Category: We Saw You

Holiday Wonders at the Garden

Post author By Michael Donahue
Post date December 25, 2024

(top left) CJ Berretta, (top right) Chad Getchel, (bottom left) Sydney Lewellyn, Albert, Oscar, and Leah Getchel (Photos: Michael Donahue)

Sipping hot chocolate or hot chocolate with something in it is always a delight at Holiday Wonders at the Garden, which continues to enchant children and adults at the Memphis Botanic Garden.

**(left to right) Sarah Strong, Kole Turner,**
**Cathy Strong, and Anthony Strong**

Olivia Wall, director of marketing and communications, describes the attraction as “an outdoor seasonal exhibition. It includes acres of light displays, photo ops.”

**Nada Dryn, Tamara Dryn,**
**Igor Bosim, and Kirill Dryn**

It also includes concessions and fire tables, Wall says. “We have costumed characters every night we’re open. Snow queens, gingerbread men, elves.”

**Brandi Ray, Denny Stanley,**
**Katherine Johnson, and Jarrod Bivens**

Wonders, which closes December 28th, traditionally opens the day after Thanksgiving. “We’ve been doing it for 12 or 13 years. It was originally much smaller. In a very small area garden. And it expanded from there.”

Wonders originally was called “Snowy Nights” and took place at Memphis Botanic Garden’s “My Big Backyard,” notes Wall.

Some dates during this season’s event could have been dubbed “Rainy Nights.” But, with the exception of some of the wet stuff, Wall says “Holiday Wonders at the Garden” 2024 will go down as successful.

Tags Holiday Wonders at the Garden, Memphis Botanic Garden, We Saw You

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Season of Delight at Crosstown Concourse

Post author By Michael Donahue
Post date December 18, 2024

Derek, Ava, Lydia, Eliana, Jonathan, Harvey, Ben, and Elliott Cooper (Photos: Michael Donahue)

You might be a bit of a Scrooge if you didn’t get a little thrilled when all those lights turned on at Season of Delight at Crosstown Concourse, which was held December 6th.

“Seeing the entire building come alive with people of all ages and backgrounds — gathered under one roof, enjoying everything from a 20-person gospel choir to a 40-piece orchestra, and counting down to the moment the lights filled the atrium — was unlike anything I’ve experienced before,” says Adrian Perez, Crosstown Concourse communications manager.

**Raelea, Paul, Gabe, Courtney, and Luke Heft**

More than 3,000 people attended Season of Delight. They spread out “across every floor and activated space. Choose901 hosted a holiday market on the fourth floor, Crosstown Arts had open studios and a film screening in the theater, and The End of All Art pop-up bookstore filled the East Atrium. And outside? The ice skating rink, games, and a DJ.”

**Magda Sakaan, Cindy Hastings-Sakaan, and Ayan El-Oglah**

All these attractions and more were featured. “The coalescence of these different audiences and experiences truly embodies the Crosstown Concourse ethos of ‘Better Together,’” says Crosstown Arts executive director Stacy Wright.

Tags Crosstown Arts, Crosstown Concourse, Holiday lights, Season of Delight

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We Saw You: WinterArts

Post author By Michael Donahue
Post date December 11, 2024

Steve and Lisa Mergen, Tony Thomas, and Susie Jabbour (Photos: Michael Donahue)

Even before all the turkey is gone, WinterArts is back in action, getting people in the arts-centric holiday-buying mood.

**Alex Russell, Diana, Donna, and Bill Hopper**

Greg Belz, executive director of the ArtWorks Foundation and founder of WinterArts, kicks off the annual event with an opening reception the Friday after Thanksgiving. “We do it at 5,” Belz says. “After everybody looking for plastic bargains from China has gone back home and vacated the streets, we open up.”

**Adam Cole, John Stanford, Debi Stanford, and**
**Hannah Cole**

This year’s WinterArts is at 7509 Poplar Avenue, in the old Brooks Brothers location in The Shops of Saddle Creek in Germantown, Tennessee.

About 400 attended the reception for WinterArts, which is celebrating its 16th year, Belz says.

**Sarah, Cecil, London, Brandon, Sophia, and**
**Brandon Little**

It includes “everything one can think of in glass, metal, wood, clay, and fiber as well as a few other surprises,” he says. “We focus on 3D work in those disciplines.”

In short, WinterArts brings together “material and imagination” to create incredible gifts that “you won’t see anywhere else.”

WinterArts is open seven days a week through Christmas Eve.

Tags Artworks Foundation, Greg Belz, We Saw You, WinterArts

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WE SAW YOU: Bourbon & Blues Cocktail Party & Auction

Post author By Michael Donahue
Post date December 4, 2024

Alli Pierce, Emily Kroeze, and Tyra Taylor (Photos: Michael Donahue)

An autographed jersey from former Memphis Grizzlies player Mike Miller was one of the live auction items at the Bourbon & Blues Cocktail Party & Auction.

**Chris and Dana Cathey, Jennifer and Mike Miller**

The jersey went for $2,300, says Jim Meeks, who founded the fundraiser with his wife Natalie. “And then Mike matched that. So, it actually brought in $4,600.”

**Jim and Natalie Meeks, Brittany and David Spence**

Miller, a sports agent and former University of Memphis men’s basketball team assistant coach, and his wife Jennifer were among the 200 guests at the sold-out event, which also included a live auction of about 100 items. The silent auction featured “about 15 rare bottles of bourbon,” Meeks says.

The event, held November 21st, raised more than $70,000 for the Forrest Spence Fund, which assists with non-medical needs of critical or chronically-ill children and their families, and for Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, which raises money for pediatric research.

Meeks, a managing partner at Northwestern Mutual, says he and his wife began the fundraiser on a smaller scale three years ago. The first two were held at Ghost River Brewing Co.

The event also included an open bar, a buffet, and music by Wyly Bigger and Jad Tariq.

Tags Bourbon & Blues Cocktail Party, Jim Meeks, Mike Miller, Northwestern Mutual

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WE SAW YOU: Orpheum Soirée

Post author By Michael Donahue
Post date November 27, 2024

Tonya Dyson and Chef Eli (Photos: Michael Donahue)

“Soirée” is French for “evening party,” so the “Orpheum Soirée” was a perfect name for the event held on November 15th at the Orpheum Theatre.

And to make it more perfect, the theme of the event was the Moulin Rouge, in a nod to the musical of the same name that recently played the Orpheum.

**Brandon Arrindell, Ebony Arrindell,**
**Dr. Robin Hobbs-Carter, Patrick “Trey” Carter, and Jonathan White**

“This sold-out event, inspired by the legendary Moulin Rouge dance hall in Paris, transformed the entire theater and transported our guests to Paris for the evening,” says Tracy Trotter, Orpheum Theatre Group’s vice president of development.

More than 800 people attended the event, which included 12 live auction items and hundreds of items in the online auction.

The event, originally known as “The Orpheum Auction,” began in 1980. The name changed to “Soirée in the Spotlight” in 2017. In 2018, it was rebranded to “The Orpheum Soirée.”

“Tickets, sponsorships, and donations help power the Orpheum’s education and community engagement programs to provide unmatched arts access and top-tier education opportunities for Memphis and communities across the Mid-South,” Trotter says.

Tags Orpheum Soirée, Orpheum Theatre, We Saw You

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WE SAW YOU: Crafts & Drafts

Post author By Michael Donahue
Post date November 20, 2024

Justyn Ward, Larry King, Daverix Cleaves, Zykel Pirtle (Photos: Michael Donahue)

About 4,000 to 5,000 people attended this year’s Crafts & Drafts, which was held November 9th at Crosstown Concourse and hosted by the Memphis Flyer and Crosstown Arts.

**Sage, Sheila, and**
**Rogers Sanders**

And, this year, the event was held completely inside, instead of half outside and half in.

“First time we’ve ever done it completely indoors because of the weather,” says event manager Molly Willmott. “It was a roaring success.”

**Max McClusky, Rain Wright, and Olive Stevens**

About 85 curated artists, makers, and crafters took part in the event.

As for the drafts, Willmott says, “We partner with Eagle Distributing. They give us a list of the most interesting and creative beers on tap at this moment. They do this for each of these events.”

The brews include some local and some regional, Willmott says.

“The whole point of the event is to showcase the best local and Mid-South artists and makers and give them a venue to promote themselves and showcase their wares. And still stay true to the Memphis Flyer’s mission, which is to make Memphis a better place to live. Elevating and sharing people doing great things.”

Tags Crafts & Drafts, Crosstown Arts, Crosstown Concourse, We Saw You

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WE SAW YOU: 901 Hot Wing Festival

Post author By Michael Donahue
Post date November 13, 2024

Stewart Guenther recently had people in tears. And it wasn’t because of a funny joke he told.

**Ashton Catlett and**
**Harper Timmerman**

Guenther, who participated in the 901 Hot Wing Festival, let people try the wings he cooked using a wing sauce made from the Carolina Reaper pepper. That pepper, one of the hottest in the world, is only surpassed, according to a Google search, by one known as Pepper X.

Guenther’s team, Whiskey & Swine, was among the 15 teams participating in the event, which was held November 2nd at Grind City Brewing Company. “We mostly compete in barbecue contests, in which chicken is one of the categories,” he says. “We do chicken, but it’s always chicken thighs. We’ve never turned in wings for competition except at this event.”

Grind City owner Hopper Seely created a new brew — Cranberry Beret —for the occasion. “It’s a cranberry seltzer, but it uses real cranberry juice,” Seely says.

Cranberry Beret is available in the tap room, he adds.

Tags 901 Hot Wing Festival, Grind City Brewing Company, We Saw You

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WE SAW YOU: Monogram Foods’ Meat Me in Memphis

Post author By Michael Donahue
Post date November 6, 2024

Lori and Jeffrey Goldberg and Jeff Morris and Dawn Gallagher (Photos: Michael Donahue)

“Meat” rhymes with “eat,” so that’s apropos for the “Meat Me in Memphis” gala. Everyone was encouraged to eat.

The gala is the annual fundraiser for the Monogram Foods Loves Kids Foundation.

Monogram founders Karl Schledwitz and Wes Jackson, and their wives Gail and Suzanne, were at the food tasting event, which was held October 21st at the Renasant Center.

**Karl and Gail Schledwitz and**
**Suzanne Jackson with her husband Wes**

About 700 attended the gala, which, in addition to cuisine from 12 food stations, featured music by Sound Fuzion from University of Memphis and both live and silent auctions.

“We believe this year’s Monogram Loves Kids Gala raised the most money from one event in the history of Memphis,” Schledwitz says. “Over $1.1 million.

**Belinda and Calvin Anderson and B.J. Worthy**

“This was our 14th year and each year it keeps getting bigger and better. And this year was no exception. It was phenomenal.”

Tags Meat Me in Memphis, Monogram Foods

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WE SAW YOU: RiverArtsFest

Post author By Michael Donahue
Post date October 30, 2024

Erika Pittman and Beth Wilson (Photos: Michael Donahue)

Danny Barlow recently attended his first RiverArtsFest, which was held October 19th and 20th on Riverside Drive.

“We kind of stumbled on it,” says Barlow, who attended with Kendra Hall. “We were Downtown doing a picnic and were looking for food.”

**Vicki Phillips and**
**Vincent Price**

He was impressed with a man out of California who made watches. “I want to get connected with him. I want to get a couple of watches made.”

Around 165 artists markets were featured at this year’s event, which marked the 18th anniversary of RiverArtsFest, says founder and longtime board member Chuck Mitchell.

**Josh and Lyndsey Hammond and**
**Harold Graeter**

He had great feedback from the artists. “All of them are thrilled with their experience here,” Mitchell says. “Hopefully, they sell a lot of artwork, but they’re always happy with how we treat them, load them in, and provide lunch for them in our hospitality tent.”

**Jack Isley, Jonah Green, Kim Eubank,**
**and Stefan Hochhuber**

**Chris Norwood, Teresa Spencer,**
**Winston Norwood**

And, he says, “We’re really trying to make it great for the artists to share a great experience in Memphis. And all love being in Memphis and being Downtown.”

Artists also head to Beale Street “and other areas after the festival closes each day.”

Tags Chuck Mitchell, Mid-South Artists, RiverArtsFest