June 21 is Father’s Day, but it’s also Make Music day, a “free celebration of music around the world.”
The “holiday" is celebrated in more than 120 countries and is presented in the U.S. by the NAMM Foundation.
Make Music, according to the endeavor, is “open to anyone who wants to take part. Every kind of musician – young and old, amateur and professional, of every musical persuasion – pours onto streets, parks, plazas, and porches to share their music with friends, neighbors, and strangers. All of it is free and open to the public.”
Last year, more than 1,000 cities around the world threw citywide music celebrations to make the occasion.
Make Music was first launched in 1982 in France as the Fête de la Musique, when the country’s Ministry of Culture conceived an idea for a day where free, live music would be everywhere throughout the country.
June 21, the summer solstice, was chosen as the date for the event, and the Fête has since turned into a national holiday and spread across the globe.
To find out about Make Music events in your city and how to get involved, head to makemusicday.org.