photography courtesy Morris Marketing Group
Deck the Diamond Holiday Spectacular
AutoZone Park
Select nights through Sunday December 31
Deck the halls with balls of baseball, fa la la la la la la la! ’Tis the season to be jolly, fa la la la la la la la! Don we now our sports apparel, fa la la la la la la la! Troll the ancient Redbirds carol, fa la la la la la la la!
Thank you, thank you, please, please, hold your applause. There’s more where that came from, but this little ditty that I just spun is in honor of AutoZone Park’s first-ever Deck the Diamond Holiday Spectacular, for which the field has been transformed into a winter wonderland of 190 light structures including large walk-through tunnels, archways, animals, presents, and trains — all centered around a 60-foot Christmas tree. Guests can enjoy festive food and drinks, family-friendly holiday activities, musical entertainment, visits with Santa and Mrs. Claus, fireworks, a 3,600-square-foot ice-skating rink, and much more.
Deck the Diamond runs weekends and select weekdays through Sunday, December 31, and this weekend’s hours are Friday at 5:30-11:30 p.m., Saturday at 4:30-11:30 p.m., and Sunday at 4:30-10:30 p.m. The full calendar of operating hours can be found here.
Tickets ($33.88+) are available for purchase here and are based on entry time. Guests can stay for as long as they’d like until the event closes each night.
photography by carla mcdonald
A Christmas Carol
Theatre Memphis
Performances through December 23
You better watch out, you better not cry. Better not pout, I’m telling you why. Ebenezer is comin’ to town. Scrooge’s taking the stage and needing advice, gonna find out a ghostly surprise. Ebenezer is comin’ to town.
That’s right. Miserly Ebenezer Scrooge is returning to Theatre Memphis’ stage for one of Memphis favorite holiday traditions, A Christmas Carol. Performances of the show are Thursdays to Saturdays at 7 p.m., with Sunday matinees at 3 p.m., through December 23. Tickets can be purchased here.
photography courtesy DCA Memphis
The Nutcracker
Orpheum Theatre
Performances this weekend and next
Da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da … this isn’t going to work with text because I’m trying to spell out the tune of “The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” but there are no lyrics. None! But I’m sure you know the tune. It’s probably the most popular song from The Nutcracker, which is probably the most popular Christmas ballet around. And it just so happens that you can catch The Nutcracker this weekend and next, thanks to Ballet Memphis.
Ballet Memphis’ new production of this beloved American holiday tradition promises to delight in both familiar and unexpected ways. Tickets ($16+) for the show can be purchased here. Performances are Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Next weekend’s performances are Friday, December 15, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, December 16, at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday, December 17, at 2 p.m.
photography courtesy Beale Street Management/Downtown Memphis Commission
2023 Memphis Holiday Parade
Beale Street
Saturday, December 9, 2-3 p.m.
Dashing down Beale Street, in a holiday parade, oh the friends you’ll meet, laughing all the way (ha ha ha), Marching bands will ring, making spirits bright. What fun it is to ride and sing, at this annual delight.
Oh, that’s right! The Memphis Holiday Parade returns to Beale to ring in the holiday season with marching bands, steppers, twirlers, floats, and all sorts of sights. Plus, later in the day, at 5-7 p.m., you can get your picture taken with Santa Claus for free, thanks to the Beale Street Entertainment District.
photography courtesy greg belz
Winter Arts
870 South White Station Road
Open through December 24
Last Christmas I gave you my heart, but the very next day you gave it away. This year, to save me from tears, I'll head over to Winter Arts.
Yep, Winter Arts has all the gifts that no giftee will want to give away the very next day. In its 15th year, the annual market showcases exceptional and unique hand-crafted works by our region’s finest artists, working in glass, metal, wood, fiber, clay, jewelry, and more. Find a full list of artists here.
The market is open daily through Christmas Eve. Hours are Mondays through Thursdays, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Fridays, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sundays, noon to 5 p.m. Winter Arts is located at the former Bed, Bath & Beyond.
The event is staged by the ArtWorks Foundation, a nonprofit focused on helping artists grow in their business and their work through programs including exhibitions and education initiatives.
