Top 5 for July

1. PromoWest Fest:July 15–17

Seemingly from nowhere, Columbus finally has a handful of popular music festivals. This month's inaugural PromoWest Fest in the Arena District will host national acts like Snoop Dogg, Modest Mouse, The Decemberists and Ryan Adams, as well as local showstoppers like Forest & the Evergreens and The Worn Flints.promowestfest.com

2. North Market OhioWine Festival: July 8-10

Wine enthusiasts don't have to travel far to try some of the best vino around. The annual Ohio Wine Festival is returning to the North Market for the 15th year and will feature a selection of wines from all over the state. Enjoy culinary demonstrations, entertainment and your favorite North Market bites while sampling some of the best of what Ohio's thriving wineries have to offer.northmarket.com

3. A Night of Symphonic Hip Hop featuring Nelly: July 9

Nelly will join the Columbus Symphony for a unique collaboration this month, the first time a hip-hop artist will be featured in the orchestra's Picnic with the Pops series. The program will offer a classical twist on the St. Louis rapper's hit songs, including "Country Grammar," "Just a Dream" and "Hot in Herre." Rich Corsi, vice president of programming for CAPA, says Nelly is taking seriously his debut with a live orchestra, even planning to arrive in town early for an extra rehearsal.picnicwiththepops.com

4. Thurber House Literary Picnics: July 6 and 20

Enjoy the warm summer sun and an al fresco meal while listening to two Ohio authors discuss their latest novels as part of the Thurber House's annual summer tradition. This month, the featured authors are Robin Yocum (July 6), a former Dispatch crime reporter and Columbus Monthly contributor whose latest book is the coming-of-age mystery "A Brilliant Death," and Kevin P. Keating (July 20), a former steelworker who's second novel, "The Captive Condition," is being developed into a TV series.thurberhouse.org

5. Don't Call Me Honey:Fierce Women of Film: July 7–Aug. 27

The Wexner Center for the Arts will celebrate some of the toughest ladies ever to grace the silver screen this month as it kicks off its 17-film retrospectiveof cinematic female empowerment. The series features landmark performances from the likes of Sigourney Weaver ("Alien"), Charlize Theron ("North Country") and Jennifer Lawrence ("Winter's Bone") and includes dramas, comedies, foreign films and grindhouse classics.wexarts.org