photograph by kathy zambelis
Memphis Greek Festival
Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, 573 N. Highland
Friday-Saturday, May 20-21, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.
April showers may bring May flowers, and while that’s nice and all, it’d be a bit more convenient if April showers brought free flour. Imagine what you could do with all that flour; imagine the breads, the cakes, the phyllo dough. Oh the phyllo dough, think of all the spanakopita. I don’t know about you but my mouth just waters at the thought. I could really go for some right about now, and if you’re in the same boat as me, have I got news for you: The Memphis Greek Festival is the place to be for all those in want of spanakopita and of course all the other great Greek foods.
The festival would not be complete without tours of the sanctuary, inflatables and activities for kids, a marketplace, and live entertainment by Kostas Kastanis Band and Athenian Dance Troupe. Admission is $3 or three cans of food to donate to the Mid-South Food Bank. Free shuttles will run to the festival for those parking at Poplar Plaza Shopping Center or Life Church.
photograph by bill simmers / playhouse on the square
Smokey Joe’s Cafe
Playhouse on the Square, 66 S. Cooper
Friday-Saturday, May 20-21, 8 p.m. | Sunday, May 22, 2 p.m.
Every rose has its thorn, just like every night has its dawn, just like every cowboy sings his sad, sad song. Why is the cowboy so, so sad? My best guess is that he bumped into some poison ivy — that’d make anyone sad and rash enough to write an angry song called “Poison Ivy.” Perhaps, that was the inspiration behind the tune written by songwriting and record-producing duo Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, whose music now constitutes the soundtrack of Smokey Joe’s Cafe.
Smokey Joe’s Cafe, a musical revue celebrating the work of Leiber and Stoller, has taken over Playhouse on the Square’s stage and will leave you itching to dance in the aisles. Performances will run Thursdays-Sundays through May 29th. Tickets ($47) can be purchased online or by calling (901) 726-4656.
photograph courtesy elmwood cemetery
Cemetery Cinema: The Parent Trap
Elmwood Cemetery, 824 S. Dudley
Friday, May 20, 8 p.m.
A peony for your thoughts, please? Say you have a set of twins and you divorce your partner, would you split those twins up? I’m not sure I would, but apparently, it’s not too far out there considering that Disney has made two Parent Traps with just that plot, and rumor has it that they’re gonna make another one for Disney+, propagating generational love for a charming film with a twisted premise.
Until then, why not go back to its roots and enjoy the original 1961 movie? In fact, Elmwood Cemetery will project the film on the roof of the historic cottage at Elmwood Cemetery as the final light of the day washes away. Tickets ($15) can be purchased online.
photograph by kenzie campbell / cooper-young neighborhood association
Cooper-Young Garden Walk
Cooper-Young Historic District
Saturday-Sunday, May 21-22, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Cooper-Young is allegedly showcasing a rare oddity of the largest walking garden. But I’ve never seen a walking plant, so how they managed to get a whole garden to walk is beyond me. I’ve combed through the website and … oopsie daisy, the humans get to do the walking around the plants. That makes so much more sense — a day to eat, drink, and be rosemary, while meandering through 100+ eclectic, private gardens and businesses.
The garden walk’s theme this year is all about Hats, complete with a hat contest. Cameroon Hamilton will give a keynote speech on “The Magic of Houseplants: Growing and Designing With” at the Memphis Botanic Garden. Back in Cooper-Young, visitors can enjoy garden speakers and demonstrations, botanical art vendors, live music, artist studios, and numerous photo ops with neighborhood murals. Plus, attendees can check out artist studios, chickens, beekeeping, composting, edibles, many kinds of raised beds, a Tower Garden, and unique recycled items.
Tickets ($10-$25) can be purchased here.
image courtesy opera memphis
Così fan tutte
First Baptist Church Memphis, 200 E. Parkway
Saturday, May 21, 7:30 p.m.
“He loves me, he loves me not, he loves me, he loves me not?” you ask yourself. How many more petals can you pick off these flowers before you run out, all for the hope of a budding romance? These flowers are fickle; they have nothing to lose, except for their petals of course, and nothing to gain, except your inevitable disappointment. Sounds like a tricky situation you’ve put yourself in. And if anyone knows anything about putting themselves in a tricky situation, you don’t need to look any further than Così fan tutte’s protagonists, who risk losing their fiancées by setting up a ruse in order to test how much they love them.
For one night and one night only, Opera Memphis will perform this Italian opera at First Baptist Church. Tickets ($40-$60) can be purchased online.
