Memphis in May's Festivities

Memphis is beautiful in the late May spring. Flowers and green can almost hurt your eyes, so vibrant is it all. Nurseries and greenhouses and Home Depot are simply swamped with shoppers this time of year. Actually, the mental "thaw" begins in early March, but this year, I began to see crowds at the garden shops in late February, since we had such a mild spell after that cold, cold January. This March has almost been a heat wave and people just seem to be pouring out of their homes to be anywhere outside! But everything really comes to a head in the annual Memphis in May celebrations that take place all over the city. This year the festival is celebrating
Spain. Call for more information and any questions on purchasing tickets of special hotel deals in the downtown area: (901) 525 4611.

http://memphisinmay.org/home.html
The Beale St. Music Festival takes place this year at Tom Lee Park downtown during the weekend of May 4-6. If there's anything Memphis knows how to do its to cook the world's best barbecue and put on some dynamite music. This Is the home of the Blues, after all. Luminary bands from all over the world come here to play to crowds of tens of thousands while the mighty Mississippi rolls languidly by right next to the park and fireworks shoot off from the decks of private yachts and john boats. In the past, performers like Dave Matthews' Band, Huey Lewis, Chicago, Bob Dylan and Van Morrison have been headliners on some of the three stages. This year the Almond Brothers, Jerry Lee Lewis, Steely Dan, bobby Blue Bland, Daughtry, and barenakedLadies are just a few of the incredible headliners. This is really a must-not-miss event for young people--one of the largest musical street parties in the country. A pass for all three days is just $59.50 if purchased before April 30th this year. Considering that one single day will cost $30 if purchased at the gate, this is the best way to go.

The World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest (May 17-19) began in the 1970s and I was actually one of the cookers in the first one. There were only about a dozen or fewer teams cooking then, and it was really fun. Now, over 35 years later, this thing has grown into a real monster. People come from all over the entire world just to compete in this festival/cookoff/contest. Winners really get a payback if they return home with a trophy or ribbon, because these mean massive kudos for restaurant owners' businesses. Today the cookoff is huge, spanning the entire length of Tom Lee Park right on the Mississippi River. It's several blocks long and from the time it begins to the minute it ends, billows of fragrant barbecue smoke hover over downtown and waft eastward through the streets of downtown. The event prices haven't been posted yet, but check back at the main web site to see when they go up.

The featured country this year for Memphis in May is Spain. This means that area restaurants, art museums, and other venues will feature the foods, music, culture and art of the country all month long. The chef series isn't posted yet but, again, check back with the web site to see it posted. Fiesta Spain! at the Cannon Center for Performing Arts in downtown Memphis. Fiesta Spain! is sponsored by Memphis Area Teachers' Credit Union. The Fiesta Spain! performance will be held at the Cannon Center on Friday, May 11, 2007 at 7:00pm. Experience the magnificent flamenco dancers and music, then the unusually acrobatic dance with music of the "Malgama" performers. In the intermissions patrons are served complimentary cuisine from Spain and will taste some of the most delicious tapas ever. All this is only $11.00--a real steal. Call Ticketmaster at (901) 525-1515 for ticket purchases to this part of the festival.

Everything ends at Tom Lee Park again, with the Memphis Symphony playing at the Sunset Symphony. It's a spectacular and romantic event with the sun setting over the huge river. The Sunset Symphony this year is May 26, 2007(rain date - May 27). Be warned that this event is very crowded with people sitting all over the banks of the Bluffs on picnic tablecloths, eating and drinking. My best advice is that if you plan on attending this beautiful event, make sure to park very early somewhere on South or North Main St. or nearby and take the trolley to Tom Lee. I would definitely call the Memphis in May folks at the number listed above or consult the web site. Sometimes there are shuttle busses running just for this event from somewhere near the Fairgrounds at East Parkway in midtown Memphis.