iMAGE COURTESY THE CANNON CENTER
The Lindsey Stirling Christmas Program
Friday, November 26th, 8 p.m.
The Venn diagram overlap between dancers and violinists is Lindsey Stirling. That’s it, just Lindsey Stirling. Don’t fact-check me on that — I could be wrong — but as far as I am aware, she is the only resident in that overlap with millions of subscribers on YouTube and TikTok. But you don’t have to know her to enjoy her performance of your favorite holiday jingles on her Christmas tour. The dancing violinist (or the violin-playing dancer, depending on which way you look at it) is kicking off her Christmas tour in Memphis at the Cannon Center.
Tickets can be purchased online for $39.50-$96.50.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY PLAYHOUSE ON THE SQUARE
To All A Good Night: A Holiday Cabaret
Circuit Playhouse, 51 S. Cooper
Friday, November 26th, 10 p.m.
Nothing feels so naughty as blasting holiday music while you shovel Thanksgiving leftovers into your mouth so quickly that it feels like you’re trying to rush the end of Turkey Day and usher in the days of mistletoe, poinsettias, and whimsical ornaments. It’s a cross-contamination between the holidays, if you will. But my-oh-my, that holiday music hits the spot, and you can get your fix at Circuit Playhouse this weekend (and through December 22nd) with the cabaret To All A Good Night
This year, Playhouse on the Square has partnered with the Memphis Black Arts Alliance to put on the performances of songs written and performed by African-American artists of the past and present, from all genres. Interactive in nature, this show will knock your stockings off. Tickets can be purchased online for $27.
photograph courtesy downtown memphis commission
Downtown Holiday Tree Lighting
Corner of Peabody Place and S. Main Street
Saturday, November 27th, 4-7 p.m.
Spruce up your weekend with the Downtown Memphis Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony. The evening will come with an ornament sale benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and free photos with the one and only Santa Claus (4-6 p.m.). Plus, hot chocolate and Dinstuhl’s Candies will be available for the first 200 kids (as long as they’re on Santa’s nice list, of course).
And if that’s not enough to draw you Downtown, rumor has it that there might be a few weenie-dog sightings that night. For those of you who have a weenie-dog in your life, put ’em in their favorite sweater and waddle them to Aldo’s Pizza at 100 S. Main St at 3 p.m. for a winter walk with other fellow weenies, and afterward, enjoy the ceremony with your best friend at the dog-friendly shops and restaurant patios in the area. (And if you don’t have a weenie-dog, well, now is the chance to spot one out and about.)
PHOTOGRAPH BY JACK BREWER
Haunted Investigation Tour
Old Raleigh Cemetery
Friday, November 26th, 6 p.m.
Walk off that Thanksgiving food baby with your favorite calorie-burning activity — a paranormal investigation. First, burn your calories with some light walking; second, burn your calories with pure unadulterated fear, just in time for the holiday season. This weekend, the Memphis Ghost Hunters are offering you a chance to learn about the ins and outs of paranormal investigation. All you need to bring is a flashlight and a recorder (the app on your phone will do), and the team will provide the equipment, but it’s up to you to find the ghosties bound within Old Raleigh Cemetery’s centuries-old grounds.
Tickets can be purchased online. There will also be a history tour earlier in the afternoon if you aren’t interested in ghosties, or if you want to learn more about the ghosties before diving headfirst into some spooky spirits straight out of a Dickens’ story.
P.S. If you find the Ghost of Christmas Future (or Past or Present), tell them I sent you.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY WINTERARTSMEMPHIS
WinterArts
Shops of Saddle Creek, Poplar and West Farmington Rd.
Saturday, November 27th, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Listen, I know Black Friday is upon us, but Black Friday can be stressful and chaotic and not good for the anxiety-driven soul. But you know what is good for the soul? Art. And you know what’s not stressful and chaotic? Shopping locally. And you know where those two things come together? At the WinterArts holiday market, where you can find hand-crafted works in glass, metal, wood, clay, fiber, and more from more than 40 artists located in the Mid-South. (For a full list of artists, visit here.)
WinterArts is presented by the nonprofit Artworks Foundation, whose mission is to help artists grow by putting on exhibitions, awarding scholarships to study at fine-craft schools, and establishing an endowment to fund emergency relief grants to help artists resume careers affected by disasters or illness.
The holiday market will be open through December 24th, Mondays-Thursdays and Saturdays at 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Fridays 10 a.m.-8 p.m., and Sundays noon-5 p.m.
