Happy Friday everyone! With summer here now, things are slowing down a bit around north-central Florida...

Downtown Gainesville continues to be active on Friday nights. The 2012 Free Fridays Concert Series is well underway. The concerts, which started in May, will continue through October. They help to showcase local and regional bands...and provide free entertainment in a family friendly atmosphere. Tonight you can catch the R&B and soul sounds of Fast Lane. The music starts at 8 tonight at the Bo Diddley Community Plaza near the corner of East University Avenue and Southeast First Street in Gainesville.  Website

Gainesville area amateur radio operators (or hams, as they are called) will be participating in their annual "Field Day" event this weekend. The event not only gives them a chance to test their emergency equipment and operating skills...but also show the public what ham radio is all about. During emergencies, especially when power is out, hams are sometimes the only people able to carry out emergency communications. You can check it all out Saturday at 3435 NW 34th Terrace in Gainesville.  Website

Also outside this weekend plenty of people will be camping out. The Great American Backyard Campout is set for Saturday night. It's an event the National Wildlife Federation is promoting to get people outside for a change to connect with nature. And if you register you can help the federations fundraising efforts. 80 percent of the funds raised are for programs to make outdoor time a priority. For more information about any of these stories, check out the "Weekend Planner" story on wcjb.com.  Website

Enjoy your weekend!