Cassandra and Charles Freeman, seated, share a lawn chair laugh with longtime friend Robert Rowe at the May installment of the Fridays After Five outdoor street festival in downtown Athens. The monthly summertime series returns this Friday (June 27) with “Country & Southern Rock Night,” featuring musical guest Grits & Juice for an evening of family-friendly entertainment in the streets around Athens’ courthouse square.

A little bit country; a little bit rock ’n’ roll: That’s the musical theme for the admission-free June installment of Fridays After Five, the family-friendly summertime block party set to take over the Square this Friday evening in downtown Athens.

Hosted by Athens Main Street, this month’s Fridays After Five welcomes musical artist Grits & Juice as the featured entertainment for “Country & Southern Rock Night,” which will kick off with street beats from DJ J-Dawg at 5 p.m., before Grits & Juice takes the stage sometime around 7 p.m.

The monthly concert series is presented by The Orthopaedic Center – Athens, and there’s never an entry fee for anyone to come out and enjoy the live entertainment, food trucks, kids’ activities, and extended shopping hours at close-by businesses located all along the block’s historic courthouse square.

Always a pedestrian-friendly event, Fridays After Five closes street traffic around the Square’s east and south sides to make room for guests to sit (be sure to be bring a lawn chair!) and to casually stroll. Additional sponsoring support for the monthly series comes from T-Mobile, FirstBank, The LaunchBox at Athens State University, and Ming Commercial Real Estate Group.

Be sure to check the weather before you go: Friday (June 27) is forecast to be a hot day with a moderate chance of daytime rain showers. But take advantage of all the family-friendly fun while you can — because after this weekend, there’s only one more Fridays After Five event remaining (the July 25 ‘80s Rock Night featuring the Velcro Pygmies) before the party goes quiet until the 2026 launch of next year’s series.

Visit the Fridays After Five web page at athensmainstreet.org/fridays-after-five/ for more about the event’s sponsors, monthly schedule, and handy need-to-know tips before you head out the door.