July Concert Season – Inn Town Campground

July just got loud – in the best way. This is Inn Town Campground's 11th summer hosting campers over the Fourth of July week (we say that every year and it somehow still feels wild), and this year the Fourth is a milestone: July 4, 2026 is America's 250th birthday, and Nevada County is going all in. On top of the semiquincentennial, The Center for the Arts just rolled out what might be the biggest single-month concert lineup we've seen come through town. Add the parade, two night markets, and three Wednesdays of Hot Summer Nights, and you've got a month that's equal parts small-town Americana and legit concert season. Grab your site now before the holiday week fills in.

Before we get into the calendar, here's what's running at camp: the pool is open daily (still not heated, still glorious on a 95-degree afternoon), and the camp store is stocked for summer hours, typically 10am-6pm, with cold drinks, marshmallows, and enough Nevada City gear to outfit a small parade. Outdoor movie nights are back Friday and Saturday evenings, weather permitting, with midweek screenings available by request. Nothing new to report on the operations side this month. Just the usual, which around here means pretty good.

On Stage This Month – The Center for the Arts

1. The Steel Wheels w/ Kimmi Bitter – July 17, 8pm. Americana and bluegrass, all-seated, $35. A porch-friendly way to open the run.
2. Family Fun Day: Summer Cooldown Edition – July 18, 10am. Free, kid-focused, featuring "Giant Puppets Save the World." Easily the simplest one on this list to bring the whole campsite to.
3. Tom Rush w/ Brendan Cleary – July 22, 7pm. Folk and Americana from a genuine legend, all-seated, $50-60.
4. The Smithereens – July 24, 8pm. Alt-rock, all-seated, $62-68.
5. 10,000 Maniacs 45th Anniversary Tour – July 26, 7pm. Currently sold out, but worth watching the Center for the Arts events page for resale or waitlist spots if you're a fan.
6. Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief, The Musical – runs July 31 through August 2. Youth arts production, $12-28, a family-friendly close to July and a preview of what's coming in August.

Around Town

7. Fourth of July: America's 250th – This year the Fourth is the big one, and the county is leaning in. Nevada City's downtown parade steps off at 11am on Broad Street, with a special "Nevada County History on Parade" section marking the nation's 250th. Down the hill, Grass Valley's Star-Spangled Bash takes over Mill Street Plaza from 6-9pm (themed "Stars, Stripes and 250 Years of Freedom"), with a pancake breakfast that morning and fireworks at 9:30pm to close the night.
8. First Friday Art Walk – July 3, downtown galleries and tasting rooms feature local and emerging artists.
9. GV Thursday Night Market – July 2 and July 9, Mill Street, 6-9pm, with farmers market vendors, craft artisans, and live music.
10. Nevada City's Hot Summer Nights – July 15, 22, and 29, the last three Wednesday evenings of the month, with live music, vendors, and classic cars downtown.

A month this packed also means more people finding their way down to the South Yuba, so it's worth saying again: pack out everything you pack in, skip the glass at the swimming holes, and keep fires to the designated rings only (better yet, leave the fire pan at camp and let the river be the whole trip). Currents get pushy even when the surface looks calm, so keep an eye on kids and check flow conditions before you jump in. More visitors this year just means more care needed to keep Edwards Crossing and Purdons Crossing as good as we found them.

Between the holiday week and back-to-back concert nights, July fills up fast (we've watched it happen every year, and every year we're a little surprised by how early). There's still midweek availability around most of the shows above, and if you're the planning-ahead type, you can book up to a year out right now. We'd love to have you round the fire before or after the show.

To follow us along, make sure to check out our Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, TikTok or Threads feeds. If you're looking for more local ideas, check out the Visit Nevada City Instagram feed or the Visit Nevada City blog. As always, we love hearing from our campers and look forward to seeing you round the campfire.

July 1, 2026