Events

Memphis celebrates Black History all year long with festivals and events for the whole family! Experience Africa in April Cultural Celebration which features native foods, cultural costumes and dances, traditional music and performances. Wander historically Black neighborhoods at the Beale Street Music Festival from April to May. Enjoy Memphis performance at its finest during Memphis in May and attend the Sunset Symphony and the Memphis Opera. Taste the flavor of Memphis at the World Barbecue Cooking Championship held each year in May. There’s always something exciting calling you to Memphis!

Visit www.memphistravel.com for detailed event information.

Upcoming Events

August

Memphis Redbirds Baseball
AutoZone Park, 901-721-6000

www.memphisredbirds.com
August 8-11, Memphis Redbirds vs. New Orleans
August 12-15, Memphis Redbirds vs. Round Rock
August 25-28, Memphis Redbirds vs. Iowa
August 29-31, Memphis Redbirds vs. Oklahoma

August 1 – Sept. 30, 2008
Otis Redding - From Macon to Memphis

Memphis Pink Palace Museum, 901-946-2535
www.staxmuseum.org
An exhibit form the Private Collection of Zelma Redding. “Stax Records was like a second home for Otis,” stated Zelma Redding. “He recorded some of the biggest this there and worked with some of the world’s best musicians. We are pleased to be able to share some of our personal family moments in this exhibit.”

August 1 – Oct. 25, 2008
In Spite of Race, The Robert R. Church Family

Memphis Pink Palace Museum, 901-320-6320
www.memphismuseums.org
Highlights the lives of many members of this extraordinary family, from Robert R. Church, Sr., Memphis’ first black millionaire, to his granddaughter Roberta Church, an influential member of the Eisenhower administration.

August 1 – Dec. 31, 2008
I Shot Ray Charles - Exhibit

Stax Museum of American Soul Music, 901-946-2535
www.staxmuseum.com
This collection of color and black-and-white images of the late, great Ray Charles features the singer, songwriter, and entertainer in an array of environments, from back stage and behind the scenes to portraits and live performance photos.

August 16
5th Annual Tri-State Blues Festival

DeSoto Civic Center, 662-280-9120
www.desotociviccenter.com
A night filled with music that made Memphis and Beale Street famous.

August 23, 2008-January 5, 2009
Photographs from the Memphis World, 1949-1964

Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, 901-544-6200
www.brooksmuseum.org
The Memphis World, an African American newspaper published from 1931 to 1973, chronicled the complexity and variety of its readers’ lives. In marked contrast with the reporting in white newspapers, which selectively focused on poverty, violence, and civil rights, the World, like many black newspapers, celebrated the accomplishments and challenges of the city’s diverse population. This two-part exhibition has over eighty images published in the Memphis World, which encapsulate a seminal period in Southern history.

August 25
1340 WLOK Stone Soul Picnic

Tom Lee Park, 901-527-9565
Features gospel music by both local and national artists. Free to the public.

August 29 – September 7
Delta Fair & Music Festival

Agricenter International, 901-435-7150
www.deltafest.com

August 30-31
Memphis Music & Heritage Festival

Main Street between Peabody Place and Gayoso, 901-525-3655
www.memphismusicandheritagefestival.com
The Memphis Music & Heritage Festival is two days every Labor Day Weekend and five stages of the Memphis area’s most dynamic musicians, performers, artists, dancers, talkers and cooks – presented in a family-friendly, festive setting. You’ll hear blues, rock, soul, gospel, rockabilly, jazz and lots more!

September

Memphis Tigers Football
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, 901-678-2331

gotigersgo.cstv.com
September 6, Memphis Tigers vs. Rice
September 20, Memphis Tigers vs. Nicholls State
September 27, Memphis Tigers vs. Arkansas State

September 12-13
Southern Heritage Classic

Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, 901-398-6655
www.southernheritageclassic.com
Thousands come back annually to Memphis, TN for the lively tailgate parties; to cheer on historically black college rival football teams; to tea off in the celebrity golf tournament; for a glimpse at women’s fall fashions; and to experience music made in Memphis and other familiar rhythms. These are the tangibles.

September 13
Cooper Young Festival
Corner of Cooper Street & Young Avenue, 901-276-7222
www.cooperyoungfestival.com
In its 21st year, the Cooper Young Festival is Memphis most anticipated outdoor celebration. Come enjoy an appealing mix of art, music and crafts presented by over 300 artisans. Free to the public.

September 19-28
Mid-South Fair
Mid-South Fairgrounds, 901-274-8800

www.midsouthfair.com
Offering family entertainment and education to visitors from all walks of life every Fall for more than 150 years. Features over 50 rides, food vendors, hundreds of exciting and informative exhibits, free concerts, livestock show and rodeo and much more.

October

Memphis Tigers Football
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, 901-678-2331

gotigersgo.cstv.com
October 10, Memphis Tigers vs. Louisville
October 25, Memphis Tigers vs. Southern State

October 2-5
Pink Palace Crafts Fair

Audubon Park, 901-320-6408
www.memphismuseums.org
Hundreds of artisans and craftsmen, kid's activities, demonstrating craftsmen, entertainment, Famous Friend's Donuts, concessions and more! No pets allowed.

October 10-12
Tyler Perry’s “The Marriage Counselor”

The Orpheum Theatre, 901-525-7800
www.orpheum-memphis.com
The #1 urban playwright in the country introduces his newest stage production, Tyler Perry’s “The Marriage Counselor.”

October 28
The Freedom Awards

Memphis Cook Convention Center, 901-521-9699
www.civilrightsmuseum.org
Established in 1991, to pay tribute to individuals whose accomplishments depict the spirit of the Civil Rights Movement, the National Civil Rights Museum annually selects a national, international and lifetime achievement award recipient of the Freedom Award.

November

Memphis Tigers Football
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, 901-678-2331

gotigersgo.cstv.com
November 22, Memphis Tigers vs. UCF
Tulane, Memphis Tigers vs. Tulane

November 3-10
101st International Holy Convocation

Memphis Cook Convention Center, 866-522-1331
www.cogic.org
The theme of the 101st Convocation is “Marching Into The Future With Resurrection Power!”

Visit Memphis and learn about legendary Blues electric guitarist B.B. King. Known for his distinctive sound, unmistakable Southern style and his 40-year devotion to his Gibson model guitar, Lucille, B.B. King puts the soul in Memphis. Visit B.B. King’s Blues Club when you visit Memphis!

 

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s visit to Memphis in 1968 would forge history. Marching in support of the Memphis Sanitation Worker’s Strike, he delivered his legendary I Have Been to the Mountaintop speech. Hear it at the National Civil Rights Museum. Visit Memphis and tour the museum which chronicles the Civil Rights struggle.