While it’s fun to strike off to a place for no particular reason other than that it sounds nice and you’ve never been there before, it’s even better when there’s something fun going on there, and if that event just so happens to be free, well, you’ve scored on that one, haven’t you?

Here are a few music-related freebies that might be worth checking out this summer:

July 20-22 -- Karlsruhe, Germany, hosts Das Fest, a three-day event with not only musical entertainment, but also sporting events, demonstrations, activities for the kids, and more.

July 21-- Luxembourg City hosts a Blues and Jazz Rally at venues throughout the Duchy’s capital. I won’t pretend to know anything about this genre, but I count at least seven bands hailing from the USA out of the more than 50 musical offerings on the schedule. This is an evening event, so finding overnight accommodations in advance would not be amiss.

July 24-Aug. 7 -- Siena, Italy hosts its Jazz Summer Workshop 2007 and offers a mix of both freebies and paid-entry concerts. But even the ones with entry fees don’t appear to charge any more than 8 euros.

July 26 -- Lucca, Italy, hosts the 10th edition of its Summer Festival throughout most of July and attracts top names such as Ricky Martin, Joss Stone, George Michael and Lauryn Hill. While none of these artists’ performances are free, on July 26, a Thursday, you can see the free “Summer Giovani” event, a regional competition between emerging groups and solo performers.

July 28 -- Mannheim, Germany, hosts a summer party with nine hours of live music, including Pink. The whole city between the train station and the castle will be transformed into a massive pedestrian and party zone. The event is sponsored by Radio Regenbogen.

Aug. 15 -- Rome’s annual Gran Ballo di Ferragosto, or Feast of the Assumption, will get you dancing in the streets, with hip-hop to tango to rock performances in squares throughout the city. A visit to Rome in August may be hot indeed, but most of the Romans are long gone on their holidays and a totally different mood prevails throughout the city.

Aug. 18-26 -- Senigallia, Italy is the venue for a Summer Jamboree celebrating 1950s Americana. Some, but not all, of its events are free. There will be dance lessons, concerts and stands selling goods harking to this era.

Aug. 26-27 -- Notting Hill Carnival in London is one of Europe’s biggest street festivals and is held every August Bank Holiday. This Caribbean-inspired fest attracts performers from throughout the world. Sunday is the child-friendly day, while Monday is for the serious revelers. If you hate crowds, avoid this event at all costs.