Traveling on vacation this summer? We want to go with you! Or maybe just find us when you get there. Many of our stores are around the corner from some of your favorite summer destinations. We’ve been blogging about stores located near vacation destinations like historical landmarks, beaches opens in a new tab, artsy opens in a new tab and adventurous escapades opens in a new tab, festivals and more. This time we tackle hot cities with cool nightlife.Who’s ready for some hot fun in the summertime? A city can look and feel one way by the light of day, but when the sun goes down, everything changes. Once the everyday hustle and bustle winds down, some cities are quiet and reflective … but for some cities, that’s when the fun begins! Here are some places that we love for their nightlife scenes (including my home base of Austin!). Do you love the nightlife; love to boogie? Don’t forget to check out our store list opens in a new tab to find the store closest to you before you turn into a creature of the night!New OrleansNew Orleans is as much soulful spirit as it is a city. Part mystery, part charm, part, well, party — NOLA is where you can get your hot thrills and cool chills. A city with plenty of history and ghostly haunts, you can take vampire, voodoo and cemetery tours opens in a new tab to explore ornate tombs and see some of the sights that have inspired so many fantastical works of fiction. If you’re into jazz, head to Preservation Hall opens in a new tab (open nightly from 8 to 11 p.m.), a sanctuary created in 1961 to protect and honor the style and tradition of New Orleans Jazz. As night falls, the Creole Queen opens in a new tab sets off into the Port of New Orleans on a dinner paddleboat cruise to the soundtrack of an onboard jazz band. No matter what your night’s activities hold, you can stop by the Café Du Monde opens in a new tab the next morning (or even that night; the French Quarter location is open 24 hours) for delicious beignets and café au lait.
Local Whole Foods Markets: Arabella Station opens in a new tab, Veterans opens in a new tab
Santa Fe
After spending a hot day in Santa Fe, it’s nice to kick back and relax when the sun goes down. Not a city with a typical party atmosphere, Santa Fe has a true appreciation of the arts and has hidden gems tucked into its beautiful southwestern scenery. The Center for Contemporary Arts houses Cinematheque opens in a new tab, a theater celebrating thought-provoking movies so you can chill out while expanding your imagination. On Sunday and Tuesday evenings, join Santa Fe International Folk Dance opens in a new tab and learn dance steps stemming from all over the globe. For a free-form dance experience, visit Embodydance Santa Fe opens in a new tab in the Railyard Performance Center opens in a new tab to join a group that participates in sacred and transformative dance. If you prefer a quieter journey that allows you to step back in time for an hour, join a silent nightwalk opens in a new tab around the Bandelier National Monument opens in a new tab.
Local Whole Foods Market: Santa Fe opens in a new tab, St. Francis opens in a new tab
Las Vegas
Viva Las Vegas! It’s no secret that Vegas loves glitz and glamour and there’s nothing that showcases that better than seeing sparkly Vegas showgirls perform at Jubilee opens in a new tab! or get wowed by Penn & Teller’s rule-breaking magic opens in a new tab. Las Vegas has never forgotten the King and you can catch a tribute to him in “Viva Elvis opens in a new tab” and even participate in one of those infamous weddings officiated by “Elvis” at Graceland Chapel opens in a new tab. Your trip to Vegas won’t be complete unless you stop by the Fountains of Bellagio opens in a new tab for a spectacular water and light show set to music. And before you leave the strip, see it from above during a helicopter tour opens in a new tab for a memorable goodbye — surely not everything has to stay in Vegas!
Local Whole Foods Markets: Las Vegas Blvd opens in a new tab, Fort Apache opens in a new tab, Tenaya opens in a new tab
Austin
Okay, I can’t help my bias here. I love Austin. It’s where I live and work (Austin is where Whole Foods Market began!) and one of my favorite things about this city is that any given time of night there’s a musician playing for an audience opens in a new tab (Austin is often called “The Live Music Capital of the World”), a film being shot, a margarita being poured or a delicious breakfast taco being consumed. We celebrate honky tonk opens in a new tab and hanging out on patios — no amount of heat can keep us from shooting the breeze on a good patio, especially ones that allow our pups opens in a new tab! Grab a bite from one of hundreds of food trailers opens in a new tab (how they manage to create such fantastic food from tiny spaces is still so incredible to me) and as the sun sets, watch the swarm of bats opens in a new tab cascade out from underneath the Congress Ave bridge. Chill out with a dip in Barton Springs opens in a new tab, a pool supplied with 68°F spring water, or crack up in Alamo Drafthouse opens in a new tab while you watch Master Pancake opens in a new tab mock the best worst movies.
Local Whole Foods Markets: Lamar opens in a new tab, Gateway opens in a new tabA little glitz, a little mystery, a little artsy and lots of fun — we like these destinations for their cool activities once the sun goes down but we know we didn’t get to all of them. What are your favorite nighttime activities in New Orleans, Santa Fe, Las Vegas and Austin?
