Five Things To Do In Memphis This Weekend

Memphis won't let you down this weekend, we promise.

by

Afro-Latino Night Fiesta

Memphis Music Room

Friday, February 24, 7 p.m.

As the clock struck midnight on Tuesday — Fat Tuesday — the world immersed itself into the Lenten season. And so the memories of my Catholic schooling for 13 of my 23 years on this planet come rushing forward. The memories of the question, “What did you give up for Lent?” The pressure to one-up your fellow Catholic-guilt-ridden fifth-graders. You gave up ice cream? Well I gave up all sweets. (I never gave up sweets nor will I ever, I’m simply offering a scenario that you couldn’t catch me dead in.) But this Lent, I’ve decided to give up the ultimate thing to give up. Brace yourselves, dear reader, you’re not ready for it. I’m giving up … this is hard to say … I’m giving up Five Things to Do. 

I know, I know, it’s hard. For me and for you. The temptations are rampant. For instance, I can hardly resist the urge to tell you to go to Cazateatro’s Afro-Latino Night Fiesta. Ugh, okay, maybe, just maybe, I’ll break my fast from Five Things to tell you more about just this one event. Then it’s back to my Lenten business. 

So here’s the 411 on the Afro-Latino Night Fiesta that Cazateatro is throwing in honor of Black History Month. The night will be full of music and performances by the Cazateatro crew, the best Afro-Latin music by DJ Xander, and special guest Las BomPleneras, a six-piece all-female ensemble who will showcase traditional and original Afro-Puertorican Bomba and Plena. 

Tickets ($25) for the event can be purchased here. VIP tickets are available for $50. The dress code is Latin flair.

Winter Mix

Playhouse on the Square

Friday, February 24, 7:30 p.m. | Saturday, February 25, 7:30 p.m. | Sunday, February 26, 2 p.m.

Okay, I know I said I’d only break my Five Things Fast for just that one event … buttttttt how can I not talk about Ballet Memphis’ upcoming performance? I mean, it’s all about love as told through three pieces including Gerald Arpino’s renowned classical work Birthday Variations, Short Trip Home, and a surprise new piece by Marcus Jarrell Willis that will make its premiere this weekend. 

Mardi Growl

Overton Park

Saturday, February 25, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.

I think I’ve found a loophole in my Five Things Fast. If an event is in honor of something that happens before Lent (i.e. Mardi Gras), does that mean it counts as an event during Lent? I mean, the event I’m thinking about is definitely a Mardi Gras event and you can’t have a Mardi Gras event during Lent — that defeats the whole purpose of Mardi Gras being the big shebang before Lent. So if I talk about this event, I’m not breaking my Fast, right? Well, it doesn’t matter what you think. It’s my Five Things Fast and I can make the rules. So haha! I’m gonna tell you about the Mardi Growl at Overton Park.

Presented by Hollywood Feed and Overton Park, Mardi Growl (see what they did there?) promises to be the perfect Mardi Gras celebration for your pup. There’ll be a dog costume contest with prizes, product giveaways, dog caricatures, food trucks, live music, and more. You won’t want to miss out!

Beatnik Manor

Malco Studio on the Square

Saturday, February 25, 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.

You know when you start the Quiet Game with a bunch of little kids, and inevitably one of the kids has something they just have to say right as the game begins and so they say some nonsense and are like, “Okay, now I’m ready. Starting now.” I’m that kid. I just have one more thing to say and then I’ll be ready to start the Lent Game right away. Thank you for your patience. I’ll make this quick. 

The thing to do? Go see Beatnik Manor. 

What is it? A documentary about the now-defunct Memphis Academy of Arts (later known, of course, as the Memphis College of Art), with footage shot by sculptor John McIntire, and narration by the man himself. Plus, there’ll be a screening of a short doc on David Bowie’s visit to the academy 50 years ago on February 25, 1973.

Why should you go? Why wouldn’t you go?

Tickets are $10.

Artist Talk: Sarah Elizabeth Cornejo and Katrina Perdue

Crosstown Arts at The Concourse

Sunday, February 26, 2 – 4 p.m.

Let’s be real here. I’ve already doled out four of the five things to do this weekend, breaking my Five Things Fast, so I might as well go all out and give you one last one. Or if we’re being really real, I might give up something else for Lent. Financially speaking, that might be best, seeing that this column pays the bills. Sigh.

Here goes nothing. The last thing to do this weekend. Maybe, not the last thing. That sounds too ominous and I don’t know your plans or what you’re giving up for Lent. All I can do — all I can ever do, it seems, because I have no willpower — is give you a thing to do, and the rest is up to you. And the thing to do I’m about to suggest (no need to hold your breath if you read the subhead): Sarah Elizabeth Cornejo and Katrina Perdue’s artist talk at Crosstown Arts.

Both artists will speak on their work, processes, and influences, with Cornejo speaking on her “Those Who Hold Dominion Here” and Perdue speaking on her “Mending in a State of Abundance.” The talks are free to attend.