Photo by Hannah Morgan on Unsplash
Summer’s in the rearview, and there’s plenty to look forward to this fall. The next few months are chock-full of fun! Check out our round-up and mark your calendars.
SEPTEMBER
Delta Fair & Music Festival
Festivities kicked off on August 30th, but there’s still time to join in the fun. In addition to the amusement rides, there’s a petting zoo, pig races, magic shows, comedy, live music, and more!
Agricenter International, through September 8th, deltafest.com
30 Days of Opera
Month-long opera celebration with free events, including performances during the Central Gardens Home Tour (September 8th) and Cooper-Young Festival.
Various locations, September 1st-30th, operamemphis.org
Germantown Festival
So you thought all the fun fairs were Downtown or in Midtown? Not so! With the 48th annual edition of this festival, Germantown gets in on the action. The festival boasts arts and crafts, a kids corner, an auto show, and probably the only weenie dog race in Memphis.
Germantown Civic Center Complex, September 7th-8th, germantownfest.com
Southern Heritage Classic
This weekend-long celebration is ostensibly about the football rivalry between Jackson State University and Tennessee State, but there’s so much more going on. The Southern Heritage Classic is a cultural celebration, a tailgating extravaganza, and it’s jam-packed with food, live music, and more. And this year marks the fest’s 30th anniversary.
Liberty Bowl, September 11th-14th, southernheritageclassic.com
Cooper-Young Festival
I live in the nearby Rozelle neighborhood, so Cooper-Young Fest is pretty much my home turf. And I love C-Y Fest for the food, the friends I unexpectedly bump into, and the live music. To me, this neighborhood festival always marks the change from summer to autumn. It’s usually a sunny affair, the summer’s last hurrah.
Cooper-Young District, September 14th, 9 a.m.-7 p.m., cooperyoungfestival.com
Latin Fest
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, Cazateatro Bilingual Theatre Group hosts this free, family-friendly festival that features live Latin music, Latin food and drinks, crafts for kids, vendors, and more.
Overton Square, September 21st, 3-9 p.m.
Mid-South Fair
Okay, so it’s not exactly cool in Memphis in late September, but the cool weather is on the way, and there’s just something right about the lights and smells and sounds of a fair on an early autumn night. With live music, fair food, and rides and lights to spare, the Mid-South Fair is just the kind of fair I’m dreaming of.
Landers Center, September 19th-29th, midsouthfair.com
Photo by Galen Crout on Unsplash
Memphis Japan Festival
The cherry trees lining the streets make the Botanic Garden an ideal spot for the Memphis Japan Festival, a celebration of Japanese culture. The festival presents Memphians with a family-friendly, hands-on way to experience Japanese culture, with food, music, entertainment, martial arts, and more.
Memphis Botanic Garden, September 29th, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., memphisjapanfestival.org
Sunflower Festival
Southaven Arts Council hosts this event featuring live music, great food, and a celebration of the arts. Watch craftsmen demonstrations and let your little one stop by the Young Artists Tent where there will be free activities for kids.
2126 Stateline Road, Southaven, MS, September 21st, 8 a.m.-2 p.m.
OCTOBER
Pink Palace Crafts Fair
With great food, handcrafted goods, craft demonstrations, and a petting zoo and train for the kids, the annual Pink Palace Crafts Fair makes for an ideal daytime date, just in time for autumn weather.
Audubon Park, October 11th-13th, memphismuseums.org
Agricenter Harvest Festival
The 16th annual Harvest Festival is the quintessential fall festival, with pumpkin-painting, hayrides, arts and crafts, and a bluegrass band.
Agricenter International, October 19th, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., agricenter.org
Memphis Comic Expo
If your kid’s into comics, they’ll love this convention featuring panels with celebrity creators, cosplay contests, video game tournaments, vendors, and more.
Agricenter International, October 19th-20th, memphiscomicexpo.com
RiverArtsFest
RiverArtsFest is an art walk, a street festival, and an educational opportunity all rolled up in one. The festival’s website claims it’s the largest outdoor juried artist market and urban street fair in the Mid-South, and with more than 180 contributing artists, live music, demonstrations, and hands-on activities, that’s a fair claim to make.
Riverside Drive, between Jefferson and Beale, October 26th-27th, riverartsmemphis.org
Memphis Parent School Expo
This free-to-attend school expo is presented by Memphis Parent. Meet face-to-face with school staff, see informational videos, and pick up take-home materials for planning your child’s education.
Memphis Botanic Garden, October 26, 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m., memphisparentschoolexpo.com
NOVEMBER
Memphis Flyer Crafts & Drafts
This 5th annual (free!) event hosted by the Memphis Flyer is a great place to get your early holiday shopping done, featuring tons of local makers offering up their wares. Oh, and craft beer!
Crosstown Concourse Patio, November 9th, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., memphiscraftsanddrafts.com
Seasonal
Levitt Shell Live Music Series
The Shell’s free concert series is a seasonal staple. The amphitheater’s 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 fall series runs (Thursdays through Sundays) September 6th through October 14th.
Overton Park, see website for lineup, levittshell.org
Time Warp Drive-In
There’s something so magical about the drive-in. And Time Warp takes us back in time with classic movies. Saturday, October 19th, brings Shocktober 6, featuring showings of Ghostbusters, Little Shop of Horrors, The Monster Squad, and Clue.
Malco Summer Drive-In, monthly, malco.com.