PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY ALEKS ANTONIO PHOTOGRAPHY
Craft Food and Wine Fest
One Commerce Square, 40 S. Main
Sunday, November 21st, 3 p.m.-5 p.m. / 6 p.m.-8 p.m.
Instead of whining that you can’t compete with the charcuterie boards you see on TikTok, craft yourself a lovely plate of local and national artisanal food at the Craft Food and Wine Fest, where there’ll be plenty of the right kind of wining (and dining). With two tasting sessions to choose from (3 p.m. to 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.), you’ll have plenty of time to taste the delectable cheeses, spreads, pickles, breads, and more from the 35 vendors at the festival. By the time you’re done, you’ll know exactly what to include in your next charcuterie board and what drink to pair it with — heck, you might even feel so confident that you bring it to your Thanksgiving meal.
On top of all that, the event is zero-waste with compostable cups, plates, napkins, and food. And, to make things even better, the festival benefits Church Health.
Order your tickets ($65-$75) online. Tickets include a souvenir tasting board and glass for your tastings. You will also be able to purchase goodies from the vendors, and don’t forget to bring cash to tip!
photograph by Andrea Zucker
2018 Nut Remix
NutRemix
Cannon Center for the Performing Arts, 255 N. Main
Saturday, November 20th, 5:30 p.m.; Sunday, November 21st, 2:30 p.m.
If you haven’t noticed, Poplar’s been decorated for the holidays since before Halloween, much to my personal displeasure. However, now that November is creeping to an end, it’s a bit more acceptable to start dabbling in your holiday spirit — especially if you plan on attending New Ballet Ensemble’s NutRemix.
A Memphis take on Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker, this performance with live music by the Memphis Symphony Orchestra goes beyond the traditional ballet performance and adds in hip-hop, tap, jazz, flamenco, Memphis Jookin, and West African dance. This year will mark a good-bye to a few of these dance genres, since next year will introduce Colombian, Indian, and Congolese dance, so you won’t want to miss it this year (or next year, for that matter).
Tickets are available online for $20-$45.
PHOTOGRAPH Courtesy Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music / UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS
University of Memphis Opera presents Gilbert & Sullivan’s Ruddigore
Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music, 3775 Central
Friday-Saturday, November 19th-20th, 7:30 p.m.
When a curse hits your guy like a big stinky dye, that’s Ruddigore. When the world seems too bleak, like there’s too much to critique, that’s Ruddigore.
Okay, that’s enough from my rendition of “That’s Amore”; I’m not a lyricist or a poet, but the music in Ruddigore will not disappoint you in the way I just did. It’s an opera with a bit of romance, a bit of comedy — some might even call it a rom-com but with witches and curses and ghosts and topsy-turvy plot turns. If any of those things strike your fancy, you’ll be in for a treat.
Tickets can be purchased online ($20 for adults).
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY GPAC
Gen-Z Cellist: Iris Orchestra with Zlatomir Fung, Cello
Germantown Performing Arts Center, 1801 Exeter
Saturday, November 20th, 7:30 p.m.
Say cello to this weekend with Zlatomir Fung! The 22-year-old is a sensation in orchestration, poised to become one of the great cellists of his generation. (For those of you in the know about the cello world, he’s the youngest musician to ever win First Prize at the International Tchaikovsky Competition Cello Division.) After a nine-month delay, he joins Iris for an evening with touches of his boundless virtuosity and exquisite sensitivity. The night begins with Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations and closes with Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 in G minor.
Tickets ($45-$70) can be purchased online.
PHOTOGRAPH BY MARK SELIGER / COURTESY MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
Trans Day of Remembrance
Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, 1934 Poplar
Saturday, November 20th, 1-3 p.m.
Throughout the week, the outside of the Brooks Museum has been lit up with trans flag colors for the first time to commemorate Transgender Awarence Week. This Saturday is the 22nd annual Trans Day of Remembrance, which memorializes victims of transphobic violence, and to honor the day, the Brooks will offer free admission and gallery tours of its first transgender-focused exhibition of “On Christopher Street: Transgender Portraits by Mark Seliger.” After the tours, guests are encouraged to join in a discussion about the show with guiding talking points provided. Light refreshments will also be served.
