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A brief cancellation scare at the beginning of the year dealt a major blow to the heart of Austin. However, with the help of some incredible sponsors, including H-E-B, and Austin City Council’s approval of a February resolution – which, essentially, protects the funding and longevity of free events that “reflect the City’s cultural identity as the ‘Live Music Capital of the World’ for all Austinites and its visitors” – Blues on the Green is back on! A collective sigh, and certainly some tears of relief, rippled across the city. A bastion of Austin’s traditions, Blues on the Green has seen its own kind of evolution with the guidance and thoughtful curation of living legend Jackie Venson. With headliners Golden Dawn Arkestra and hip-hop revolutionists Riders Against the Storm, this year’s show carries special significance. – Cy White

Wear a rainbow or two (or 50, because it IS Pride month) to celebrate the queer community with karaoke, drinks, and friends.

For you, is a school lunch more of a hastily assembled grab bag that contains complementary components if you’re lucky? Does meal prep consist of sorting through takeout menus more than you’d like? APL’s Cooking Club is here to help. Beginners to experts ages 18 and up are welcome to meet and learn new skills, share advice, and support each other on cooking adventures. If you’re the type to make those pleasing and inspiring prep videos, bring your best tips! – Kat McNevins

Hey: I went to Hottie Land and … everyone knew you. So don’t even think of skippin’ this no-cover night with DJs Gabby Got It, La Morena, and Eriq Stilez spinning tons of Megan Thee Stallion and more. Oh, and ya: There’ll be gogo dancers and $5 Palomas. This is Hottie Land after all.

Who doesn’t want to build up their CV in these trying times? Or perhaps you just want to fill your free time with something other than TikTok? Or maybe you want a behind-the-scenes, hands-on tour of Austin’s best place for sustainable craft supplies? Whatever reason you’ve got, it’s a good time to volunteer for Austin Creative Reuse’s Summer of Service program. Opportunities are abundant, with group projects like fabric rolling, dog toy making, or Funky Fabric Friday – that’s when they process all the weird stuff like purple faux fur or bright yellow vinyl. Sign up on austincreativereuse.org, complete 30 volunteering hours, and earn your Summer of Service certificate. Beats losing eight hours to ASMR slime-scoop videos, I’ll tell you what. – James Scott

We Are Blood – who are definitely NOT vampires in disguise – have totally cracked the case on how to make giving blood even more of a good deed. See, for this month only, whenever you take your juicy veins to a WAB donor center or mobile unit, they’ll donate $5 to your choice of one of three partnering nonprofits. That’s right: Donate blood, and you can give Central Texas Food Bank, Austin Humane Society, or TreeFolks a fiver to do with what they please. And usually what they please is helping our Austin community in various positive ways like keeping peeps fed, nurturing puppies and kitties, and growing big beautiful trees whose shade is sorely needed during this cruel summer. – James Scott