Students staying in Carbondale for the summer have activities designed to keep them occupied until the fall semester begins.

The Carbondale Friday Night Fair, the Sunset Concert Series and the Shawnee Bluffs Canopy Tour are several experiences students can look forward to as the summer begins.

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The Carbondale Friday Night Fair is a weekly event that will last from May through June in the Carbondale town square. This will be the event’s third year and will bring free live music from local artists, includingv The Swamp Tigers, Rural Kings and The Jewels.

There also will be information about local organizations, food and activities for children, which in years past included a petting zoo.

Event organizer Shannon Ranzini said this year’s event also will include area flea market vendors.

The event’s community aspect and family friendly environment is what separates it from some other summer activities students can engage in, Ranzini said.

“It’s absolutely something for everyone of all ages,” she said. “It’s a fun, family-friendly atmosphere (with a) good location, great music and good food.”

Student Center Associate Director Donald Castle said The Sunset Music Concert’s long tradition separates it from other summer events. The concert series is nearing its 35th year, and will be every Thursday from June 13 through July 25. It will feature genres of music such as R&B, Latin rock, indie rock and zydeco. Castle said music genres will alternate each week.

Castle said bands such as Space Capone, Dwayne Dopsie, Rico and The Ark Band have played at the concert before and will perform this year.

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“It’s the audience that really helps to make the event special and unique … they come to be with each other, so it’s a very social environment,” he said. “They know their friends are going to be there and that’s one of the key elements.”

However, for students looking to move away from the big concerts and fairs, a recently opened canopy tour offers a different outdoor adventure. The Shawnee Bluffs Canopy Tour will debut this summer as an outdoor escape for those in southern Illinois.

Marc Miles, Shawnee Bluffs Canopy Tour owner, said southern Illinois summer weather and green trees adventurous visitors.

Participants can ride eight ziplines and three aerial bridges over an 83 acre course and explore the Shawnee National Forest from ziplines stationed 30 to 38 feet high, he said.

However, the experience isn’t just fun and games, Miles said. The canopy tour is also made to be educational as well, which separates it from other summer activities, he said.

“It’s an adrenaline rush, but it also has a good mix of some education for the history of the area,” he said.