Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest
Last year's Whole Hog winners, The Shed. Photo courtesy of Memphis Flyer.
Tom Lee Park, off Riverside Dr.
Fri., May 17, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. and Sat., May 18, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.
The 42nd annual festival and cooking contest boasts nearly 250 teams from around the world and across the U.S. competing for the title of World Champion and a share of the more than $115,000 in prize money. Once you've porked til you've popped, consider running in the 37th Annual Memphis in May Olympic Triathlon.
Photo courtesy of PR Event Management
MIM Olympic Triathlon
Tom Ratliff crosses the finish line at MIM Olympic Triathlon.
You can swim, run, and bike some of that weekend indulgence off in Edmund Orgill Park. Or not. Spectators welcome.
Indie Memphis Nights: Voices of the Mississippi
Voices of the Mississippi
Dr. William Ferris in the 70s.
Crosstown Theater, 1350 Concourse Avenue
Fri., May 17, 6 p.m.
If you have never seen William Ferris speak, you are missing a treat. For this reason I am recommending this screening and Q&A. Not only is Ferris a filmmaker, but an audio recordist, folklorist, photographer, and teacher with an unwavering commitment to establish and to expand the study of the American South. This screening is free with RSVP.
Need another view? Read our expert endorsement.
Palladio Garden
I would be remiss if I didn't alert you to another fun offering this Friday at the same time. Local landscape designer Suzy Askew will have a book signing at Palladio, 2231 Central, from 6-8 p.m. Askew will discuss and sign her new book, Native Plants of Tennessee: A Book of Lists.
Hattiloo Black Arts Fest
Overton Park, off Poplar
Sat., May 18, 12-3 p.m.
Hattiloo Theatre arranges this Black Arts festival showcasing the diversity, energy, and exceptional talent of local black arts groups and artists. Read more about this festival from our expert here. And while we are talking Hattiloo, The Parchmen Hour: Songs and Stories of the '61 Freedom Riders is currently on stage. Adapted from real-life accounts of the 1961 Freedom Rides, The Parchmen Hour shares these struggles through music that ranges from Bob Dylan to spirituals.
Best hurry, the show closes June 2nd.
Bicentennial Birthday Celebration
Photo courtesy of Lichterman Nature Center
Bicentennial Birthday Celebration, Lichterman Nature Center
Lichterman Nature Center, 5992 Quince
Sat., May 18, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
This family fun event features hands-on activity stations highlighting specific time periods over the past 200 years. Featuring bicentennial exhibit updates, lawn games, and light refreshments.
Other family-fun events include Junior Fishing Rodeo on Saturday at the Agricenter, Cooper-Young Garden Walk on Saturday and Sunday, F.I.R.E. Family Fun Day on Saturday at the Metal Museum, and Chick-fil-A Family Picnic and Field Day on Saturday at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.
Other bicentennial events include The 200 Years Strong Tour on Saturday and the The 200 Talk: Elmwood and the Memphis Bicentennial on Sunday at at Elmwood Cemetery and a Bicentennial History Talk on Sunday at Mallory-Neely House Museum.
Cabaret
Cabaret, Playhouse on the Square
Playhouse on the Square, 66 S. Cooper
Through May 26, 8-10 p.m.
Last year I was visiting Reno, NV. I got on an elevator at the hotel with a young man and a couple of his friends. They were young, animated, and quite jovial. It was infectious and curiosity got the best of me. I asked what they were doing in Reno. Turns out they were part of the Chorus in Cabaret playing down the street at the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts. I googled it from my room and the Center looked like a set prop from Lost in Space. That, coupled with the fact that I’d never seen Cabaret, solidified my plans that night.
I was sure glad I went.
The show opens during the early 1930s in Berlin, and life is changing. But that’s no concern for sensational Kit Kat Klub cabaret singer Sally Bowles, whose only goal in life is to have a good time. As the Nazis take control of the government, the lives of Sally and her boyfriend, writer Cliff Bradshaw, begin to change dramatically.
Even if you have seen it before, one of my favorite bawdy theatre lines is in this show as Kit Kat Klub Emcee (man/woman/performer/narrator) asks someone in the audience, “I can’t quite place your accent. Do you have a little German in you?”
“No.”
“Would you like to?”
Badda boom.
Read our review here.
For a full list of what’s happening this weekend in and around Memphis, check out our calendar of events. Also, be sure to tag your favorite Instagram photos of Memphis while you are out and about with the #memphismagazine hashtag. I hope you have a great weekend.
