Summer can be a sense of belonging, where communities of people all emerge from their homes in order to soak in the sun. Music is heard from down the street. The air smells of cheeseburgers and watermelon. Every day seems to hold a new adventure.

Many events are coming to Corvallis this summer, from music and festivals to fairs.

On July 4, the Red, White & Blue Riverfront Festival will celebrate with food trucks, arts, crafts, a beer garden, inflatables, live music and a firework show at the Riverfront Commemorative Park.

According to Cloud Davidson, an event organizer for the festival, the event is free, but donations are accepted at the front gate.  The festival starts at 11 a.m. and the music lineup will begin at noon.

A variety of artists will perform, including local rock band West, Blues-Americana influenced group DRTR, British-led alternative rock band The Incompatibles and funk/soul/hip-hop supergroup Citizens of the Universe will play. SugarBeats will be the last act of the night, concentrating on funk and bass dance party music. The firework show will start at 10 p.m.

“The music and food is really great,” said Davidson. “We’ve got an excellent lineup.”

From July 20 to 23, the first annual Corvallis Celtic Festival will take place in Central Park, downtown Corvallis and other places depending on the activity featured, according to the Corvallis Folklore Society. The four-day festival will start on Thursday, July 20 with a free kickoff concert at Common Fields from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., with two bands and a bagpipe player performing. Raffles and other festive amenities will also be present.

“I just felt like Corvallis was ready to (have a Celtic festival),” said event organizer, Beth Brown. “We have a pretty big Celtic community … and it’s just a wonderful community. I thought there was enough interest in Celtic music that we could put on our own festival. So that’s what I did.”

According to the Corvallis Folklore Society, there will be a benefit fundraising concert on Friday at 7 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church. The Gothard Sisters will be performing contemporary Celtic music for the event and tickets can be bought online or at the store, Grassroots Books and Music. The store is also selling buttons for a $10 to support the Celtic Festival. The buttons can also be purchased at the festival.

The festival will be located at Central Park, the Corvallis Arts Center and the Corvallis Library for an all-day Saturday event. The celebration will start with a bagpiper’s parade at 9:30 a.m., followed by performances by local and regional Celtic musicians.

A harp workshop will be held from noon to 5 p.m. at the Corvallis Arts Center, where you can play a harp and perform with others, according to the Corvallis Folklore Society. Other workshops will be held at the library and there will also be activities for kids. Later on that night, there will be an open Celtic session at Squirrels Tavern for those 21 years and older.

On Sunday, more free musical performances will be at the Old World Deli from 10 a.m. to noon. There will be two more Celtic sessions; one at Common Fields from 11 a.m. to noon and one at the Old World Deli from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. A $25 whiskey tasting experience will take place at 4 p.m. at The Brass Monkey, along with more live music.

“There is truly something for everyone,” Brown said. “If you like to sing, there’ll be chances to do that, if you want to just experiment and  see what playing the tin whistle is like (you can do that). If you want to try something out, this is the place.”

On July 26, the Corvallis Public Library will welcome the Takohachi Q Ensemble to play traditional and modern Japanese music. The event will feature Japanese folklore and mythology through traditional music and storytelling, according to Yumi Torimaru, founder, artistic director, and core performer of the Takohachi Q Ensemble. The ensemble will play on taiko drums, shinobue bamboo flutes, and with a tsugaru shamisen (a three-stringed instrument). The performance will be at Bruce Starker Arts Park at 10:30 a.m. to 11:20 a.m.

“Takohachi ensemble will take you through a journey that will begin on the moon, take you to Niigata prefecture in Japan, and back to the moon,” said Torimaru. “This will be a performance and story that you will remember and cherish with every full moon.”

The Benton County Fair & Rodeo will come to the Benton County Fairgrounds from Aug. 2 to 5. The fair will open at 11 a.m. and close at 11 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, and close at midnight on Friday and Saturday. Tickets are available for purchase online or at the Fair Office.

The fair caters to all ages, with multiple opportunities for entertainment. There will be carnival rides, games, live music, rodeos, 4-H livestock, a kids’ play area, shopping, performances, food, a taphouse, exhibits and more. Concerts will include performances by Kurt Van Meter, LANCO,  AC/DC tribute band Back in Black and Kiss tribute band Mr. Speed.