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San Luis Obispo County is very lucky to have sponsored concerts and events throughout the summer. From downtown to the beaches, there's always one every week in the summer. Scroll below to see details of each concert series.

Quick Links to Free Summer Concerts by City Name:
• Arroyo Grande Village Summer Concerts at Heritage Square Park on Sundays, except for July 4
• Atascadero Saturday in the Park Summer Concert Series
• Avila Beach Friday Farmers Market in the Summer on Fridays
• Grover Beach Summer Concert Series on 16th Street Park (Formerly at Ramona Park) on Sundays
• Nipomo Concerts in the Park on Wednesdays
• Paso Robles Concerts in the Park on Thursdays
• Pismo Beach Pacific Breeze Concerts on Sundays (only once a month)
• San Luis Obispo Mission Plaza Concerts in Downtown on Fridays
• Templeton Recreation Concerts in the Park on Wednesdays

San Luis Obispo Mission Plaza Concerts

Free Summer Concert Series in Downtown San Luis Obispo: Free Concerts on Fridays in Mission Plaza from 5PM - 8PM from June 20 - September 12, 2025, with no concert on July 4th. Free entry and family-friendly. Bring reusable cups to event (no glass). No outside alcoholic beverages, no pets and no smoking. Family friendly. There will be drinks and food available for purchase. Bring low back lawn chairs and blankets to sit down. Address: 989 Chorro, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401.
 

Pismo Beach Pacific Breeze Concerts

Pacific Breeze Concerts in Dinosaur Caves Park is free to the public on the second Sunday of every month from 1PM - 4PM beginning in May 2025 and through the July 2025 (total of 3 concerts). The first one will be on Mother's Day on Sunday, May 11, 2025! The second one is Sunday, June 8, 2025 and the third (last) one is on Sunday, July 13, 2025. It's free entry and they have food for sale.

It has a beautiful backdrop of the cliffs and ocean. See all pictures that I've taken at Dinosaur Caves Park. See a list of things to do on Mother's Day in San Luis Obispo County. Address: 2701 Price St., Pismo Beach, CA 93449. See event list for this event.

Grover Beach Summer Concert Series

Grover Beach Summer Concert Series will take place 3 Sundays from July and 3 Sundays in August 2025 at 16th Street Park, formerly at Ramona Garden Park, from 3pm - 6pm. Here are the Sunday concert dates: July 13, July 20, July 27, August 3, August 10, and August 17. Free concert. Bring your low back chairs, sunglasses, sunblock and dancing shoes. Food, Beer and wine available for purchase. Address: 16th St & Mentone Ave., Grover Beach, CA 93433. They can get packed quick so arrive early. See a picture below of my view from my blanket as I was watching a concert at Ramona Garden Park.

See event list to see the next upcoming date for this Grover Beach Summer Concert Series.

Avila Beach Farmers Markets in the Summer

Free music takes place on Fridays at Avila Beach Farmers' Market every Friday from May - August 2025 from 4PM - 8PM at the Avila Beach Promenade, literally steps from the sand.

The free trolley that runs in the summer can get you here from Pismo Beach and Shell Beach because parking can be very difficult in Avila Beach during the summer! I suggest parking at the Pismo Beach Outlets and then, wait for the free trolley to get you there and back. Make sure you check their running hours for the day. Address for GPS: 3950 Avila Beach Dr, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405. See pictures that I've taken at Avila Beach and read more about our experience at the Avila Beach Farmers' Market.

Atascadero Saturday in the Park Summer Concert Series

Saturdays in the Park Summer Concert Series at Atascadero Lake Park Bandstand in the summer include 7 different dates on a Saturday for 2025: from June to August 2025 between 6:30PM - 8:30PM. They are free entry and there's a playground at this park so that makes it easier with little kids in tow.

They recommend bringing a low-back chair and if you would like to purchase any food, bring your wallet. The list of concert dates are: June 28, July 5, July 12, July 26, August 2, August 9, and August 30, 2025. Address: 9305 Pismo Ave, Atascadero, CA 93422

Paso Robles Concerts in the Park

Concerts in the Park on most Thursdays between mid-June - August 2025 from 6PM - 8PM at Paso Robles Downtown City Park. Music, wine, and good times. Bring your blankets, lawn chairs and picnic baskets for this staple summer occasion. Enjoy the sounds of country, blues, rock, and other genres from local bands. Wine available for purchase onsite. The list of Thursday concert dates are: June 12, June 26, July 10, July 17, July 31, August 7, August 14, August 21, and August 28, 2025. Read my restaurant reviews for Paso Robles. Address for GPS: 12th and Spring Street, Paso Robles, CA 93446

Arroyo Grande Village Summer Concerts

2025 Summer Concert Series by City of Arroyo Grande takes place between July 4 - September 2025 at Heritage Square Park in the Village every Sunday from 1PM - 3PM, except on July 4, it will be from 11AM - 4PM. Bring your own low back chairs, blankets, and sunscreen. There will be food, beer and wine available for purchase. Here are the concert dates: July 4, July 6, July 13, July 20, July 27, August 3, August 10, August 17, August 24, August 31, September 7, September 14, and September 21, 2025. For parking, I recommend parking behind the alley ways on the opposite side of the street. They are free to park. Some of them are really fun to walk through. See my video clip below the picture that I took below.


Address: 201 Nelson St, Arroyo Grande, CA 93420. See the Events List page to see all of the free concerts by date.

Templeton Recreation Concerts in the Park

Concerts in the Park 2025 at Templeton Park are on Wednesdays between 6PM - 8PM from June 11 to August 20, 2025, except for July 23 (no concert). No dogs and cooking your own BBQ. There will be food and drinks for purchase. Address: 550 Crocker St., Templeton, CA 93465

Nipomo Concerts in the Park

Nipomo Concerts in the Park takes place towards the end of June and go on until late August 2025 at the Gazebo at Nipomo Regional Park from 5:30PM - 7:30PM. This takes place every Wednesday for 10 concert dates during the summer. Family-oriented event! They will have food and drinks available for purchase. The concert dates are: June 18, June 25, July 2, July 9, July 16, July 23, July 30, August 6, August 13, and August 20, 2025. Address for GPS: Address: 904 W Tefft St, Nipomo, CA 93444

Tips for Attending a Free Outdoor Concert:

• No one likes being blocked from the view of the band, so if you're planning on bringing a chair to sit at any of the outdoor concerts, bring a low-back chair so that others behind you can still see.
• It can get really hot during the summer around San Luis Obispo (SLO) County so bring some hypoallergenic sunscreen and feel free to share it with your friends if they'd like some too.
• Do not bring your own alcoholic beverages as many of these places only allow you to consume when you buy them there. Check with the direct organizers of the event if you're hoping to do this.
• Bring your own bottles of water for those hot, sunny days outdoors so you can stay and enjoy the entertainment more comfortably. Outside water is allowed for any of these outdoor free events planned by the city.
• Even though most of these places sell food, you're welcome to bring your own picnic set or a quick sandwich so that you're not so hungry and have to leave your spot to get food at any of the long lines.
• Bring a blanket for comfort. You never know when you might bump into a friend and they'd like to sit next to you but didn't bring a chair. A blanket is a great alternative! This is one of the times when those old blankets are very handy! I have a roll up blanket in the car trunk at all times for outdoor events like these. They are so easy to store and take.