by Meghan Jones

Summer is almost here. For most of us we spend the summer working, relaxing, going on vacations and hanging out with friends.

How do you create a memorable summer on a small budget? Concert hopping. Concerts are one of the best ways to spend your summer. Warm weather, hanging out with friends, the music you love – live. It doesn’t get much better.

There are a few nation-wide tours and festivals which feature a mass selection of artists.

The first is the Vans Warped Tour, which is all over the U.S., but also coming to Detroit, Mich., on July 31. You can find everything you need to know on WarpedTour.com.

The second is Lollapalooza, which is located in Grant Park in Chicago, Ill., and will be coming through August 7-9. Visit Lollapalooza.com to find out the details.

Third is Bonnaroo, which comes to Manchester, Tenn., June 11-14. Visit bonnaroo.com for concert details.

All of these Web sites show you the artist line-up, locations, how to get tickets and more.

Michigan is featuring many artists from every different genre this summer, and the last thing you want is to miss your favorite artists because you didn’t know they were touring in your area.

A great resource for Christian artists is ChristianConcertsOnline.com. You can search for concerts by specific artists, a specific city, state or even zip code radius.

Birthday Bash is one of the most highly anticipated, highly attended country concerts in Michigan each summer, hosted by the radio station B-93. Find out details on this two day event as well as all the other country artists coming to West Michigan at B93.com.

If you’re looking for a wide range of genres then visit SectionLive.com, The Intersection’s Web site. There you’ll see all their up and coming artists and how to purchase tickets.

The Orbit Room is another concert venue right here in Grand Rapids. Just visit OrbitRoom.com and check out their event schedule.

If you are looking to find tickets for a specific artist then you can search for them on Ticketmaster.com.

The best way to save on the extra fees associated with online ticket purchases is to skip the online buy and head local. Do your research to find out how to buy tickets at a local retailer and save on those unnecessary fees. If you’re really looking for a good deal then just listen to your local radio stations and try to win free tickets. Get out and support the artists you love.