photograph by wendy adams
Day of the Dead at Crosstown Concourse
Crosstown Concourse Central Atrium
Saturday, October 16th, 5 p.m.-8 p.m.
The Day of the Dead, despite its gloomy name, is a day of lively celebration, and Crosstown Concourse, in partnership with Cazateatro Bilingual Theatre Group, is celebrating the Mexican holiday a bit early this year. Cazateatro Catrinas and Ballet Meztli will dance in traditional dress and makeup to live music by Tropical Fusion Latin Band, DJ Alexis White, and more. Don’t be afraid to join in. And kids can hit up the craft station and get their face painted for free.
But the pièce de résistance will be the set of Day of the Dead altars lined up along the second floor. Made by members of the community to honor their loved ones, these altars are truly beautiful, decorated with skulls, candles, flowers, and bright colors.
A few of the restaurants like Global Cafe, Farm Burger, Pop-a-roo’s, and Mempops will have Day of the Dead-inspired items on their menus for this special event. And as part of its Fright-tober, Crosstown Arts will present Disney’s Coco at 2 p.m. for free. (Registration is required for Fright-tober viewings.)
photograph by panny mayfield
Alice Walker performing at the Cutrer Mansion in Clarksdale.
Mississippi Delta Tennessee Williams Festival
Clarksdale, MS, various locations
Thursday-Saturday, October 14th-16th
Looking to get out of Memphis for a day? Take the 90-minute drive down Highway 61 to Clarksdale for the 29th Annual Mississippi Delta Tennessee Williams Festival. Jen Waller, director of the Cutrer Mansion, the real-life setting of many of his plays, let me in on a little secret: “There might even be a slice of Memphis on the schedule this year.”
The weekend’s events include scholarly presentations, live performances and porch plays, a student drama competition, and an after-party at Uncle Henry’s Place, thought to be the location of the “Moon Lake Casino” Williams mentions in classics like A Streetcar Named Desire. Most of the events will take place at the Cutrer Mansion.
Sponsored by Coahoma Community College, the festival is free and open to the public. Plus, if you don’t feel like leaving the house, you can also take in the festival virtually, since most programs will also be available on YouTube. For the full schedule, go to DeltaWilliamsFestival.com.
International Archaeology Day
C.H. Nash Museum at Chucalissa, 1987 Indian Village Dr.
Saturday, October 16th, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Dig into International Archaeology Day at the C.H. Nash Museum at the prehistoric Chucalissa archaeological site, where Mississippian Native Americans are believed to have used platform mounds for ceremonies and residences of high-ranking officials.
Throughout the day, guests of all ages can participate in flintknapping and dart throwing, touch real artifacts, and learn about garbology. Yes, it’s a real thing — the study of materials thrown out as garbage. Plus, check out the special tours of the trails and trenches, the birds of prey show, craft-demonstrations, and the atlatl (spear-throwing) contest. Admission is free, and a food truck will be on-site but feel free to bring a picnic.
Courtesy Dixon Gallery & Gardens. Horace Pippin, American (1888-1946), Holy Mountain, I, 1944; Oil on canvas; 30 ½ x 36 inches; Art Bridges, AB.2018.24
Holy Mountain I, by Horace Pipkin.
“Black Artists in America: From the Great Depression to Civil Rights”
The Dixon Gallery and Gardens, 4339 Park
Opening Sunday, October 17th, 1 p.m.-5 p.m.
This exhibition, opening this weekend, explores the African-American artistic responses to the political climate, social changes, and economic upheavals from the 1930s through the 1950s, beginning with the 1929 stock market crash. With more than 50 paintings, sculptures, and works on paper from private and public collections throughout the country, the exhibit covers a range of aesthetic movements — from the Social Realism of the Great Depression to the figurative art of the Civil Rights era.
Though the art is from around the country, the Dixon will highlight Memphis’ role in the development of Black American art by emphasizing artists who lived and worked in Memphis, such as Vertis Hayes, the first director of the LeMoyne Owen College Federal Art Gallery, and Reginald Morris, who also taught at LeMoyne-Owen and painted murals for the Mason Temple and Second Congregational Church on Walker.
Fall Break at the Fire Museum
Fire Museum of Memphis, 118 Adams Ave
Through Saturday, October 16th, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Most of October seems to revolve around the month’s last day — Halloween — but October is also Fire Prevention Month. And this weekend, the Fire Museum of Memphis is offering free admission for one adult and one child as part of the museum’s fall break special. While at the museum, visitors can hear about the Memphis Fire Department’s long history, learn about fire prevention and safety while driving a virtual reality fire truck, put out video fires, and even see what it’s like to be in a house fire in the FedEx Fire Room. Tours are from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.
