The Red River Cultural District is heating up this week with its first-ever free music series, Hot Summer Nights, running July 13-16.

Similar to Austin Free Week, the festival will take over venues across Red River for four nights — and each show is free. In addition to live music, attendees can nosh on tasty food while they peruse wares from local vendors.

The lineup features White Denim, the Octopus Project, Matthew Logan Vasquez, Golden Dawn Arkestra, Magna Carda, and The Midnight Stroll, just to name a few. Participating venues include Barracuda, Beerland, Cheer Up Charlies, Elysium, Empire Control Room & Garage, Mohawk, The Side Bar, The Sidewinder, Stubb's Bar-B-Q, Swan Dive, and Waller Ballroom.

Hot Summer Nights comes from the Red River Merchant's Association, a nonprofit formed by businesses and stakeholders in the district to preserve and cultivate the local music scene.

"The Red River District itself is a true cultural icon here in Austin and we want to do everything we can to see the area not only survive, but thrive in the years ahead," says Stephen Sternschein, RRMA board member and owner of Empire, in a release.

"These Hot Summer Nights events are meant to serve as a way for our team to give back to residents here in Austin, as well as provide amazing musicians and artists an opportunity to directly interact with the local community."

Free music is just the beginning for the hard-working nonprofit. "We can't wait to kick off these first Hot Summer Night events, which will be the first step of many to come for RRMA, and reveal additional plans for the district in the near future," Sternschein says.

For more information on Hot Summer Nights and to view the full lineup, follow the Red River Cultural District on Facebook.