photo by Larshay Watson
School’s out. Summer’s here. It’s time to celebrate with fun in the sun and family outings! There’s a lot going on around town over the next few months. Check out our round-up and mark your calendars.
JUNE
Juneteenth Urban Music Festival
The Juneteenth festival is an event that truly earns its slogan, "celebrating freedom." Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the end of slavery in the U.S., and every year, the Memphis edition of the festival is held Downtown in Robert R. Church Park, with musical performances, food, job fairs, kids talent contests, and the Ultimate Dance Showdown. Robert R. Church Park, June 14th-16th. memphisjuneteenth.com.
Mid-South International Festival
A celebration of the many cultures of the world, the Mid-South International Festival will feature a variety of international foods, traditional dance and costumes, and vendors offering clothing, jewelry, and more! There is no admission fee on Saturday, June 29th. Railgarten, June 29th-30th. midsouthfestivals.com.
JULY
WEVL Blues on the Bluff
Okay, full disclosure, I host My Morning Mixtape on WEVL, Memphis' listener-supported radio station, so maybe I'm not the most impartial observer. But, that said, Blues on the Bluff is a party. And it's not just the music. There's a reason so many couples choose to get married at the Metal Museum. The grounds afford a sweeping view of the river and the bluffs, and old trees dot the lawn, offering shade. July, when Blues on the Bluff is usually held, is hot, but the wind off the river offers some relief. And last year, Memphis Made teamed up with WEVL to create a special edition version of Junt, the Midtown brewery's cream ale, to celebrate the volunteer radio station's biggest fund-raiser party. Oh, and then there's the music. They don't call it Blues on the Bluff for nothing. The Metal Museum, July 20th. wevl.org.
Memphis Flyer Burger Week
One of the best burgers I've ever had, I ate sitting on the tail of my uncle's pickup truck at a rodeo in White River, Arkansas. We were there to fish, not for the rodeo, but we'd gotten into town too late to eat anywhere but at the rodeo concession stand, the last place open at dusk in the sleepy town. I was theatrically starving, as only a 12-year-old on a fishing trip can be, and that burger, once I ate it, was 17 different kinds of satisfying. I've been chasing that same kind of burger high ever since, and Memphis Flyer Burger Week has offered my only way to come close to recapturing the beefy bliss of that rodeo burger. What really puts the carmelized onions on my bun, so to speak, are the $5.99 Burger Week prices. So, if you want to recapture your own slice of hamburger heaven, join me for some brand-new burgers and some old favorites all week long, at participating restaurants all over the Memphis area. Various locations, July 10th-16th. memphisflyerburgerweek.com.
Women's Theatre Festival of Memphis
Considering the time women spent excluded from theater in the early days of the art form, it's about time that they had their own theater festival. And, good news. The Women's Theatre Festival of Memphis is now officially an annual occurrence. It's four days of plays, readings, dance, and networking.Various locations, July 11th-14th. womenstfmemphis.org.
AUGUST
Elvis Week
Some readers may know about Elvis Aaron Presley’s identical twin brother, Jessie Garon Presley, who was delivered stillborn. Now, I don’t mean to suggest that my dad was too into Elvis, but my name is Jesse Aaron Davis. All that to say, I’m not entirely sure when I went to my first Elvis Week event, but I have vivid memories of watching concert and movie footage in big venues and tiny restaurants, and I’ve been to at least one Elvis laser light show at the Pink Palace planetarium. And all that was before the planetarium got a state-of-the-art overhaul and the folks at Graceland built their entertainment complex. And though I’m more of a Stax guy these days, I still love the way Memphis becomes Elvis-centric for a week. And I love the way Elvis fanatics from the world over converge on the Bluff City for special performances, Elvis film screenings, and the candlelight vigil. Various locations, August 9th-17th. graceland.com.
Ostrander Awards
If a party keeps getting thrown year after year for 36 years, then it has to be doing something right, right? In that case, the Ostrander Awards, an annual celebration honoring the best in the local theater, is on a winning streak. Held at the Orpheum, usually on the last Sunday in August, the Ostranders are a Memphis theater tradition. Named after beloved Memphis theater icon Jim Ostrander, a long-standing member of the local theater community, these awards honor excellence in a variety of categories, in both the community theater division and the college theater division. All aspects of stage production will be recognized. The Orpheum, August 25th, $15. memphisostranders.com.
Delta Fair
The Sherman Brothers must have been thinking about the Delta Fair when they wrote that “a fair is a veritable smorgasbord.” With live music from rock to bluegrass, the Royal Hanneford Circus, fair food galore(!), livestock shows, competitions, and the Delta Dash 5K and 10K, the fair has something for everyone. Agricenter International, August 30th-September 8th. deltafest.com.
SEASONAL
Levitt Shell Live Music Series
The Levitt Shell's free concert series is a seasonal staple. Overton Park sits in the center of the city, biking distance from many folks. The Shell's amphitheater shape, serious sound upgrades in recent years, and all those soundwave-absorbing park trees make for a concert series that can achieve acoustic bliss. Each season's programming spans genres, bringing a diverse array of artists to the Bluff City — total music nerd nirvana. The summer series includes performances by EKPE & The African Jazz Ensemble (June 22nd), Stax Academy (June 29th), and Orquesta Akokán (July 6th). And did I mention it's free? Overton Park, dates and times can be found at levittshell.org.