Athens Main Street tunes up for 2026 with new music lineup for Fridays After Five & Merchants Alley
Published 7:05 am Wednesday, March 25, 2026
The outdoor energy in downtown Athens will begin buzzing once again next month, as Athens Main Street returns a pair of crowd-pleasing music events to the city’s downtown as part of this year’s Fridays After Five and Merchants Alley Happy Hour music series.
Beginning in April and extending through July, Fridays After Five will convert the downtown Square around the Limestone County Courthouse into a pedestrian-friendly street party, complete with street vendors, food trucks, kids’ activities, and a monthly slate of musical entertainment that never charges guests an admission fee.
Held on the final Friday of each month, Fridays After Five runs from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The 2026 Fridays After Five concert lineup includes:
- April 24 — Juice
- May 29 — Maclin & Co
- June 26 — Matt Prater Band
- July 31 — Velcro Pygmies
Notably, April 24, May 29, and June 26 offer a full evening of live music downtown, with the Merchants Alley Happy Hour Music Series starting the night in Merchant’s Alley before Fridays After Five takes the stage at the Courthouse.
The Merchants Alley Happy Hour music series will run from April through June, with each weekly musical event scheduled from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Presented by Alabama House Rep. Danny Crawford, the Spring 2026 series features an impressive roster of local and regional musical talent in one of downtown Athens’ most distinctive outdoor settings.
The Spring 2026 Merchants Alley Happy Hour musical lineup includes:
- April 24 — Limestoners
- May 1 — Nix Side Hustle
- May 8 — Joel Kisakye
- May 15 — McMeans Brothers
- May 22 — Zami Maré & Kevin Breedlove
- May 29 — Brad Mallette & Andy Clem
- June 5 — The Silver Silos
- June 12 — Cade Flaherty
- June 19 — Lottie Richards
- June 26 — The Cadillacs Band
Athens Main Street also will bring the Merchants Alley Happy Hour Music Series back later this fall, with that series presented by Alabama State Senator Arthur Orr. Details on the fall lineup will be announced at a later time.
“This is a really special year for Athens Main Street, and these two series reflect everything we’ve been building toward for two decades,” said , Athens Main Street executive director Tere Richardson. “Downtown Athens has always had a great sense of community, and there is nothing quite like live music to bring people together. We want everyone to come out, explore our shops and restaurants, and feel what makes this place so special.
“Twenty years ago, Athens Main Street was just getting started, and now we have two incredible live music series that fill our streets and alleyways all spring and summer long,” Richardson added. “We are so grateful to our sponsors, our performers, and most of all our community for making downtown Athens the kind of place people want to be.”
Fridays After Five is made possible through the support of presenting sponsor The Orthopaedic Center – Athens, along with DJ sponsor Open Door Logistics, Dining Area sponsor First Metro Bank, and Sound sponsor GROWL. Additional support comes from Take Flight sponsor Huntsville International Airport, Kids Zone sponsor Taylor’s Cool Treats, and supporting sponsors North Alabama Airfest/Pryor Field Regional Airport, LaunchBox at Athens State University, Ramona J’s, Ming Commercial Real Estate Group, and Morell Engineering.