Events at Universal Studios for July

July 4th celebrations are only one of several headline events at Universal Orlando this summer. Music fans will flock to see some of the world's most popular bands at Hard Rock Live's Summer Concert Series. Notable bands include:

• Counting Crows, REO Speedwagon, and Pat Benetar on July 3.

• Rob Thomas on July 10.

• Counting Crows again on July 17.

Pat Benetar is a four-time Grammy Award-winning artist, REO Speedwagon produced platinum-selling albums, Rob Thomas has sold more than 80 million albums, and the Counting Crows were one of the most popular bands of the 90s, with 20 million albums sold worldwide.

On Friday, July 2, at the Portofino Hotel and Resort, guests can enjoy gourmet food samples and sparkling wine at Harbor Nights, a jazz and wine tasting event, with complimentary hand-rolled cigars.

If you're in Universal Studios on July 4th, you can rock out to live music from the O'Jays at the Celebrate Independence Day festival. Other events on the July 4 weekend include Universal 360: A Cinesphere Spectacular, featuring lasers and pyrotechnic effects that display scenes from classic films in cinema history. Of course, no July 4th celebration would be complete without a fireworks show. The show starts at 10 p.m.

Throughout July, Universal will also host Mat Hoffman’s Aggro-Circus, an extreme sports event showcasing the world's most talented skaters, BMX, in-line, and motocross athletes, performing daily at Universal's Islands of Adventure.

Other Universal Orlando events in July include Velvet Sessions at Hard Rock Live, where music fans can enjoy two hours of complimentary drinks and hors d'oeuvres while they listen to bands such as Everclear, in a casual and intimate setting. Tickets for Velvet Sessions are $25.

If you can't make it to Velvet Sessions or the July 4 celebrations, you can find plenty of entertainment at the various nightclubs that line Universal CityWalk. Popular nightclubs at CityWalk include:

• The Red Coconut

• Pat O'Brien's

• Rising Star Karaoke

• The Groove

For more information on parks or tickets visit OrlandoVacation.com