As the Charlotte region heads into a hot Fourth of July weekend, there's no shortage of ways to celebrate the country's 250th birthday. But once the fireworks fade, there are plenty of other ways to fill your calendar this month.

For our July edition of First Friday Arts, WFAE’s Nick de la Canal is joined by Lawrence Toppman, arts critic-at-large for The Charlotte Ledger; WFAE director of community engagement Rubie Britt-Height; and WFAE’s new program director, Joe Kendrick, to share their recommendations.

If you're looking to dance your way into the holiday weekend, Joe recommends catching Los Angeles-based electronic artist Eric Luttrell at The Music Yard. Opening the show is Heat VVave, making for an energetic start to the Fourth of July weekend.

"If you feel like dancing," Joe says, this is the place to be.

Joe's second pick is Georgia blues-rock artist Eddie 9V, who performs Saturday at the Whitewater Center with guitarist Zach Person opening the show.

Though still a young musician, Joe says Eddie 9V channels classic blues, rock and soul influences into a high-energy live performance.

"He's going to play music that's going to bring you back to those classic blues sounds," Joe says. "A lot of fun, a very good entertainer, a lot of high energy."

Later in the month, Joe recommends a reunion show from Charlotte band The Noises 10 at Snug Harbor. The concert also features Cassettiquette and DJ Hope Nicholls, a familiar name to many longtime Charlotte music fans through bands including Fetchin Bones, Sugarsmack and It's Snakes.

Joe says it's "worth checking out for sure."

Lawrence is looking forward to Life Chronicles, the newest virtual reality experience at Blume Studios.

The 45-minute immersive exhibit takes visitors on a journey through the evolution of life on Earth. Lawrence says the series of VR experiences at Blume has consistently impressed him.

"It's a wonderful, really effective way to feel you are taken out of your time and out of yourself," Lawrence says.

Lawrence is also recommending "Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors," a fresh, comedic take on Bram Stoker's classic vampire tale.

He says the production appears to blend traditional horror with farcical comedy, drag performance and gender-bending humor — "kind of a cross between the traditional Dracula legend ... and a sort of crazy Rocky Horror vibe."

Lawrence also urges listeners not to miss "The Griot and the Nightingale," the major retrospective of artist David McGee currently on display at the Bechtler Museum.

He calls it his favorite visual art exhibition of the year.

"It's funny, witty, emotional. I just can't recommend it highly enough," Lawrence says.

Rubie recommends kicking off Independence Day at America 250 Charlotte, a free celebration in Romare Bearden Park from 4:30 to 9:30 p.m.

The festival includes cultural performances, poetry readings, food trucks, family activities and a kids zone before evening fireworks.

Rubie says the event features "cultural performances and poetry readings, food trucks, a kids zone, and so much more."

For anyone looking to spend time outdoors, Rubie recommends Mecklenburg County's free guided hikes at Reedy Creek Nature Preserve.

Visitors can explore trails beneath the shade trees, visit the nature center's live native animal exhibits and exhibition hall, or enjoy the National Wildlife Federation-certified backyard habitat, complete with butterfly gardens and bird-feeding stations.

"If you're trying to beat the heat," Rubie says, "you can be in there, or if you just want to be under the shady trees and be outside ... that's a nice thing to do."

Rubie's final recommendation is Live on the Plaza, a free lunchtime performance series presented by the Harvey B. Gantt Center and community partners including Casa de la Cultura.

Performances take place at Duke Energy Plaza throughout the summer. One highlight this month is a July 15 performance by Son de Pueblos, featuring Afro-Caribbean drumming and dance.

"It's a chance to break away from your workday," Rubie says, "experience a lunch break with art and culture, and then get back to work."