The longest days of summer will be accompanied by musical melodies in the streets as D.C. joins more than 100 countries celebrating the international Fete de la Musique.

The free concerts this weekend marking the beginning of summer are a way to celebrate the vibrant musical community of the city, said Jose Dominguez, project manager for the festival.

This is the first year that D.C. has participated in the festival, which originated in France in 1982 to showcase the country’s rich musical diversity.

“There are so many different types of music from what people might think of normally in the District. Some people think it’s a go-go town; but there’s punk, there’s rock, there’s country,” he said.

Festival highlights include Experience Unlimited, performing at 5 p.m. Friday at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center; the National Symphony Orchestra at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Kennedy Center’s Concert Hall; and The Campbell Brothers at 4 p.m. Sunday at the Metropolitan Baptist Church.

Amateur and professional musicians will also perform in varied venues from store fronts to museum lobbies and retail stores.

For more information on concerts and venues, go online to dcarts.dc.gov/services/programs/fetesched.shtm.