The Simply Smyrna Celebration returns Saturday, June 12, from 6–10 p.m., in the Historic Depot District on Front Street in downtown Smyrna. The Saturday evening music festival begins Smyrna’s month-long Depot District Arts Fest, Summer in Smyrna.

“This year at the Simply Smyrna Celebration, we are celebrating [the] 10th anniversary. Mayor Reed and the Smyrna Town Council have issued a resolution declaring June 12 Carpe Artista Day,” says Ron Alley, CEO and founder of downtown Smyrna’s Carpe Artista.

Hosted by Smyrna arts, culture and business conglomerate Carpe Artista (of the Carpe Artista Academy for the Arts, Carpe Cafe and Carpe Artista headquarters and event venue), the Simply Smyrna Celebration not only brings Smyrna-town together for the (now mayor- and Smyrna council- approved) Carpe Artista Day, but also as an opportunity for area vendors and businesses, artisans and musicians, and especially the local community, to come together, stretch out, peddle wares, express themselves and mingle with neighbors. So, there’s about to be two years’ worth of pent-up creativity released on Front Street, with plenty of room for 7,000 to 10,000 attendees, to make up for 2020’s Simply Smyrna Celebration cancellation.

“There is a significant buzz about the event. This will be the first large event in Smyrna’s Depot District since before the COVID shutdowns,” says Alley.

Carpe Artista will present four stages (with a fifth pending as of presstime) hosting at least 13 musical acts to cover Simply Smyrna’s district-size swath, a kids’ zone, wine and craft beer garden and currently over 50 artisan vendors, food trucks and area businesses in the vendor spaces.

As for the evening’s live summer listening lineup, beginning at 6 p.m., Simply Smyrna’s Depot Stage will host Kinn, followed by John Lewis and easy Americana-rock headliner the Jason Lee McKinney Band.

An indoor Depot stage will present country music artist and former veteran J.T. Cooper that evening.

Scheduled for the Cafe Front Porch stage is Elecoustic Soul, followed by Business School and folk lyricist Gabrielle Grace (imagine Coldplay with a Southern drawl), headlining with new material from her new EP, We’ll Be Alright as well as the 2019 release This Beautiful Life.

And, at the Front Street Sign Company garage, hour-long sets start with local acoustic alternative-rock optimist Real Face, followed by Brad Beal at 7:30 p.m., and Quality Time headlining at the Sign Company between 9–10 p.m.

The wine-tasting portion at Assembly Hall will most likely include some live jazz performers, totaling five downtown locations hosting live music that evening (Carpe Artista and Simply Smyrna are still finalizing those details).

The Front Street Depot District will be open to pedestrians only for the summer evening of music, a free community event to attend. For more information, find a Simply Smyrna 2021 Facebook event page or call 615-984-4038; find a map and vendor registration at carpeartista.com.