Cooper-Young Fest Is Tomorrow: Your Last-Minute Game Plan

📸 Featured photo courtesy of The Commercial Appeal.

Cooper-Young Fest is tomorrow, so did you make a plan yet? 🎨 The 38th annual festival takes over the Cooper-Young Historic District on Saturday, September 19, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., with more than 400 artists, local bands on two stages, festival food the length of Cooper Street and more than 130,000 neighbors wandering through. And it's free!

No time for a deep dive? Everything you need is right here: set times, parking, where the kids can burn off some energy, and a race tonight if you want to start early. And when you need a breather tomorrow, come find us at the Choose901 Market at Stomping Grounds 🧢

🧢 Find Us🎵 Music Lineup👶 With Kids💡 Before You Go🏃 Tonight: 4-Miler

Tomorrow at a Glance

🧢 Come Find the Choose901 Market

The Choose901 Market at Stomping Grounds

🧢 Memphis-made gear ● Cooper and Central ● 2166 Central Avenue

We're setting up all day tomorrow at Stomping Grounds, the new family clubhouse right at Cooper and Central. Stock up on Memphis apparel, hats, stickers and gear, all of it made here at home, and come say hey to the team!

It's also the best reset button on the festival map. Stomping Grounds has a playground, jumbo swings, indoor play space, a sensory room and a toddler nook, and Wild Beet is running the kitchen with salads, wraps, paninis and drinks for when you need something besides funnel cake.

🧢 Market details ● Meet Stomping Grounds

🏡 Stomping Grounds is built around one idea from co-founder Andrew Mathewes: "The number one way to make parenting less hard is to rebuild a village around them."

🎵 The Music Lineup

Screenshot this one before you head out 📱 Two stages, eleven local acts and a headliner worth sticking around for. Afrikan Jazz Ensemble closes the day blending jazz, soul and R&B with African and Afro-Caribbean rhythms 🎷

Guaranty Bank Stage

Mempho Presents Stage

👶 Cooper-Young With Kids

Cooper-Young is a great family day with a little planning. The festival has a dedicated Children's Area, and the morning hours are your best window before the crowds peak. A baby carrier or a lightweight stroller will serve you better than a big one once the streets fill up.

When little legs give out, head to the Choose901 Market at Stomping Grounds at Cooper and Central for swings, a snack and a quiet minute 🛝

💡 Before You Head Out Tomorrow

⏰ Go early

Doors open at 9. The first couple of hours are the easiest time to shop the booths and actually talk to the artists.

🚗 Plan your parking

The Tigers host UT Martin at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium at 6 p.m. the same day, so parking around Midtown will be tight all afternoon. Decide how you're getting there tonight, not at 10 a.m. tomorrow. Walk, bike, carpool or grab a rideshare if you can.

💵 Hit the ATM tonight

Most vendors take cards, but not all of them, and cell service can get spotty in a crowd this size.

☀️ Check the forecast tonight

It's still September in Memphis, so plan on sunscreen, water and shoes you can walk in all day.

🛍️ Leave room in your bag

With 400+ artists selling handmade work, you'll find something you didn't know you needed.

🏃 Tonight: Start the Party Early

Cooper-Young Festival Friday 4-Miler

🏃 Tonight, Friday, September 18 ● 7 p.m. ● Cooper and York

Runners kick off the festival weekend tonight, starting under the Cooper-Young Trestle at Cooper Street and York Avenue. Parking is tight for this one too, so carpool or bike over if you can.

🎫 Register