photography by Taylor Davidson
On the first day of Christmas Memphis gave to me speakers carried through Cooper-Young.
Unsilent Night | Cooper-Young Historic District | Friday, December 22, 6 p.m.
And by that, of course, we mean the Unsilent Night extravaganza, the traveling sound installation, where boomboxes replace voices in a holiday caroling event like no other. Participants of all ages bring their own boomboxes (or Bluetooth speakers) and drift peacefully through a cloud of sound. Everyone presses PLAY together, beginning at the Cooper-Young Gazebo, and walking through the Cooper-Young neighborhood creating a cacophony of bells, voices, and reverberant joy. A CD or digital download of one of the four parts of the piece will be provided.
The parade ends at Cooper House Project Brewery. Bring a canned-good food donation to get a free beer!
Photography by Christin Noelle on Unsplash
On the second day of Christmas Memphis gave to me two not cheery screenings.
The Nightmare Before Christmas | Museum of Science & History | Saturday, December 23, 2 p.m.; Sunday, December 31, 2 p.m.
Killer Santa Double Feature | Black Lodge | Saturday, December 23, 6 p.m.
Sure, you could watch every Hallmark movie that comes your way. Or you could be ~different~ and watch The Nightmare Before Christmas at MoSH, screening Saturday and Sunday, tickets for which can be purchased here for $12/adults and $10/seniors and youth. You could be even more different and enjoy a holly-jolly gorefest with a Killer Santa Double Feature at the Black Lodge as they screen Violent Night and Christmas Bloody Christmas. That event is free to attend and is for those 18 and over.
photography by sean moore
On the third day of Christmas Memphis gave to me three jolly shows.
One Man’s Christmas Carol | Germantown Community Theatre | Friday, December 22, 2:30 p.m.
Who’s Holiday | Circuit Playhouse | Performances through December 22
Christmas Carol | Theatre Memphis | Performances through December 23
Three shows. Three of them. From three different theaters. And you can see them all, Memphis. Aren’t you lucky? Look at what Memphis gave you.
First on the list is One Man’s Christmas Carol, Marques Brown’s Ostrander-nominated adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic. ALL proceeds benefit Full Spectrum Theatre Initiative at Germantown Community Theatre, making sensory-friendly performances and inclusive theater workshops possible. Tickets are only $10 for adults and $5 for children 17 and under.
Next up is Who’s Holiday, very much a sequel to the classic Dr. Seuss tale How the Grinch Stole Christmas, except this Cindy Lou-Who isn’t so innocent and has a few choice words for that old Grinch. Of course, those words will be dealt out in the form of rhyming couplets. The show closes this weekend with its final performances on Thursday at 9 p.m. and Friday at 9 p.m. Tickets ($25) can be purchased here.
Lastly, let’s talk about Theatre Memphis’ A Christmas Carol. Miserly Ebenezer Scrooge returns to the stage for his eye-opening exploration that leads to happiness and enlightenment, not to mention song, dance, and holiday cheer. The show closes this weekend, with performances on Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 3 p.m., and Saturday at 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased here.
photography courtesy greg belz
On the fourth day of Christmas Memphis gave to me four art markets.
Holiday Bazaar | Arrow Creative | through December 22, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Last Minute Art Market | Crosstown Brewing Co. | Saturday, December 23, noon – 5 p.m.
WinterArts | 870 S. White Station | through December 24, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Memphis Arts Collective Holiday Artist Market | 5847 Poplar Ave, Suite 110 | through December 24, 10:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.
What’s that? You forgot to get your Aunt Margot a gift? Aunt Margot who so thoughtfully purchased you a subscription to Memphis Magazine last year that came with a milk chocolate bar from Dinstuhl’s? (Order yours here today for $18 — more than 70 percent off the newsstand cover price — and use HOLSUB23 or call 901-575-9470.) How could you forget Aunt Margot? Shame. Luckily for you, Memphis has four art markets to check out with local artists selling their wares. Go to any of the ones listed above and you’ll be in good hands. (Or, you know, get Aunt Margot a subscription to Memphis Magazine.)
photography courtesy deck the diamond
On the fifth day of Christmas Memphis gave to me five light displays.
Holiday Wonders at the Garden | Memphis Botanic Garden | select nights through December 30
Deck the Diamond Holiday Spectacular | AutoZone Park | select nights through December 31
Zoo Lights | Memphis Zoo | select nights through January 6
Enchanted Forest Festival of Trees | Museum of Science & History | select dates through December 31
Starry Nights | Shelby Farms Park | through December 31
What can I say about these delightful displays that hasn’t already been said? So I’ll be brief. Holiday Wonders = lights at Memphis Botanic Garden. Tickets are $15-$20. Closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Deck the Diamond = lights at AutoZone Park + ice-skating. Tickets are $33.88.
Zoo Lights = lights at the zoo. Tickets are $14-$19. Closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Enchanted Forest Festival of Trees = a forest of sparkling, awe-inspiring trees at MoSH. Tickets are $7/adult, $6/seniors and children. Closes early on Christmas Eve at 3:30 p.m. Closed on Christmas Day.
Starry Nights = lights at Shelby Farms. General admission is $29.95-$35.
