Two of the largest unifiers in life, should you ask me, are music and travel. They simply have a means of connecting individuals and bringing us collectively in a means that feels greater than ourselves. So, should you get the possibility to mix each and share that magical combo with your loved ones, that’s a no brainer, proper?
Happily, there are cities all throughout North America the place music is way over simply background noise. From blues trails in Mississippi to the roots of rock ‘n roll in Ohio, the next travel destinations will ring a bell along with your entire music-loving fam.
Austin, Texas
You’ll have already been to Austin and skilled its foodie scene or its outdoorsy journey scene. And, for the file, each of these are unimaginable incentives to go to, too. However there’s a cause Austin is named the Stay Music Capital of the World, and experiencing that along with your youngsters may be oh-so particular. From rock and indie to blues and nation, town’s choices are numerous and accessible for households, from daylight jams alongside South Congress Avenue to kid-specific occasions at main music festivals like Austin City Limits and SXSW.
Billy Rhyne, journey professional and founding father of Horseshoe Ridge RV Resort, loves what number of venues in Austin encourage and entertain younger music lovers. “On the subject of locations that actually have interaction youngsters who love music, Cherrywood Coffeehouse presents a unbelievable setting. Not solely does it present reside music performances but in addition a welcoming area for households to take pleasure in artistic actions. This venue fosters a love for music in a relaxed and intimate atmosphere,” he says, including, “King Brewery is one other distinctive spot [that] pairs an immersive expertise of music with its scenic outside setting.”
Calgary, Canada
Who knew Calgary was such a scorching spot for music-loving households? You can begin by taking in a present at The Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra. They provide all types of packages and concert events tailor-made particularly for younger audiences, like “Symphony Sunday for Kids” — a one-hour matinee efficiency designed for teenagers and geared toward serving to households discover the enchanting world of orchestral music. Earlier than the present, your kiddos can participate within the Instrument Discovery Zoo, the place they’ll meet musicians, experiment with string and percussion devices, compose their very own tunes to be performed by a musician, and luxuriate in numerous creativity stations.
Echo Wang, co-founder of Cool Travel Vibes, has a number of different must-see recommendations for visiting Calgary with your loved ones. “Studio Bell is a should. The museum has 5 flooring of interactive reveals. Begin on the prime and work your means down. The fourth flooring is the friendliest for teenagers, in my view, with hands-on actions like instrument stations,” Wang says. “For one more hands-on expertise, go to the Soundbox. Right here, youngsters create devices from on a regular basis gadgets. It’s an excellent enjoyable spot to discover, with every part from music historical past shows to well-known musician outfits, and it’s all designed to let youngsters dive into the world of music at their very own tempo.”
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, might not have been in your radar earlier than, however should you’re a music lover, it must be now. Each August, town transforms for Musikfest, the nation’s largest free, non-gated music pageant. It’s tremendous kid-friendly, too, with art-making workshops, creativity facilities, kid-friendly performances, and even an inclusion zone — a sensory-supportive area for many who may profit from taking a quiet break from the festivities.
It’s all put collectively by ArtsQuest, a non-profit group on a mission to supply entry to arts and cultural programming for all, situated on the previous industrial Bethlehem Metal web site (you possibly can’t ask for a a lot cooler backdrop than the Metal blast furnaces!). Different music-forward experiences held all year long embody a German-inspired Oktoberfest, free outside concert events on ArtsQuest’s Levitt Garden, and many different smaller festivals like ¡Sabor! Latin Competition and Reggaefest.
Granville, Tennessee
Hear, I don’t should inform you that Nashville, aka “Music City,” is legendary for its nation music heritage. It’s chock-full of vibrant reside music venues, to not point out the Grand Ole Opry. And it truly caters way more to youngsters and households than you in all probability understand. However should you’d choose to remain someplace a little bit quieter and away from the hubbub of the bar scene and bachelorette events, you must look an hour east at Granville.
Generally known as “Tennessee’s Mayberry City,” this historic gem located alongside the banks of the Cumberland River is brimming with attraction. Kick issues off with the Sutton Ole Time Music Hour, a front-porch bluegrass present, and finish the evening on the cozy Granville Bed & Breakfast or the lakeside Wildwood Resort & Marina with its cabins, Airstream village, restaurant, and firepits — excellent for campfire sing-alongs on crisp nights. Whilst you’re on the town, take a look at cute little outlets and points of interest just like the Sutton Homestead, the Whiskey Decanter Museum, and Granville Broom Works, or absorb the surroundings whereas boating, mountaineering, or horseback driving. And since Nashville is a simple drive away, you possibly can nonetheless daytrip it into Music Metropolis to expertise every part it has to supply.
New Orleans, Louisiana
Let’s discuss one in all my absolute favourite cities to go to, and one I’d suggest to any music lover of any age! It’s the birthplace of jazz, in any case. From the minute you arrive in NOLA, you’ll be immersed in music: jazz trios in Jackson Square, wildly proficient buskers, impromptu bands making music alongside cobblestone alleys. Households can go to the New Orleans Jazz Museum, the place little ones can check out devices and study concerning the legends who formed the sound. Or soak up a efficiency at one of many metropolis’s many, many venues. I extremely suggest seeing the Preservation Hall Jazz Band should you get the possibility (should you don’t cry once they carry out “What a Fantastic World,” we are able to’t be pals), catching an age-appropriate present on the super-cool Toulouse Theater, and doing Sunday jazz brunch at Broussard’s.
Try the brand new(ish) Louisiana Music & Heritage Experience to study concerning the state’s many music varieties and legacies, or soak up actually spectacular panoramic views of NOLA while you go to Vue Orleans, which additionally options enjoyable interactive reveals specializing in town’s musical greats. Add in a pageant when you’re at it — there’s one virtually each weekend. October, which is New Orleans Music Month, showcases town’s vibrant music scene, with NOLAxNOLA, the Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival, and NOLA Funk Fest. The cherry on prime? The individuals of New Orleans are a few of the nicest you’ll meet anyplace on the earth.
Chicago, Illinois
In case you’ve been loving the power popping out of Chicago currently (similar!), go on and plan a visit there with your loved ones to take pleasure in these good-time vibes in individual. It’s a metropolis that wears its music historical past proudly, from huge summer time festivals that take over the lakefront to a plethora of free park concert events.
Go massive by timing your journey across the Chicago Blues Festival or the famend Lollapalooza, which has its personal family-centric Kidzpalooza stage with performances and actions catered to little ones. For one thing a little bit extra low-key, go to the Old Town School of Folk Music, the place your budding virtuoso can strum, sing, and dance alongside throughout household packages.
Denver, Colorado
Anybody who loves music has undoubtedly added Red Rocks Amphitheatre to their bucket checklist. It’s arguably one of the vital recognizable and iconic music venues in existence, with its ochre sandstone partitions and awe-inspiring pure acoustics. However Purple Rocks isn’t the one means Denver delivers massive should you’re planning a musical pilgrimage. Households can hike town’s surrounding trails by day, then settle in for a day or night live performance at venues like Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre, Empower Field at Mile High Stadium, Mission Ballroom, and the Denver Botanic Gardens Summer Concert Series. You possibly can even get personal transportation to and from the entire venues — Purple Rocks included — while you e-book Limelight Denver’s Mile Excessive Music & Keep: Rhythm Retreat Bundle (which additionally contains breakfast in mattress and late checkout).
Bonus? Denver is lower than two hours away from Breckenridge, another Colorado city with an unimaginable music scene. The Riverwalk Center anchors the city’s concert events, with every part from bluegrass to rock filling the mountain air. Households ought to take a look at the AirStage series, the place outside Friday exhibits within the Arts District invite youngsters to bop and play whereas mother and father chill out with native brews. So, should you’re planning an extended journey to Denver, take into consideration branching out to Breck.
Tupelo, Mississippi
Calling all Elvis followers: That is where the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s story began, making it a no brainer for music-loving households. You can begin on the Elvis Presley Birthplace attraction, which lets you step inside his childhood residence and go to the church the place gospel music first sparked his creativeness. At Tupelo {Hardware}, youngsters can stand within the actual spot Elvis stood when his mother, Gladys, purchased him his first guitar for $7.75 (which might additionally make a enjoyable academic second about inflation, should you’re feeling froggy). And you’ll’t miss hitting up Johnnie’s Drive-In, a go-to basic American diner that Elvis and his pals would frequent.
Oh, and 2025 is a milestone 12 months for Tupelo, because it marks Elvis’ ninetieth birthday. Meaning extra festivals, extra concert events, and extra reveals that give your loved ones an opportunity to stroll within the King’s footsteps and get “all shook up” by this dynamic metropolis. Past Elvis, Tupelo hums with reside exhibits on the Blue Canoe and outside concert events at Romie’s Grocery. And Memphis is simply shy of two hours away, making it a simple add-on journey — there, you’ll find Graceland, sure, but in addition so, a lot rock and roll and blues history.
Sacramento, California
I do know — you in all probability weren’t anticipating this one, had been you? However look, Sacramento will truly shock you with how a lot it presents for households. For starters, it’s a pageant vacation spot on the rise. Annual occasions just like the Farm-to-Fork Festival and GoldenSky put youngsters proper within the coronary heart of the motion, with open-air levels and loads of area to bop. A-list expertise performs year-round on the Golden 1 Center, and summer time is a peak time for park concert events. The town additionally boasts a thriving theater scene, the place the Sacramento Youth Symphony and Broadway at Music Circus deliver musicals like Frozen and Hamilton to the stage.
Sacramento proudly encourages mother and father to deliver their youngsters to ALL occasions and festivals within the metropolis. So, should you and your kiddos love reside music however hate being sidelined, that is the sort of inclusive vacation spot that can be sure your little ones really feel like a part of the group.
Cuba
Stroll by way of Havana and also you’ll hear music spilling out of courtyards, plazas, cafes — you title it, Havana’ll fill it with rhythm. It’s an power that’s contagious, and your youngsters will love how tactile and joyful Cuba makes each musical expertise. Rosalyn Acosta, sustainable journey specialist and founding father of Live Heal Travel, particularly loves how Cuba supplies alternatives for households to delve deeper into its musical heritage.
“Think about your youngsters studying the intricate music and dance of rumba, a conventional Afro-Cuban dance, at an area faculty. Or image them taking dance and music classes at Teatro America, exploring genres like danzon, son, salsa, and rueda. They might even have the possibility to speak with an achieved musician concerning the historical past and evolution of Cuban music,” she tells Scary Mommy, persevering with, “In Manzanas, households can take classes with the Munequitos de Manzanas, exploring religious genres like Orishas, Guayaco, Abakua, and Chango. And for an unforgettable night, do not miss a reside music present within the type of The Buena Vista Social Membership.”
Cleveland, Ohio
Say it with me: “Cleveland rocks, Cleveland rocks!” However for actual, this city may simply shock you with how a lot enjoyable it’s for music-loving households. Not surprisingly, the star attraction right here is the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the place youngsters can dive into interactive reveals, check out devices, and even combine their very own tracks. Nonetheless, you’ll additionally get free outside concert events on the lakefront throughout the summer time, and neighborhoods like Ohio Metropolis and Tremont typically host family-friendly festivals with reside bands.
Pair it with a visit to nearby Oberlin (a few 40-minute drive), which is thought for its world-class conservatory. Scholar recitals — typically free — imply households can wander in and listen to every part from classical piano to experimental jazz on any given evening.
Detroit, Michigan
After we’re speaking concerning the sorts of music experiences which are type of canon occasions, we’d be remiss to not embody Detroit, Michigan. Why? As a result of this metropolis is Motown, plain and easy, and there’s simply no higher place for teenagers to find out how soul formed the sound of America. And what? I’ll be the egocentric one right here and say it. Sure, I need to take my youngsters, however I additionally actually, actually need to go to the Motown Museum and step inside Studio A, the place legends like Stevie Marvel and the Supremes recorded.
Detroit additionally presents a lot of outside jazz and R&B concert events alongside the riverfront, in addition to festivals that showcase every part from techno to gospel. The grassroots power here’s a massive a part of town’s attraction, with area people facilities typically internet hosting free music workshops, giving youngsters an opportunity to strum, sing, or drum alongside locals.
Bellingham, Washington
Take me back to Bham anytime. This metropolis, which is midway between Seattle and Vancouver, is a college town that actually punches above its weight musically. From waterfront summer time live performance cities to cozy music venues downtown to avenue performers and neighborhood festivals, there’s a little bit one thing for each musical style. Apart from, with the mountains on one aspect and the bay on the opposite, Bellingham is the sort of place that you simply need to discover each inch of.
After all, the truth that it’s smack dab between Seattle and Vancouver can also be an enormous plus. Certain, Seattle’s a few two-hour drive and Vancouver simply over an hour, however should you’re planning an even bigger journey to the realm, you could possibly simply daytrip to both. Since music is the theme right here, I extremely suggest Seattle — the birthplace of grunge.
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
We’ve clearly hit on some basic musical experiences right here, and some lesser-known ones too. However if you wish to take your youngsters to expertise music in a really distinctive means, it’s time to start out planning a September journey to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, for the Portsmouth Maritime Folk Festival (PMFF). Modeled after small maritime festivals in coastal cities and villages of the British Isles, this annual occasion allows you to sit entrance row as small bands sing maritime tunes proper on the waterfront. It’s as if all the metropolis will get was a dwelling historical past lesson!
Outdoors of PMFF, although, you possibly can nearly all the time depend on music in some kind or style throughout a go to to Portsmouth. Road musicians typically enliven Market Square, and comfy historic halls host folks and acoustic exhibits year-round. Paired with its walkable downtown, ice cream outlets, and ocean breezes, Portsmouth makes you are feeling such as you stepped right into a Hallmark musical.
Extra Musical Cities to Go to
Northeast
- Philadelphia, PA — jazz, R&B, and hip-hop roots, The Franklin Institute’s Sound Exhibit
- Boston, MA — Symphony Hall, Boston Calling Music Festival, loads of outside concert events
- Burlington, VT — jam-band power, lakeside concert events, and Church Street performers
- Portland, ME — Coastal indie scene, buskers within the Old Port, intimate family-friendly venues
- Croton-on-Hudson, NY — web site of Pete Seeger’s riverside folks fest (Clearwater Festival)
South
- Memphis, TN – Beale Street, Graceland, the Stax Museum
- Raleigh, NC – Bluegrass Live!, museum concert events, and outside music
- Eureka Springs, AR – quirky Ozark town with folk fests, buskers, and Victorian attraction
- Tampa Bay, FL – blues and Gasparilla festivals, intimate venues like Capitol Theatre
- Boca Raton, FL – Mizner Park’s free concerts, orchestra-backed film nights, Broadway tours
Midwest
West
The place are you headed first?
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