An outdoor meal and a frosty drink in the mountains during summer become even better when partnered with some free, live music. This summer in Lake Tahoe, several restaurants and communities will be offering free tunes along with their menus and beer gardens. Cheers!

Austin's Restaurant in Incline Village will be offering live music on their patio in a few weeks, Jake's on the Lake near Tahoe City will continue offering free live music with a lake view and Moody's Bistro in Truckee will be featuring live music in the bar by Jessica Fichot and George Souza.

The Himmel Haus in South Lake Tahoe will be offering authentic German biers, brats and brötchen as well as free, live music by independent artists that celebrate Motown and 1970's rock.

The Cottonwood in Truckee will also feature free live acoustic music on Thursday and Friday evenings at 6 p.m. on the deck that overlooks the town. Music by Larry Johnson, "Pyle of Zen" and Norm Follett and his fiddling daughter are on the schedule along with discounts on drinks and select menu items. Reservations for the popular event are recommended.

Speaking of Truckee, each Thursday from 5-9 p.m. in Historic Downtown Truckee, the town will be holding a community street fair with a farmers market, arts and crafts, live entertainment like Keyser Soze and Mojo Green, a beer garden and shopping specials throughout downtown.

Truckee will still be celebrating First Fridays every first Friday of the month from 5-8 p.m. where the downtown shops, art studios and restaurants stay open late and offer special promotions, sales, demonstrations and food and beverages. Look for the First Friday flags for the businesses participating in the event.