11 best things to do in Prague this weekend, July 2–4

FOOD

Celebrate the American holiday Independence Day at the Manifesto Market in Florenc, which will have special offers of American cuisine from July 2 to July 4 from 11 am to midnight. In addition, on July 2 you can see the Red Bull Formula One race car that was used in the beverage’s Castle to Castle video and try driving an F1 simulator. Music on July 2 from 7 to 8 pm will be by DJ N'zym. More info for the F1 car display and Independence Day is on Facebook and the Manifesto website.

Enjoy a secret garden party. The Augustine encompasses seven historic Malá Strana buildings including a 13th-century Baroque church and an Augustinian monastery. The hotel's heavenly garden oasis is now open for its weekly Thursday 6 p.m. Garden BBQ party featuring grilled delights, chilled wine, and live music from the Czech Philharmonic. To book a spot click here.

MUSIC

The band Napořád will perform for a Prague audience for the first time at the open-air summer stage at Heroldovy sady on July 2 at 7 pm. The lineup features ex-Chinaski members Ondřej Škoch and Petr Kužvart, singers Barbora Fialova and Josefina Čermáková, bassist Petr Tichý, drummer David Švandrlík and keyboardist Jan Linhart. Tickets for the show also include admission to a family-oriented event called EduRockShow on the same day and location at 5 pm. For more information visit the band’s website or the Facebook event. Tickets are available from divadlo Mana.

Berlin DJ and producer Oliver Koletzki will perform at the Křižík Fountain in Výstaviště in Holešovice. The owner of Stil vor Talent label was last in Prague four years ago. The open air party starts at 3:30 pm and lasts to 10 pm. The lineup includes Dominik Gehringer, Madelaine, Duncan Grey, Phil Albedo, and Rob Smile. More info is on the Výstaviště website and Facebook event.

THEATER/CIRCUS

The group DekkaDancers will stage Without Borders: Last Supper (Bez Hranic: Poslední Večeře) as a benefit for Doctors Without Borders. The event is at Azyl78, the popup venue in the lower part Výstaviště, on July 3 and 4 at 7:30 pm. Thirteen dancers, without words, will tell a humorous story or story of treason interweaved with tiny tales about gangsters, murderer cooks, secret agents and the lethal beauty of Russian ballerinas. More information is on the Azyl78 website and the DekkaDancers Facebook page. DekkaDancers will also perfrom with Tata Bojs on July 5–7 at the same venue.

A Czech-language production of William Shakespeare’s The Tempest launches the season at the Summer Shakespeare Festival. It will run to July 17 near the Ballgame Court in the Royal Garden at Prague Castle. David Prachar stars as Prospero, with Radúz Mácha as Caliban, and Eliška Křenková alternating with Hana Vagnerová as Miranda. Next up is a Czech production of Hamlet on July 19–28. There will also be two English-language presentations of A Midsummer Night’s Dream on July 29 and 30, staged by the Prague Shakespeare Company. More information is on the festival website and Facebook page.

There’s just a few chances left to catch events at the Arena Festival at Smíchovská náplavka. The festival, founded by the Forman Brothers Theater, ends July 3. Some of the final new circus and contemporary performing arts shows are already sold out, but you can relax in the chillout zone near the theater boat Loď Tajemství. More information is on the festival website and Facebook page.

FAMILY FUN

A trip to the top of Petřín hill temporarily has a new treat. A 200-year-old carousel on loan from Florence, Italy, will be there until the end of September. The carousel has been carefully restored to keep its original look, while using updated technology to keep it running. it was brought to Petřín by Prague City Tourism as part of the Prague at Home campaign, to encourage domestic tourism. More info is on the Prague City Tourism website and Facebook page.

ART

Striking images show how not to behave in nature. People have been going to Czech woodlands more often due to the lack of travel options, and it has had a big impact. The Ne! v přírodě (No! In nature) campaign depicts 12 examples of people doing different prohibited things such as polluting, cycling outside of designated paths, vandalizing, feeding wild animals, and littering, among other things. Photographer Derek Hard used Czech artists, singers, athletes, and models for the images. The exhibit can be seen in Old Town Hall daily from 11 am to 7 pm until July 10. Entry is free. More information is at the Prague City Tourism website.

The international group exhibition Planted in the Body explores the relationship between plants and humans. Plants are seen as a conduit for nature’s knowledge in the realms of medicine, spirituality, survival, politics and other fields. The exhibition is at MeetFactory daily from 1 pm to 8 pm until Aug. 22. Read more at the MeetFactory website.

FILM

The classic comedy The Big Lebowski will be the opening film at the summer drive-in Autokino Ledárny in Prague’s Braník district on July 2 at 9:30 pm. There is limited space for seating for people without cars as well. The drive-in also promotes itself for its cuisine, which includes calamari and portobello burgers in addition to beef burgers, hot dogs, and popcorn. More information is on the drive-in’s website and Facebook page. By coincidence, the same film is at the Přítomnost cinema in Žižkov on July 2 at 8:30 p.m.

Either way, the Dude abides. And if you don't like the film, the Dude has an answer for you: "Yeah, well, you know, that's just, like, your opinion, man."