photograph bluff city fair
Bluff City Fair
Liberty Bowl Stadium, 940 Early Maxwell
Through Monday, May 30
As we look forward to the three-day weekend, we might be tempted to tell those escaping the grasps of Memphis heat for a vacation getaway, “Smell ya later.” And isn’t that such an interesting turn on “See you later”? Is it endearing or is it malicious? We’ll never know, but what we do know is that, of the five senses, smell is pretty gosh darn good at triggering vivid memories.
And if you don’t believe me, just head on over to the Bluff City Fair and see if the smell of candy apples triggers a memory of an evil queen disguised as an old lady standing in your window while you bake pies as tiny birds stamp their feet into the crust to make a design. Okay, maybe that’s more of a scene from Snow White than a memory, but I’m sure the smells at the fair will trigger something — I mean, there’s a petting zoo, lots of fair food, attractions with people standing in line — who knows, one of those people might wear the same perfume (or have the same B.O.) as the person to whom, at the weekend’s beginning, you told, “Smell ya later.”
The fair will also have daily shows from a hypnotist to a thrill show that will elude the rest of your senses. Check out the fair’s website for a schedule of happenings and more information. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for kids, seniors, and military.
photograph courtesy memphis mushroom festival
Memphis Mushroom Festival
Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park, Nature Center
Thursday-Monday, May 26-30
Pardon me, I might’ve just made a mistake in my previous entry. Apparently, there are now seven senses, not five. Wait, no, there might be nine? Google, what have you done to me? Why so many senses? This feels as arbitrary as taking Pluto off the list of planets. In any case, no matter the number of senses you have, the most important one is a sense of what mushroom is good to eat, what mushroom is good to get poisoned by, and what mushroom is good to feel good. And where else on earth other than the Memphis Mushroom Festival are you going to find that out, unless by a happy or very unhappy accident?
The Mushroom Festival has three days packed with events: live music, yoga, classes, cooking demonstrations, foragers, a body and face painting party, workshops, and so much more. You can learn everything from what mushrooms may treat post-Covid brain fog to how to grow edible mushrooms at home. Single-day passes are $20, with full passes costing $50 for all days. Plus, you can camp on the grounds if you sense that you are one with nature. Check out the fest’s website for the lowdown on tickets, camping, and the schedule of events. (For even more information, read "Medicinal Psychedelics Explored This Weekend at Memphis Mushroom Festival" by Toby Sells in our sister publication, the Memphis Flyer.)
photograph by Chase Gustafson / theatreworks
The Moors
TheatreWorks, 2085 Monroe
Friday-Sunday, May 27th-30th
You know what? If the scientists want to broaden the five senses to seven or nine, that’ll be fine by me, but only if they include extrasensory perception (aka ESP — aka the sixth sense), and not in the way the astronomers classified Pluto as a dwarf planet to appease the masses. I’m talking full-on Sense status. It deserves it, right? Ghosts are always around us in one way or another. Just look at The Moors, where the ghost of the Brontëan canon lurks just beneath the script.
In The Moors, two sisters and a dog live peaceful, charming lives on the English moors, until a hapless governess and a moor-hen come into their lives and introduce a drama worthy of a nineteenth-century novel — well, to be more precise, a worthy parody of a nineteenth-century novel.
Tickets ($15-$20) for the show can be purchased online or by calling (901) 484-3467. Performances are on Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., with a Sunday matinee at 2 p.m.
photograph courtesy david lusk gallery
“Don’t Let the Sun”
Closes Saturday, May 28
David Lusk Gallery, 97 Tillman
The sense taken most for granted: common sense. Even in the days of mythology, we see this in stories like Icarus, flying too close to the sun, even when warned by his father when his common sense should’ve taken over. But I guess, some things take more than common sense to understand, like the mechanics of that father-son relationship — we will probably never know the full story there — or, looking more at today’s issues, mental health — we have a lot of work to do to understand mental health issues that plague a huge portion of us.
Inspired by her familial relationships and her own personal experiences, Leslie Holt’s “Don’t Let the Sun” touches on the lack of understanding of mental health. Her paintings range from depictions of PET scans of brains plagued with different disorders to embroidered interpretations of photographs sourced from physicians of “hysterical” women. As Mental Health Awareness Month comes to a close, Holt’s show also closes this weekend.
photograph by Phillip Van Zandt / Memphis Symphony Orchestra
Orion Free Concert Series: Sunset Symphony
Overton Park Shell, 1928 Poplar
Sunday, May 29, 7:30 p.m.-9 p.m.
Listen, I’m gonna reveal something embarrassing about myself: It takes a minute for me to remember all five of the senses — there are so many, you see — so sometimes to get the synapses in my brains running, I’ll sing a little tune. You know it and you love it: “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes.” Why this song? Because you sing, eyes and ears and mouth and nose, all while touching the different sources of the senses. I’m sure my kindergarten teacher Miss Webb would be proud … or concerned.
However, if you are into more mature melodies that don’t touch on the five senses, you should check out the Sunset Symphony, dedicated to our incredible Memphis, highlighting musicians from the Memphis Symphony Orchestra. The concert is free, and guests are welcome to bring picnic baskets, beverages, blankets, and lawn chairs (and even leashed dogs). Food and beverages will also be available to purchase from Pok Cha’s Egg Rolls, Fuel, and Deli Midtown food trucks.
