photograph by robert anasch / unsplash
Spring Book Sale
Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library, 3030 Poplar
Friday, April 29, noon-7 p.m. | Saturday, April 30, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. | Sunday, May 1, noon-2 p.m.
Sometimes your weekend plans just don’t stack up the way you planned, but you know what’s always nice to have as a back-up or, even, an alternative to plans? Curling up on the couch with a nice book. And if that sounds like a good time to you, you can stock up on your to-be-read pile at the Friends of the Library’s Spring Book Sale, where thousands of books will be available to purchase for $2 (or less!). And if you think about it, it’s definitely worth the investment, seeing that any $2 book can take you far, far away for half the price of a gallon of gas these days.
Proceeds of the sale will benefit Memphis Public Libraries. Sunday, book-lovers can partake in a $5 bag sale, where — get this — you can get a whole bag of books for five bucks.
image courtesy the orpheum theatre
Storyfest
The Halloran Centre, 225 S. Main
Friday, April 29, 7:30 p.m. | Saturday, April 30, 2:30 p.m., 7 p.m.
What are some of the classics you’ve read? The Great Gatsby? Pride and Prejudice? The Odyssey? I’m sure you’d agree that all of these were written by the literary greats — hold on, though, The Odyssey just might be the exception since, as we all know, the epic poem was originally an oral story, written down many years after its creation. It’s funny, isn’t it — how we don’t really appreciate oral stories the way we used to? We should really give it a good old college-(re)try. Sure, it sounds like a lot of effort, but the folks with the Orpheum have already started the work with their Storyfest.
The free two-day festival showcases stories as told in live performances by Memphians, ages 9-93. The five sessions individually focus on a central question: What does it mean to put your trust and faith in God? What makes a family a family? What happens when your life seems to hit a wall or obstacle so big that you completely crash? What does it mean to come of age? What was it like to grow up in historic Black neighborhoods before integration?
Engagement activities and community reflections will accompany the days’ stories.
found art piece by william mckinney
Art in the Loop
Ridgeway Loop
Friday, April 29, 1-6 p.m. | Saturday, April 30, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. | Sunday, May 1, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
You know, books aren’t the only things with novel ideas. After all, the visual arts were around way before writing was — just take a look at those cave paintings. And if you want more proof of the ingenuity of visual arts and their ability to communicate, you’ll want to head over to Art in the Loop, where you can find paintings, jewelry, and other fine crafts in metal, glass, wood, clay, and fiber. Plus, you can enjoy performances by Ridgeway High School Band, The Highland Quartet, Opera Memphis, the Beethoven Club Woodwinds Ensemble, Memphis Youth Symphony Violins, and Bartlett Community Concert Band.
On-site food trucks, like VooDoo Cafe and Millie’s Garden, will be at the ready to keep you hydrated and energized. And Memphis Dermatology Clinic will offer free skin-cancer screenings each day. For a list of vendors and more information, visit this link.
photograph courtesy novel
Independent Bookstore Day
Burke’s Books, 936 S. Cooper | Novel, 387 Perkins Ext.
Saturday, April 30, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. | Sunday, April 31, 9 a.m.-8 p.m.
If you’re a bibliophile, dare I say, this weekend is going to be literally lit-erary. Not only does Memphis have a book sale for you; it’s also Independent Bookstore Day, and Novel and Burke’s Book Store are ready to celebrate.
Burke’s will be giving away free advance reading copies of new titles, door prizes for the first 100 customers, and cookies. Meanwhile, Novel will have in-store contests, free book bingo cards, and five golden books around the store with prizes inside — think Willy Wonka. Prepare to Dewey-decimate the competition. Plus, there will be freebie giveaways and exclusive Indie Bookstore Day merch available to purchase. Andddddd the bookstore has been teasing a big announcement coming out on Saturday for rom-com readers. Stay up to date on all things Indie Bookstore Day on the stores’ socials.
While we’re at it, don’t forget to show some love to Memphis’ other indie bookstores like Demoir Books & Things and South Main Book Juggler.
photograph courtesy theatre memphis
May Day Festival and Memphis Children's Theatre Festival
Theatre Memphis, 630 Perkins Ext.
Saturday, April 30, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Even if oral storytelling has kinda gone to the wayside a bit, performance arts that have been popular since the Greeks is still going strong. Just take a look at Theatre Memphis: They’re celebrating 100 years. In fact, this weekend will close out the 100th-year-long celebration with a May Day celebration. The day will consist of, as one might expect, a wide variety of performances on an outdoor stage. More than 30 artists’ and artisans’ vendors will be present as will food trucks, including Good Groceries, Dim Sum Memphis, MemPops, and Cousin’s Maine Lobster. More details about the May Day Festival can be found here.
Plus, a pay-what-you-can Memphis Children’s Theatre Festival will take place inside the recently renovated theater. For this event, families can look forward to puppetry, opera, dance, and theatrical displays by school groups. A full schedule for the Children’s Theatre Festival can be found here.
