Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Downtown Harlan is heating up for summer with a collection of events throughout the month of July to help beat, or at least enjoy, the summer heat. Harlan Tourism has teamed up with local businesses and other organizations to bring summertime entertainment to the folks of Harlan.

According to the Visit Harlan County Facebook page, children can enjoy some splashing fun at the Harlan Center with Spray and Play, a free event filled with all sorts of water-based fun. Spray and Play will happen every Thursday in July, and features kiddie pools and water inflatables. There will be popsicles and drinks, all free of charge.

Spray and Play is sponsored by Party Time Inflatables, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Appalachia, Alexander Investment Services, AMPed Electric, the Harlan Rotary Club, Lindsey Wilson College, Kentucky Farm Bureau, Monticello Banking Company and Tractor Supply.

Looking for a good movie in Harlan? Outdoor Movie Night is coming on Friday, July 18, with a free screening of A Minecraft Movie. The screening is set to begin at 9 p.m. at the Harlan Center’s front plaza. The movie along with popcorn and drinks is free. Bring your own chairs and blankets. For more information, call 606-573-4495.

From 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. on Thursday, July 24, the Gears and Beers Cruise-In returns to the streets of Harlan. Classic and custom cars and trucks are set to line the streets for your viewing pleasure outside the Harlan County Beer Company. Entry is free, and is open to all vehicles including all cars and trucks, classic cars, hot rods, rat rods, imports, and more. The show kicks off at 6 p.m. every fourth Thursday until the final Gears and Bears Cruise-In of the year in October. The July installment will feature three cash door prizes.

For more information on these and other events, call the Harlan Center at 606-573-4156.