's visitors center has an interpretive history board, interactive touch-screen exhibits and two 20-minute videos about the Civil War and the fort. The center is open Tuesday through Saturday, but you can take a self-guided tour almost any time during daylight hours. The fort also has an outdoor hands-on fossil collection site where visitors are encouraged to dig in and explore our region's marine past, and if you find a fossil you like, you get to keep it. 615-862-8470, www.nashville.gov/parks.

•Volunteer. Hands On Nashville offers an easy way for anyone to get involved. It pairs volunteers of all ages with projects in all segments of the community. 615-298-1108, www.hon.org.

FAMILY FUN

•Enjoy a library summer reading program. Just about every county's library system has a program, and it's a great way to entertain children, as well as stretch them academically.

•Nashville Public Library's program for preschoolers through high schoolers offers a ton of prizes and perks for reading lots of books and doing other "cheap" stuff, such as visiting a park or museum, getting a free library card or making a craft. This year's NPL Summer Challenge theme is superheroes, and some examples of the fun activities that will make the rounds to the system's 21 locations include "Zooperheroes" with Nashville Zoo; magician and juggler Scott Cantrell; family concert performer Rachel Sumner; storytelling with Dee Kimbrell; and science with "Mr. Bond."

You don't have to register to attend these free Summer Challenge events. But it's worth it to register and start earning points for prizes. The program runs through Aug. 15. Register at any NPL location or online at http://library.nashville.org/summerchallenge.

•Summer reading isn't just for kids. Bookstores have book clubs for grown-ups, too, and Nashville Public Library has a multifaceted program for all ages, with clubs including Great Books, Killer Thrillers, Novel Conversations and Page Turners Book Club. 615-862-5800, www.library.nashville.org.

•Nashville Public Library also has storytimes at the main library, 615 Church St., featuring Library Pete, The Professor and Mary Mary singing, juggling and reading at 9:30, 10:30 and 11:30 a.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays. It's important to note that main library storytimes will stop briefly this summer so the children's theater can be renovated. Check the Llbrary's website, library.nashville.org, or call 615-862-5800 for updates.

•The Nashville Public Library's professional Wishing Chair Productions is briging back the popular "String City" production, which uses marionettes, rod puppetry, shadow/animation puppetry and an ever-changing set to tell country music history as it relates to Nashville's transformation into Music City. "String City" will play at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum with showtimes at 10 and 11:30 a.m. July 14-18 and July 21-25.

•Another interesting library option this summer are free family events hosted through the Metro Archives. The archives has nearly 5 million historic items from Davidson County and is located on the third floor of the main library, 615 Church St. The archives will host interesting genealogy and other programs with fun history facts throughout the summer; library.nashville.org.

•The Brentwood Library's summer reading program themes are "Every Hero has a Story!" for children and "Unmask!" for teens.

The library has a lively performance lineup for children: Musician Roger Day will perform July 7, there will be an Urban Safari on July 9, and "Mr. Bond The Science Guy" will show off his mad science July 14 (all at 1 p.m.). This library also offers creative crafts and creative writing sessions and has other cool programs such as the Fisk-Vanderbilt astronomy Roadshow Planetarium, which will make a stop July 11. There are regular Saturday storytimes at 10:30 a.m. for all ages and preschool storytimes at 10 and 11 a.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays. 615-371-0090, ext. 8380, or www.brentwood-tn.org/library.

Another fun Brentwood Library event is the Brentwood Firefighter and Engine Visit for ages 4 and up from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. July 11.

•Parnassus Books, 3900 Hillsboro Road, has two storytimes every week for children ages 6 and younger. One is at 10:30 a.m. Saturdays with various readers/storytellers, and the other is at 3:30 p.m. Thursdays featuring WSMV's Nancy Van Camp. Plus, children are always invited to come in and pet the store dogs, Belle, Bea and Opie. www.parnassusbooks.net or 615-953-2243.

•Barnes & Noble at Cool Springs has storytimes at 11 a.m. Mondays and Saturdays, with the focus being primarily 2- to 5-year-olds. To find out about other programming, see www.bn.com and click on Stores and Events.

•Metro Parks will present "Tales at Twilight" performances at Cumberland Park at 7 p.m. on four Fridays in July. Bring lawn chairs and a picnic and enjoy an interactive evening of magic, stories, dance and music as well as a spectacular view of downtown and the Cumblerland River. Dates are July 10, Farmer Jason; July 17, The Nashville Ballet (Ferdinand the Bull); July 24, The Puppet Truck (The Frog Prince); July 31, Coal Train Rail Road (Jazz For Kids), 615-862-8400 or www.nashville.gov/ParksandRecreation/CulturalArts/Music/SummerConcerts.aspx.

•The Frist Center for the Visual Arts has an "Artful Tales" program for ages 3 and older: On July 19, it is "Red, Purple, Gold: Yes, Please!" and on Aug. 16, it is "More than a Match." These are at 2 p.m. in the Frist Auditorium and are followed by an art project in Artquest. www.fristcenter.org.

• The City of Franklin has a popular "Kids Show" series with music and other activities on select Wednesday mornings from 9:30 to 11:30 at Pinkerton Park at 405 Murfreesboro Road. On June 24, it is "Dance Happy." On July 8, it is "Water Day." www.franklintn.gov/parks or 615-550-6947.

•Wilson Bank & Trust in Lebanon has a Family Entertainment Series with movies and family activities planned July 23. The fun starts at 6:30 p.m. at the vacant lot across from the main office at 623 Main St. in Lebanon. Bring a blanket or lawn chair. 615-444-2265, www.wilsonbank.com.

•Mr. Bond the Science Guy has dozens of free appearances this summer at libraries and other locations. Visit www.mrbondscienceguy.com to get details.

•Mt. Juliet has a Play Day: Kid's Expo is 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 29 at Charlie Daniels Park, with performances and entertainment by local talent and activities including Laser Tag, zip line and inflatables. www.mjparksandrec.org.

•There is a back-to-school bash for Murfreesboro City Schools from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 15 at Cannonsburgh Village, 312 Front St. in Murfreesboro. There will be entertainment, games and giveaways. 615-890-0355.

•Tour the Tennessee Executive Residence. Free historical tours of the home and beautiful grounds are offered most Tuesday and Thursday mornings, when you can see where Gov. Bill Haslam and first lady Crissy Haslam live. Students can participate in special field trip programs, including hands-on activities in the garden. Requests must be submitted at least two weeks in advance. www.tn.gov/firstlady/residence/tour.shtml. Adults need to bring a photo ID. 615-532-0494.

•Enjoy a hands-on kids clinic one Saturday a month at The Home Depot, or every other Saturday at Lowes. To see the upcoming projects, go to www.homedepot.com or www.lowes.com/buildandgrow.

•Visit Hatch Show Print at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. In business since 1879, Hatch was the printer of choice for "Grand Ole Opry" stars for many decades. The shop moved from Broadway to the Hall of Fame in the fall of 2014, so check out the new digs. The shop offers a free monthly family program, which is typically the first Sunday of every month. . 615-256-2887 or www.countrymusichalloffame.org.

•The Tennessee Agricultural Museum at Ellington Agricultural Center offers a hands-on look at the 19th and 20th centuries from a farming perspective. The Summer Saturdays series runs 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays in July, with different themes each week: July 11, Horsing Around; July 18, Old MacDonald's Farm; and July 25, Goats Galore. 615-837-5197, www.tnagmuseum.org.

•Check out one of our Midstate farmers' markets.

The Nashville Farmers' Market at 900 Rosa L. Parks Blvd. not only has local and regional produce and Tennessee products but also some seasonally themed monthly third Friday Night Markets, which are a "shop and sip" experience under the stars. These themed weekends have special activities for all ages.

The themes include June 19-21, all things "peachy"; the July 17-19 weekend focuses on corn; and the Aug. 21-23 weekend is a pepper festival. The market also has "Barnyard Storytime and Craft" the second Saturday of the month at 11 a.m. in Farm Shed 2, and it is offering monthly nutrition workshops, as well as an Aug. 8 tomato salad recipe contest as part of the Tomato Art Fest. www.nashvillefarmersmarket.org.

The Franklin Farmers Market is 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays at the back of The Factory at Franklin, 230 Franklin Road, and features live music and children's events some weeks, in addition to the local produce. www.franklinfarmersmarket.com.

The Hip Donelson Farmers Market concert series has a different band every Friday night at 2730 Lebanon Road (the old Two Rivers Ford, now Ace Hardware parking lot). The market opens at 4 p.m., and the music starts at 5 p.m. www.donelsonfarmersmarket.org.

Murfreesboro's Saturday Market is open 8 a.m. to noon every Saturday on the Murfreesboro Public Square on the west side of the courthouse. 615-895-1887, www.downtownmurfreesboro.com.

Mt. Juliet has a Farmisan's Market & SummerFest series 4-7 p.m. on select Saturdays through , July 18 and Aug. 15. These offer live music, a variety of vendors selling produce, meats, food, dairy, beverages, crafts, soaps, etc. and a kids' activity station. www.mjparksandrec.org.

For a full list of markets in Tennessee, including East Nashville, Market, Richland Park, Lebanon, Brentwood and Gallatin, check the state Department of Agriculture's website at www.picktnproducts.org.

•Enjoy one of the horse, cattle or dog shows around town. The Williamson County Ag Expo Park, at 4215 Long Lane in Franklin (615-595-1227, www.agexpopark.info), has several horse shows. The Tennessee Miller Coliseum in Murfreesboro has an International Grand Championship Walking Horse Show on July 24-Aug. 1 and a Team Roping show July 9-12. www.mtsu.edu/tmc or 615-494-8961. The Tennessee Livestock Center in Murfreesboro has several shows, including the Clarksville Kennel Club agility trials July 31 and Aug. 1. www.mtsu.edu/TLC or 615-898-5575.

•Watch the Tennessee Titans practice at Baptist Sports Park, 45 Great Circle Road at MetroCenter. There should be open practices in late July and early August, with times to be announced at a later date. You can just show up and watch, and often get some autographs. www.titansonline.com.

•Metro's Regional Community Centers at Hadley, Coleman, Hartman, McCabe, Sevier, Southeast and East parks have free indoor walking tracks and gymnasiums, as well as affordable fitness classes and workout centers. Hadley, Coleman, Hartman and East also have free indoor swimming pools. 615-862-8400, www.nashville.gov/parks.

•Kids can bowl free. All you have to do is register online at www.kidsbowlfree.com and you'll receive vouchers via email every Sunday for two free bowling games each day that week, all summer long at local alleys including Donelson Plaza, Tusculum Strike & Spare and Oak Valley Lanes.

Plus, the Franklin Family Entertainment Center in Franklin has free deals for kids ages 18 and younger all summer through its "Incredabowl" program. Just go to www.franklinlanes.com.

OUTDOORS

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•Take a canoe float at Radnor Lake. This state park, at 1160 Otter Creek Road, offers ranger-led hikes and canoe floats and birds of prey programs several times a month. You also can check out the new Radnor aviary 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesdays and 1-5 p.m. Saturdays. 615-373-3467 or radnorlake.org.

•Warner Park Nature Center (615-352-6299), Bells Bend Nature Center (615-862-4187), Shelby Bottoms Nature Center (615-862-8539) and Beaman Nature Center (615-880-2238) all have great naturalist-led programs for families, as well as trails for hiking or walking. See www.nashville.gov/Parks-and-Recreation/Nature-Centers-and-Natural-Areas.aspx for a complete list of free programs.

A sampling of Warner Nature Center programs includes "Insects of the Night" on July 17, a family festival with insect night hikes, garden explorations, puppet shows and fun with entomologist Dr. Steve Murphee of Belmont University; a Summer Solstice Celebration from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. June 20, with a campfire, stories, s'mores and other activities as daylight turns to night; and a "Celebrate Hummingbirds" event 9:30 am. to 3 p.m. Aug. 29, with crafts, puppet shows and games to celebrate these teeny wonders.

And the park's StoryWalk book has been updated. This is a park feature in which you can take a short hike and read a favorite children's book along the Little Acorn trail behind the Learning Center during park hours. Warner is at 7311 Highway 100. 615-352-6299.

And Shelby Bottoms Nature Center, on the Cumberland River at 1900 Davidson St., has a Sunset Picking Party from 6:30 to 8 p.m. June 12 and July 17 during which you can bring a stringed instrument and join in or just come listen and watch the sungo down; a camp-out June 27; a Dog Days of Summer Fest from noon to 3 p.m. Aug. 8, where dogs are welcome and there will be stories and a photo booth for you and your pup; and a National Honey Bee Day on Aug. 22 where you can learn all about these bees and their role in nature.

•Owl's Hill Nature Sanctuary has started to have free days about once a month. On the calendar are: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. July 11, family geocaching, bring a picnic, experience not necessary; and 10 a.m. to noon Aug. 1, a Free Hike Day, with picnics welcome. Owl's Hill is at 545 Beech Creek Road in Brentwood. www.owlshill.org or 615-370-4672.

•Metro Parks now has five dog parks, where you can take your dogs for some leashless fun. There are parks at Warner, Centennial, Shelby, Two Rivers and the William A. Pitts Dog Park in Tusculum. www.nashville.gov/parks.

•If you are interested in astronomy there are several great options for star gazing: . There is a Star Party at 8:30 p.m. July 24 at Bowie Nature Park (www.bowiepark.org) at 7211 Bowie Lake Road in Fairview, and one at 8:30 p.m. Aug. 14 at Bells Bend Outdoor Center (www.nashville.gov/parks-and-Recreation/Nature-Centers-and-Natural-Areas.aspx), with astronomers from the Barnard Seyfert Astronomical Society on hand with telescopes to share. Call the AstroLine, 615-401-5092, or visit www.bsasnashville.com/calendar.

And there are two "Astronomy Weekends" at Fall Creek Falls State Park, with discussions regarding constellations, lunar lore and our brightest star, the sun, as well as telescope viewings, July 17-18 and Aug. 14-15. For details, email watkinslk@comcast.net or see http://tnstateparks.com/parks/about/fall-creek-falls.

•Burgess Falls State Park's 11th annual Butterfly Garden Celebration is 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 18, with nature hikes, children's activities, staff-led educational programs, creek studies and landscaping sessions during which you can learn about native plants. 931-432-5312.

•Murfreesboro Parks and Rec has an Animal Encounter series for all ages at Wilderness Station from 1:30 to 2 p.m. Saturdays in July and August, where each week you get a mini-lesson on some native Tennessee animals. There also are Nature Play Days on June 18, July 23 and Aug. 13, which are set up like a "play date with nature" for children 1 year old and up at Wilderness Station. 615-217-3017.

•Murfreesboro Parks has a "Trail Worms" program at 10 a.m. Tuesdays in June and July, where you meet at a greenway trailhead and go for a short walk, do a craft, sing songs and read a story. . At Old Fort Park Trailhead, July 7 is Reptile and Amphibian Day; July 14, Fish and River Day; July 21, Camouflage in the Wild Day; and July 28, Worm Day. 615-893-2141.

•Wilderness Station is hosting a "Wild Arts Day" from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., where you can enjoy student art, professional art, art by animals, puppet shows, an art scavenger hunt walking trail, wild animals and live music. 615-217-3017.

•The Murfreesboro Bird Club has monthly hikes to search for resident birds. BYOB — as in bring your own binoculars if you have them! There are hikes to various locations at 9 a.m., July 18 and Aug. 1. 615-217-3017.

•The Tennessee Association of Vintage Baseball games take place all summer at various locations. These fun-to-watch games use the rules, equipment, costumes and culture of the 1860s. www.tennesseevintagebaseball.com.

•The Nashville Hiking Meetup has dozens of organized hikes every month (www.meetup.com/nashville-hiking). You also can find lots of group walks and biking options at www.walkbikenashville.org.

•Walk, bike or skate on Middle Tennessee greenways. Nashville has more than 80 miles of greenways (www.nashville.gov/greenways). Murfreesboro's greenways system along the Stones River includes almost 12 miles of paved trails with several trailheads (615-893-2141 or www.murfreesborotn.gov/parks — click on the "greenways" page). Sumner County has great greenways and walking trails, too.

•Roll on out to the skate park at Two Rivers Park, where you can skate on a street course or have some fun in the skaters' bowls. 615-862-8400.

•If you are into mountain biking, there are more options than ever, including a new beginner trail at Bells Bend Park and trails at Percy Warner, Hamilton Creek and Cane Ridge in Nashville. You also can enjoy a serious bike ride at the Lock 4 Bike Trail in Gallatin, off Lock 4 Road off Highway 31, where you can try the challenging mountain bike trail known for XTERRA mountain bike races and triathlon events. There's a nine-mile USA Cycling-sanctioned base course and a three-mile kids course you can ride daily. The Lock 4 Park also has picnic areas, and you can walk along the shores of Old Hickory Lake. 615-822-2512.

Other good mountain biking spots are Long Hunter State Park's Jones Mill Mountain Bike Trail, a 3.5-mile loop for hiking or mountain biking (615-885-2422), and more than 20 miles of mountain bike trails at Montgomery Bell State Park (615-797-9052).

•Play tennis. There are more than 100 free Metro courts in Nashville, and many of them are lighted. The Centennial Sportsplex courts are the only Metro outdoor courts that charge a fee. And if you want to see some great tennis, it's free to watch the tournaments at Centennial Sportsplex. 615-862-8490 or www.nashville.gov/Parks-and-Recreation/Athletics/Tennis.aspx.

There also is a tennis meet-up with tennis get-togethers (www.meetup.com/Nashville-Tennis-Meetup).

•Try out Frisbee golf at one of the Metro Parks Frisbee golf courses at Cedar Hill Park, Two Rivers Park or Seven Oaks Park (615-862-8400 or www.nashville.gov/parks). There also is a good Frisbee golf course at Sanders Ferry Park in Hendersonville (www.hendersonvilleparks.org/Recreation_Programs.html) and one in Murfreesboro at Barfield Crescent Park (www.murfreesborotn.gov).

FESTIVALS

•The ninth annual Hot Chicken Festival is set for 11 a.m. July 4 at East Park, 700 Woodland St. The event starts with a parade of fire trucks and free hot chicken samples to the first 500 people. There is live music and kids activities. hot-chicken.com.

•The annual Irish Picnic on the St. Patrick's Church grounds in McEwen will be held July 24-25, with games, music and food. It is said to be the oldest continuously running festival in the state, with this being the 161st annual event, benefiting the school. More than 4,200 chicken halves and 20,000 pounds of pork will be served. Call 931-582-3417.

•The 12th annual Tomato Art Fest takes place 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Aug. 7-8. It's a family-oriented, costume-friendly festival with plenty of tomato eating, tomato-themed games, contests, a parade, art and business booths, music and children's activities in and around Art & Invention Gallery in Five Points in East Nashville. Last year, an estimated 40,000 came to celebrate this beloved fruit/vegetable and enjoy the day's festivities. www.tomatoartfest.com or 615-226-2070.

•The Nashville Shakespeare Festival's "Shakespeare in the Park" is celebrating its 28th year of theater under the stars at the Centennial Park band shell with "Henry V." The performances are Thursdays-Sundays, Aug. 13-Sept. 13. Patrons can bring picnics, blankets and lawn chairs. There is family-oriented pre-show entertainment at 6:30 p.m., with the show following at 7:30 p.m. It's free, but the Shakespeare Festival suggests a $10 donation. www.nashvilleshakes.org or 615-255-2273.

•There is a Hummingbird Festival at Barfield Crescent Park's Wilderness Station in Mufreesboro from 3-5 p.m. Sept. 5. There will be guest speakers, children's activities and hummingbird merchandise. 615-217-3017.

There are, of course, lots of Fourth of July festivals coming up, including Nashville's award-winning Let Freedom Sing! festival featuring the Nashville Symphony and a fireworks extravaganza at Riverfront Park, but we will feature those festivals closer to their time.