Five Things To Do This Weekend in Memphis

Hop to it this weekend!

by

Easter Egg Hunt

The Dixon Gallery & Gardens

Saturday, April 8, 9:30 – 10:30 a.m.

I’m just so egg-cited, and I just can’t hide it. It’s Easter weekend, my friends, and that means that unlike my unbridled joy, eggs have been hidden and tucked away, ready to be hunted at the Dixon. And sorry to burst your bubbles (which make great Easter basket additions for all ages, by the way), this one’s for the kiddos. Children 3 and under will get a head start at 9:30 a.m., with the rest of the bunch (ages 4-8) being released after. In between eggs and whatnot, families can meet with the elusive Easter Bunny and enjoy juice and healthy snacks to-go. 

Register here. Tickets are $8 for members, and $10 for nonmembers. Parents are free.

(P.S. Elmwood Cemetery is also hosting an Easter Egg Hunt for children ages 2-9. The cost to participate is $5 per child. Register here.)

Shell Health & Wellness Series

Overton Park Shell

Saturday, April 8

For all you energizer bunnies out there, after a bit of hibernation, the Overton Park Shell has brought back its Health & Wellness Series, which includes a whole slew of free, in-person programs. This Saturday alone, the Shell will host three of these free classes: Zumba at 9 a.m., BodyCombat at 10 a.m., and Body Balance at 11 a.m. No registration is required; just show up and bring your water to stay hydrated. 

Goat Yoga will also be offered at 1 p.m. and 12:30 p.m. and will cost $30 per person. Tickets sell fast, so you best get to it, though more sessions will be offered later in the season.

And if you’re still an energized bunny after this weekend, have no fear! The Shell has fitness programming all the way through summer, including yoga, pilates, reiki, Cardi-O, and more. Keep up with the series here as new classes and workshops are being added constantly. 

Chicago

Orpheum Theatre

Performances through April 9

I’m writing an Easter song, since the only one out there is “Here Comes Peter Cottontail,” which is pretty meh, in my opinion. Here’s what I’ve got so far: Come on babe, why don’t we paint the town? … And all that jazz. I’m gonna dye my eggs and have a candy-induced breakdown. … And all that jazz. Okay, okay, I know what you’re thinking: That sounds an awful lot like Chicago’s opening number, and you’d be right, seeing that I’ve basically co-opted it. Can you blame me, though? It’s just so catchy, and so are the other show-stopping numbers in the Broadway classic. “Cell Block Tango,” anybunny? (See what I did there?)

As fate would have it, Chicago has taken over the Orpheum’s stage with its shimmy-shaking universal tale of fame, fortune, and, as you may have guessed, all that jazz. Get your tickets ($29-$125) here. Performances run Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

In a Dark Wood

Evergreen Theatre at TheatreWorks

Performances through April 9

Do you believe in the Easter Bunny? How about the ax-wielding Bunny Man? I don’t know which one is scarier — the one who breaks into your house and leaves colorful eggs of who-knows-what in your house, or the one who, uhhh, murders. I guess, it would be the murdering one, but that doesn’t matter, the urban legend is fascinating. And if you are into legends and lore and things that go bump (and not hoppity-hop) in the night, you’ll dig In a Dark Wood. 

In a Dark Wood is an experimental theater experience, where the audience is completely immersed in darkness, left to rely on their senses of sound and smell while listening to the recorded stories of Appalachian wonder. It’s kind of like a spooky, PG-13 campfire storytelling event. Read more about it here. Performances run Friday-Saturday 6:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m., 8:30 p.m., and 9:30 p.m., and Sunday at 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Seating is limited, so be sure to grab your tickets ($15-$20) fast here. 

“Waddell, Withers, & Smith: A Requiem for King”

National Civil Rights Museum

On display through August 28

This exhibit honors the 55th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination with artwork by Memphis-based artists: sculptor James Waddell, photographer Ernest Withers, and mixed-media artist Dolph Smith. The artists explore their lives in segregated Memphis, the military, and coping in the aftermath of Dr. King’s death. 

The exhibit will be on display through August 28. Read more about it here.