By: Madison Jones, Pie Bar Woodstock
I cannot begin to tell you how ecstatic I am that summer is finally here! The suns out. The pools open. All my cute, flowy dresses have migrated back to the front of my closet. Heck, I even saw the ice-cream truck out for the first time in, like, forever! But, more importantly, summertime means summer fun! And there is no better place to find summer fun than right here in Downtown Woodstock! There is always something going on downtown, so if you're looking for the perfect date night, girl's day, or just an excuse to get your kids out of your house for a couple hours, Woodstock is the place to go!
Farm. Fresh. Market.
The Woodstock farmer's market is a staple for both residents and visitors alike and provides a variety of locally grown and handcrafted goodies. Located along Market Street (which is right behind our Woodstock shop btw), you can find vendors selling all sorts of fresh produce, homemade jams and jellies, honey, and a few treats to snack on while you roam the booths. Last year my mom and I bought a bag of freshly-made BBQ Pork Rinds and Oh. My. Gosh! I think we finished the bag in less than a day they were so good! I can feel my mouth watering and my stomach grumbling just thinking about them!
The farmer's market takes place every Saturday, beginning at 8:30am and ending at noon, so make sure you set your alarm because you do not want to miss it!
Family Fun Night
Now that schools out and the kids are home all the time, you can't seem to keep them quiet or keep them off their electronics for more than 5 seconds, right? It's a constant cacophony of "Mom, I'm bored!" and "Dad, there's nothing to do!" and "Mom, Dad, the Wi-Fi is out again!", isn't it? The good news is that Woodstock has you covered! Every 3rd Thursday, Downtown Woodstock will be hosting a Family Fun Night full of activities, trivia, and even a free movie! Each event will be themed to some of your favorite films like Star Wars and Harry Potter, and they encourage everyone to dress up as or inspired by their favorite characters! (There's even a costume contest if you're feeling a little competitive!)
The family fun will start at 5pm and goes until 9pm, just in time for the kiddos to crawl into bed for some sweet dreams and some sweet silence for you!
DJ Bingo and Trivia
Picture this, the kids are home with a sitter and you have the entire evening to spend however you want with whoever you want. Sounds nice, doesn't it? You're in the car with your sweetheart, or besties, or both and you're ready to go out, but what should you do? You don't want to waste your one night of freedom on dinner and a movie, do you? Of course not! How about a night of lively music and friendly competition? Now that sounds like a party!
Woodstock Beer Market hosts DJ Bingo and Trivia on Sunday and Friday nights from 7pm to 9pm. You can team up with your friends or compete against them, and test your musical knowledge for the chance to win some cool prizes! Woodstock Beer Market also offers a selection of delicious craft beers as well as local produce and groceries that you can stock your fridge and pantry with.
Live Music
The pièce de résistance of Downtown Woodstock has to be the live music that can be heard all over town, all throughout the year! And summer is the best time to catch some tunes. There's the Summer Concert Series that takes place on select Saturday nights at the Northside Hospital Cherokee-Amphitheater and has a spectacular line-up of artists scheduled to perform. You can also check out the Lantern Series at the Woodstock Arts: Event Green and hear music from world-renowned artists of all different genres and backgrounds. Woodstock Arts' hope and goal with the Lantern Series is to bring our community together through music and create an experience you'll never forget. Even our very own Cody Bolden can be found performing all over downtown throughout the summer. You can catch him playing at the Madlife patio and Reformation Brewery, just to name a few. So, no matter where you go, you're sure to hear some great music as you explore.
These are only a few of the many exciting activities and events taking place here in Woodstock this summer. You can find more information about these events listed here and all the other amazing things going on around town at Visit Woodstock's "Events" page or click the link here to find your summer fun!