The fun doesn’t stop when the warm weather wanes! Take a look at all of the upcoming fall and winter festivals in Memphis:
SEPTEMBER Festivals in memphis
On a surface level, it’s the commemoration of an area code—but at it’s core, 901 Day monumentalizes Memphis, and most importantly the Memphians that have created the culture. Peep the guide to see how you can celebrate the “most breatiful land in the worl.”
Who doesn’t love a day at the fair? The annual Delta Fair is back again at the Agricenter! You can expect the festival to provide good ole wholesome family fun and entertainment. Take a look at what’s coming to the carnival this year here.
The local artists in this city have ama-zine talents to share with you—and the local music lovers have trinkets to trade with you as Memphis Zine Fest 8 & Record Swap takes over Crosstown Concourse.
We bet there’ll be pumpkin spice goodies available as 17 Berkshire embraces the beginning of the fall season!
Y’all wanna talk about a full on Memphis family reunion. The Southern Heritage Classic has been bringing Black Memphis, and beyond, together since 1990—and the 32nd annual celebration will be no different. HBCU’s will gather, the right people will be on the grill, rivalry games will go down, and there’s even more where that comes from.
Cooper Young Festival is in its 35th year of operation, and hasn’t missed a beat since its beginning. What better way to spend a day than wandering down Cooper St. in search of good eats, impressive street vendors, and local musicians as they provide the soundtrack to our city? Oh, and it’s free! Check out the hippest of the festivals in Memphis.
Where else can you see Lil Buck, New York City Ballet, Grizz Girls, and more top tier performers do their thang FOR FREE?? Nowhere other than the Memphis Dance Festival brought to you by Collage Dance Collective.
This day shall be a boozy one! Memphis Brewfest is returning to Memphis Sports & Events Center, bringing unlimited beer/cider samples, music, games, and much more.
The sky’s the limit, literally! If you’ve ever wanted to head out on a hot air balloon ride, here’s your chance as the Collierville Balloon Festival makes a comeback.
Health is wealth, and the Memphis Medical District Collaborative invites you to be enriched during a day of free, fitness-focused activities.
Somebody pass the Baklava and Spanakopita! Memphis Greek Festival is coming, and the food is only have the fun! With sanctuary tours, inflatables for kids, live music, a marketplace, and more, consider this your opportunity to connect with our Memphis Greek community.
The Mid-South Fair will return to the Landers Center in Southaven Mississippi—and fairgoers have the chance to experience 50+ rides, funnel cakes, competitions and more.
If you love supporting artisans from around the country, there are 150 waiting to show off their wares as MoSH hosts its 51st Crafts Fair. Shop til you drop as you find a variety of eclectic pottery, jewelry, paintings, woodwork, leatherwork, sculpture, woven goods and so much more!
What better way to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month than with a festival that features our local Latinx community! Cazateatro Theatre Group invites you to join in on their annual, family-friendly festivities that are bringing a whole lot of Latin fun and fare to the courtyard in Overton Square.
The Ultimate Cocktail Party in Memphis will feature a blend of the hottest sounds & the most lavish cuisine Memphis has ever seen.
Comic creators and collectors, come one—come all! This convention is the largest one of its kind in the Mid-South!
The Creative Works Conference highlights the creme de la creme of charismatic creators from across the country for three days of inspirational talks, workshops, and more.
Surround yourself with some of the best beanie-wearing, PBR-drinking, Doc-stomping people as you rock and roll your way around town for four straight days when Gonerfest 20 brings 30+ bands to the stage at Railgarten.
Memphians take live music pretty seriously, and Mempho Music Festival has scheduled three whole days of performances, Pronto Pups, art pop-ups, and people gathering to move and groove to the tunes.
October Festivals in Memphis:
If your favorite time is wine o’clock, Wine on the River is where you need be as national and international wineries offer sample wine and spirits that’ll definitely get you in the spirit.
Featuring two of my favorite “B” words, the Bacon and Bourbon Festival presented by The Memphis Flyer is bringing folks out for flavorful festivities, serving creative bacon-inspired dishes of all kinds from some great Memphis restaurants, plus a vast array of distilled spirits to tempt your tastebuds!
Paint Memphis is bringing together artists from around the country to make the city even more colorful as muralists take to Broad Ave as their blank canvas!
You look like you could use a good laugh, and the 8th annual Memphis Urban Laughs Comedy Festival will provide four days of the giggle fits.
‘Tis the season to chase *spirits* Memphis Tequila Festival is taking over Shelby Farms Park to pour all the samples you’ll need to have the best boo-zy time.
Get it in gear for the 4th Annual Edge Motorfest featuring all kinds classic cars, music, and more!
Make your way to Mud Island Park for a full day fitness fun as local wellness experts empower you to take your health into your own hands.
Every year, Indie Memphis cloaks our city in a layer of film frenzy. From screenings and competitions to musical performances and after parties, the schedule is always jam-packed with dope doings—and it’s the perfect way to show your support for our talented crop of local filmmakers up close, and personal and from the comfort of your couch!
One day. 33 regional breweries and homebrew clubs. Come together and clink your glasses as the The Cooper Young Community Association’s Cooper Young Beer Festival bounces back to normal after a two-year hiatus.
RiverArtsFest is the region’s largest and longest-running fine arts festival showcasing works from 200+ participating artists from around the Mid-South and across the nation. Ranked among the top 20 fine arts festivals in the nation, RiverArtsFest attracts more than 20,000 visitors who gather at the river to celebrate—and shop—culturally artistic, diverse works of art and local live music.
The festival features an Artist Market, Artists-At-Work Demonstration Station, Hands-On Arts Station, bands and arts performances, plus plenty of food and beverages. Set along the banks of the Mississippi River on Riverside Drive, the festival is a not-to-be-missed attraction for all ages.
What’s more iconic than an Art Crawl on Beale Street? While you wander in search of that perfect something to add to your home, hop into a bar to hear the sounds of our city.
As if the Overton Park Shell couldn’t get even more musical! In partnership with Mempho Music Festival, Shell Daze Music Fest is bringing a two-day mini fest to Memphis, featuring local and national acts like Moon Taxi, Star & Micey, and more.
The Shop Black City Tour is making it’s way to Memphis! Join 50+ local businesses as they gather with all kinds of goods along Memphis Riverside and Bass Pro Dr. to deliver a shopping experience unlike any other.
You won’t want to miss this culinary experience! Featuring 41 chefs and dozens of the best winemakers and vineyards around, The Memphis Food and Wine Festival at Radians Amphitheater will take your taste buds to places they’ve never been before!
November festivals in memphis
The hottest cars, the smoothest cigars, plus complimentary cocktails and cognac? Talk about an event for the cool cats of Memphis!
A 6-hour showcase of visual, performing, and public art? The Broad Avenue Art Walk is bringing the energy to match the eclectic exhibits during this fun-filled day that features 5 blocks of beautiful work.
The Memphis Botanic Garden invites you on a journey to Eastern Asia to explore and learn more about the magic of Japanese culture. Between the music and martial arts exhibitions, and the lineup of merch vendors, it’s guaranteed to be a full day of discovery.
Caffeine fiends, you’re in for a treat! With 15+ vendors offering samples and hosting demonstrations, you’ll be delightfully energized after this brewtiful morning in Memphis.
An evening full of tasty eats—AND fine wine and whiskeys—that benefits the Special Olympics Greater Memphis? Sign us up! Whiskey, Wine, & Dine sounds like a win-win.
The Memphis Flyer’s Crafts & Drafts Holiday Market will set you up for some successful gift giving! Local artists, makers, and crafters are set to take over the plaza at Crosstown Concourse as you settle in for a fun day of shopping local, family activities, and tasty beers on tap!
As a child, Field Day was fun—but as an adult, Fieldaze will be even better! Mark your calendar for November 5-7, because Discover Memphis Naturally has planned three days full of outdoor fun featuring half marathons, 5Ks, kayak and bike races, and more that’ll get you going.
December Festivals in Memphis
It’s easier to get into the holiday spirit with a festive cocktail in hand. Make your way to The Kent where they’ll be slinging all kinds of holly jolly juice. You’ll get to enjoy 12 sample-sized Yuletide cocktails, live music, and a chance to catch up with the big man in red.
**Proceeds benefit Volunteer Memphis**
Memphians love music, there’s no doubt about that. Well, your favorite community radio station, WYXR 91.7 FM, is delivering a full day of free musical performances.
Black Santa is back! Enjoy a fun-filled day of festivities with the fam as Black-owned businesses bring the heat during this holiday shopping experience.
2024 dates unknown
January festivals in memphis
That post-holiday hump have you feeling like you need to lay off the sauce for a little bit? Or maybe the only spirit you need is school spirit (talking to you under-21-ers out there)… Whatever the case may be, Edible Memphis‘ Mocktail Competition is just what you need to make this Dry January a juicy one.
Fill your cup with hops and your head with knowledge as you dive into the Science of Beer at the Museum of Science and History.
Hit up the Hi Tone for an evening of magic, debauchery and mischief as the Wizards Beer Festival makes its way to Memphis—featuring complimentary ales, ciders, beers, live music from wizarding party bands and DJ Dumble-Drop the Bass.
Pop into the pit at Meddlesome Brewery as Heavy Meddle Fest brings out bands that are bringing the noise.
The queen of country is joining forces with your favorite disco divas from the ages for a night of dancing and fun hangs with your giddy-up gang.
Craft vendors and craft cocktails all by the bonfire at Carolina Watershed? What a way to celebrate Winter Solstice.
Be a part of the preservation of blues music history as the International Blues Challenge takes over Beale Street for 5 full days.
2024 dates unknown
February festivals in memphis
The folks at Cafe Noir are well known for the work they do to highlight books written by BIPOC authors—and they’re taking it up a notch to host a festival full of liberating, literary expression.
In it’s first year, “Literature is Liberating” features a lineup of discussions, book readings, film screenings, performances, and more that will entice you to dive in deeper as you discover the world of Black wordsmiths.
Courage looks different for everyone, but it’s something we are all called to display at some point or another. TEDxMemphis Truth or Dare, the 2023 conference theme, will explore bravery through the lens of the classic party game we all experienced in childhood.
TEDx Memphis speakers include:
Session 1 (will run from 9:30am-12:00pm. Doors will open at 9:00am.)
- Roshun Austin, community and social services visionary
- Jennifer Balink, creative strategist and family connector
- Kelly English, executive chef, restaurant owner and James Beard Award Semifinalist
- Kim Halyak, city champion of garden tourism
- Carmeon Hamilton, environmental curator, content creator & HGTV star
- David Jamison II, aka “The Dope Educator”
- Sam O’Bryant, literacy advocate
- Matt Ross-Spang, record producer and Grammy Award-winning engineer & mixer
- Lar’Juanette Williams, award-winning singer, dancer, actress, writer and arts administrator
Session 2 (will run from 1:30pm-4:00pm. Doors will open at 1:00pm.)
- Janet Boscarino, sustainability supporter + co-founder of Clean Memphis
- Fletcher Cleaves, motivational speaker and advocate for accessibility
- Dwayne Spencer, affordable housing advocate
- Justin Allen Tate, Broadway theatre actor and Mr. Pegasus 2022
- Kathleen Terry-Sharp, equine experiential educator
- Subha Vadlamannati, teenage nonprofit founder and passionate linguistics scholar
- Yancy Villa, socially engaged artist
- Kirk Whalum, soulful Grammy Award-winning saxophonist and song writer
This bar crawl comes with a task that’s well worth the reward at the end of it all! You’ve got 22 days to try three Lunar New Year inspired cocktails.
A full day dedicated to soup season and supporting efforts that see to the success of young Memphians? Youth Villages Soup Sunday is setting the scene to be satisfying in every way!
Starting February 22nd, Cazateatro Theatre Group is providing three days of programming that utilizes music, dance, poetry, and more to shed light on a different side of Black culture during Afro-Latino Week.
Grown and sexy with a side of ass-kickin? February’s Time Warp Drive-In feature is paying tribute to one of Black cinema’s earliest action heroes.
There’s nothing better that Memphis beer and basketball, and this game day doing it big for both!
TBD FALL FESTIVAL DATES
Where my plant-based peeps at? This is your time to feast! And while you’re chowing down on carrots and cauliflower, NLE Choppa will be on site setting the scene with entertainment and education.
The 7th Annual Soulful Food Truck Festival is serving up appetizing eats with a side of energizing entertainment—featuring 32 local eateries with vegan options included, and DJs + live performances.
Check out this list of spring and summer festivals to look forward to!
