How to do summer in Huntsville
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Huntsville's calendars are full this summer. Photo: Derek Lacey/Axios
Summer in The Rocket City is anything but uneventful. From a full live music calendar to kayaking down the city's waterways, you may be hot, but you won't be bored.
Catch a show at the Orion
Huntsville's marquee music venue is pulling in the heavy hitters this summer. Here are five headliners to put on your calendar, and check the full schedule here.
- June 27: No Limit Soldiers Reunion with Master P, Silkk the Shocker, Mia X, Fiend and Mac and more.
- July 26: Counting Crows: the Complete Sweets! Tour
- July 27: "Weird Al" Yankovic: Bigger & Weirder Tour 2025
- July 31-Aug. 1: Mumford & Sons
- Aug. 23: Alabama
It's not all about music at the Orion either. Check out the Trap Democracy Festival (June 18) Juneteenth Summer Skate Jam (June 21), Inbound: Immersive Yoga (June 23, July 21, Aug. 11), or Rocket City Pickle Fest (June 19).
Also, get your music fix for free on Monday nights and bring a lawn chair to Big Spring Park downtown for the Concerts in the Park series through August.
And at Campus 805 on the third Thursday of the month, now through October, the free-to-attend 805 after Five features live music, food trucks, yard games, vendors and more on Butler Green, the open area between Yellowhammer and Straight to Ale breweries.
...Or the Von Braun Center
Don't sleep on the old standby. The VBC has some big acts and events booked this summer, too:
- June 19: Vince Gill
- July 18-20: Tennessee Valley Hunting and Fishing Expo
- Aug. 7: Macy Gray: 25th Anniversary Tour
- Aug. 8: Dusty Slay: The Night Shift Tour
Take yourself out to the ballpark (or pitch)
Summer and baseball are practically synonyms, and in Huntsville, that means heading to Toyota Field to see the Rocket City Trash Pandas play.
Check the schedule for game times, opponents and extras like fireworks and giveaways. A home series vs. Chattanooga runs June 17-22. Nine home games are scheduled in July and 15 in August.
The Fourth of July Festival at Toyota Field features a fireworks extravaganza, games for kids, food, vendors and more, including a broadcast of the away game vs. Knoxville on the video board.
Baseball not your thing? Catch a Huntsville City Football Club match at the renovated Joe Davis Stadium. Home matches this summer (with themes!) are:
🚑 June 20 vs. Crown Legacy FC (First Responders Night)
🎄 July 18 vs. Columbus Crew 2 (Christmas in July)
🪐 July 25 vs. Orlando City B (Space Night)
📣 Aug. 10 vs. Carolina Core (School Spirit Night)
🌺 Aug. 17 vs. New York City FC 2 (Luau Night)
Limber up with free yoga
Every Saturday in May and June, Huntsville offers Yoga by the River at Hays Nature Preserve at 8am.
- After yoga, check out the 10 miles of trails and greenways along the river, and do a little birding.
Every other Sunday at 9am., Light on Yoga offers its free Summer Yoga Series classes at Big Spring Park with rotating instructors.
- Finish up with brunch downtown, just a short walk away.
Both classes are free, but donation-based. Light on Yoga dedicates donations from each event to different groups. On June 26 it's the Huntsville Museum of Art.
Float the Flint
More on the adventurous side? Check out the several local companies that offer float trips down the Flint River, a tributary of the Tennessee River. Make sure you're prepared — floats can last anywhere from 90 minutes to all day.
And if you want to get on the Tennessee River (and not have to shuttle back and forth), Huntsville Madison County Rowing and Watersports rents out kayaks, canoes and stand-up paddleboards at Ditto Landing.