In honor of the city’s Bicentennial, Memphis In May International Festival is putting on an extra special edition of the finale to its month-long salute to Memphis. Celebrate Memphis will take place at Tom Lee Park on Saturday, May 25th. The free event will include a wide variety of entertainment on 5 stages, a range of fun activities to enjoy throughout the park, and the city’s first lighted drone show.
CELEBRATE MEMPHIS ENTERTAINMENT LINEUP
Lucero
Al Kapone
New Ballet Ensemble
Opera Memphis
Love Light Orchestra
Garry Goin & Friends
The Memphis Wind Symphony
Chinese Connection Dub Embassy
Bailey Bigger
The Bo-Keys featuring Percy Wiggins
The Lucky Seven Brass Band
Stax Music Academy
Collage Dance Collective
Ashton Riker
Roben X
Marco Pave
Memphissippi Sounds
Darryl Evan Jones
Fuzzy Jeffries
Poets of the Word
Fresco the Label
MikeyChristian
OTHER IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW
- Celebrate Memphis is inviting all of Memphis to have a seat. They’re trotting out a 1350-foot-long table for an attempt to break the record for the World’s Largest Picnic.
- You can shop with your favorite local vendors and makers at the Shop 901 Marketplace.
- A MATA bus will become a work of art. Festivalgoers get to color in a Mobile Memphis Mural and then see their group-made masterpiece cruising the streets for the rest of the year.
- The Global Community Market & Expo will honor the diverse ethnic groups that call Memphis and Shelby County home. The area will include food tastings and cultural performances from the different countries represented within the local population.
- The Family Zone will be an interactive experience with activities and exhibits for all ages, including Touch-A-Truck—meet Memphis’ first responders and explore a fire truck, police car, ambulance and more!
- The Sports Zone is an opportunity for Memphians to engage with their favorite local teams: the Grizzlies, Redbirds, Tigers, and 901FC.
- You can make your own Bicentennial keepsake at The Creative Arts Tent.
- There’s a Cornhole Tournament.
- At 5:30, there’s a commemorative Air Show and performance by the All Veteran Group Parachute Team.
- You’re allowed to bring blankets, lawn chairs, and even your own snacks and beverages for this event, though there will be a host of local food trucks and restaurants on hand to serve you in the Eat901 Food Court.
- It’s lit at the night show: At 9:00 pm, a fleet of drones will take to the sky over the river for a special light display coordinating with the Mighty Lights Show running on the Hernando De Soto and Harahan bridges. That’ll be followed by a massive fireworks display.
- Gates open at 3 pm, and again, entry is free!