BBQ Fest is over and a new week has begun. Let me jump right to the most important event happening Downtown this week.
…TUBE TOP MONTH BEGINS AT 5 PM FRIDAY!!!!!
No, just kidding. The most important event happens Saturday at Tom Lee Park, the final event of Memphis in May, Sunset Symphony. For those who have never been, it is considerably more laid-back than Music Fest and BBQ Fest. You can bring your own blankets and coolers and picnic baskets and spread out on the grass and listen to music. Yes, you can bring your own food and alcohol, although they ask you to be careful about beverages in glass containers. It’s a very good idea to read the FAQ and get a full understanding of what can and cannot be brought in.
Entertainment will be provided by Navy Band Mid-South, the Stax Music Academy, and an air show to kick things off, with the music starting about 3. Then, as the sun starts to set, the Memphis Symphony Orchestra will perform, leading up to a fireworks finale.
This event is considerably more family-friendly than the other two Memphis in May main events. However, it’s also a great place to go with a group of friends (and remember, you can bring alcohol). It’s also a great place for tube top watching. If you don’t feel like bringing a picnic basket or cooler, they will have vendors selling food on-site.
You’re invited to stop in The Warehouse, the green building at Front and G.E. Patterson, this evening between 6 and 9 to say thank you to our police officers. Refreshments will be served and you’ll be able to have conversations with the men and women who keep us safe.
This coming Sunday, Twilight Sky Terrace atop the Madison Hotel will host Nashville artist Chris Carpenter in an unplugged session from 6 to 8 PM. His influences include The Beatles, The Eagles and Sting to John Mayer, Jason Mraz and Bruno Mars.
There’s a Groupon for The Woodruff-Fontaine House Museum in Victorian Village, with admission for two, four, or six. $11 gets you two admissions, a $20 value, so it’s 45% off.
Sunday night/Monday morning when I couldn’t sleep, part of the reason why was that it sounded like there was a huge party going on somewhere near my apartment. There was so much yelling and screaming that it sounded more like Music Fest Saturday. Then I heard six to eight gunshots and a few minutes later, a police car siren. Here’s what happened. A local DJ booked an event at the Deluxe Arcade Building at Second and Madison and allegedly oversold it. He’s charged with inciting a riot. By the way, that is normally a totally safe venue and gunshots are almost unheard of Downtown.
My cold has mostly gone away and I am back in the game. After a long day of catching up for work email I will be out for some beverages and maybe a little poker tonight. That’ll do it for now.