I maintain that taking a month of swing dance lessons almost ten years ago was one of the best choices I’ve ever made. My reason was simple: If I ever happened to be somewhere with a swing dance and a dance floor, I could keep up to an extent and not be totally lost in the motion. It is fun, and it is a funny skill to have in the back pocket. One day in the summer of 2016, I found myself in that exact situation. It was rad.
You, too, can have that experience of learning to swing dance, sweating it out in the humid July air. But if you prefer your summers outdoors to involve less movement, then you’re in luck: We’re firmly back in peak outdoor concert territory. And even if you can't make it out to Tanglewood or down to Newport this year, there is no shortage of more local musical goings on — whether on Georges Island, in Lowell or in Cambridge. Get on that commuter rail, Red Line train or ferry. Little summer trips still count as summer trips.
Big Lux at Sounds of Fort Warren
Sunday, July 2, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Fort Warren on Georges Island
Free admission with purchase of $25 ferry ticket
Electric violinist and TEDx Providence alum Big Lux kicks off this year’s "Sounds of Fort Warren" series with a concert paying respect to the rich sounds of hip-hop via his love for the string instrument. After graduating as a second lieutenant from West Point, the violinist, who also received an education in the blues and improvisation when learning the saxophone, took his fiddle around the world during his time with the Army — all experiences he built into his sound.
Bruno Råberg’s "Look Inside" album release concert
Sunday, July 2, 7:30 p.m.
The Lilypad, 1353 Cambridge St., Cambridge
$15 cover at door
Bassist and Berklee Professor Bruno Råberg has been in the jazz game for almost five decades, recording with such figures as Bob Moses and George Garzone. Until 2023, he had recorded nearly a dozen albums as session leader, but it wasn’t until this past May that he released his first solo album, "Look Inside." Råberg’s victory lap continues this month at The Lily Pad with an album release concert.
Fenway Quintet: Patriotic Pops
Tuesday, July 4, 7:30 p.m.
King Park, 125 Wellington Ave., Newport, Rhode Island
Free
Newport Classical kicks off two and a half weeks of programming with this free concert featuring the Fenway Quintet. The brass-forward ensemble soundtracks an Independence Day evening, which is followed by fireworks.
Time Out Market cornhole tournament
Sundays from July 9 to Aug. 6 at 2 p.m.
Time Out Market, 401 Park Drive, Boston
Free
Cornhole isn’t for everyone — or at least that's what everyone thinks before they get sucked into a game, then concedes “Oh, this isn’t so bad.” It’s hilariously competitive given how low the stakes usually are, especially when a cold drink or grilled meat is involved. So if you, like me, have yet to be invited to any cornholed situation but still want to partake in the summer rite, assemble a crew and enter the tournament at Time Out Market. It’s chill. Kick off (or, throw off?) is on Sundays beginning July 9, with the final taking place on Aug. 6.
Swing era music and dance with the Beantown Swing Orchestra
July 12, 5-8 p.m.
JFK Library's Smith Hall, Columbia Point, Boston
Free with registration
You do not need a partner to learn to swing dance, all you need to do is show up to the JFK Library with a willingness to learn about the history of both the music and dance, and also probably talk to (and potentially dance with) a stranger. On display will also be the new exhibit Service and Sacrifice: World War II - A Shared Experience.
"The Lost World: Jurassic Park" outdoor screening
Wednesday, July 12 at 8 p.m. (or sundown)
Rain date: Thursday, July 13
Greenway's Wharf District Park, Atlantic Ave., Boston
Free
Coolidge Corner Theatre, in partnership with the Rose Kennedy Greenway, brings this free outdoor screening of a classic sci-fi sequel, paired with a dose of science talk. Barnas Monteith of the MIT Science and Engineering Fair will kick off the evening with a talk about the biochemistry behind the film.
Lowell Folk Festival
July 28-30
Lowell National Historic Park, 246 Market St., Lowell
Free
The challenge with the Lowell Folk Festival is that it’s only three days long, taking up the last weekend of the month. But three days seems hardly enough time to take in all of the music, food and exhibitors at Lowell National Historic Park. One aspect of major interest this year is the craft area’s showcase of the enduring relationship between mentor and apprentice; eight such pairings showcase unique folk traditions that include Chinese papercutting, Wampanoag and Dakota adornment, hand-built wooden steering wheels for ships, and Uyghur calligraphy, among others.
Eighth annual Cambridge Jazz Festival
July 29-30
Danehy Park, 99 Sherman St., Cambridge
Free general admission; $20 paid seating
Cambridge’s contribution to festival season returns for its eighth edition, with eight ensembles descending upon Danehy Park for the last weekend of the month. Hosting duties are split over the two days between storied broadcaster José C. Massó III; and singer, NCAA Image awardee, and Brother Thomas Fellow Valerie Stephens. Featured musicians include the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice Ensemble under the direction of drummer Terri Lynne Carrington; the Eguie Castrillo Orchestra; and Danilo Pérez Global Messengers.
