Friends of the Library Spring Book Sale
Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library
Friday, April 19, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. | Saturday, April 20, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. | Sunday, April 21, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
You better book it to the library this weekend because it’s time for its BIG semi-annual book and media sale benefiting Memphis Public Libraries. Hundreds of items, from books to magazines to vinyls to CDs to DVDs, will be for sale at great prices. Sunday is the bag sale, which means that you can take home a bag of books for just a few bucks.
Go Green or Go Home!
In this instance, we’re talking about going green for the planet … not going green for 4/20, which is, in fact, this weekend and, like, sure go ahead and celebrate that too. But I wanna talk about plants, just not that plant.
- Community Table Garden: Composting with Worms: Learn all about making your own rich fertile compost with your favorite garden friends — worms. Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library, Friday, April 19, 2 p.m.
- Plant Sale: Dixon Garden Fair: Offering rare, choice, and unusual plants, the sale will feature a wide range of difficult-to-find plants appropriate for the Memphis area. (List of plants for sale here.) Dixon Gallery & Gardens, Friday, April 19, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. | Saturday, April 20, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
- Spring Plant Sale at the Garden: Find a curated selection of plants well suited for the Mid-South including natives, trees and shrubs, vegetables, herbs, annual flowers, pollinator plants, woodland ephemerals, and more, plus a variety of houseplants and tropicals. (Full list here.) Memphis Botanic Garden, Friday-Saturday, April 19-20, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
- Regen Farm Festival: An afternoon of great music and local farm-raised food, and celebrate farms helping build a better Mid-South through regenerative agriculture. Wiseacre Brewery, Saturday, April 20, 1-4 p.m.
“Confusion”
Medicine Factory
Through Friday, April 19
Nick Canterucci’s show at the Medicine Factory closes this weekend. He’s known for his bold colors, collage elements, and chaos in his abstract works. Check out this article we wrote about his last show from 2023 before you check out “Confusion.”
Good Vibes Comedy Festival
Hi Tone
Friday-Saturday, April 19-20, 5 p.m.
Thirty comedians, 13 shows, one venue. “Basically, a variety pack of stand-up comedy productions — raw stand-up comedy with headliner shows, podcast shows, a storytelling show, an improv show, and a roast,” says John Andrew Miller, who organized the festival along with fellow comedian Nate Jackson. Headliners are Renard Hirsch, Hannah Belmont, Jayson Acevedo, and the hosts of Night Classy, Katja “Kat” Barnhart and Hayley Madden, who I got to interview for this article before the fest. The other people who are performing are just too many for me to list here, okay? But you can find a full schedule of all the happenings on the event’s Facebook page, which, lucky for you, I’ve linked here. You can buy a Friday day pass here for $50 or a Saturday day pass here for $50 in advance. (Saturday day pass price will go up to $80 on Saturday at the door.) You can also buy a ticket to an individual show for $30 at the door.
Shell Daze Music Festival
Overton Park Shell
Friday, April 19, 5 p.m. | Saturday, April 20, 3:30 p.m.
You’ll be dazed but not confused by this lineup of musical acts, headlined by JJ Grey & Mofro and Oteil & Friends. Friday night will have JJ Grey & Mofro and The Runaway Grooms performing. Purchase Day 1 tix here ($49.85/GA). Saturday will have Oteil & Friends (two sets) featuring Oteil Burbridge, Johnny and Steve Kimock, Jason Crosby, Lamar Williams Jr., and Tom Guarna, plus Kudzu Kings and Devil Train. Purchase Day 2 tix here ($60.15/GA). Purchase two-day general admission tickets here for $88.95. VIP Deck tickets are also available for purchase ($87.95/one-day, $148.65/two-day) and will include access to viewing deck, three free Wiseacre drink tickets per day, access to a private discounted bar, and an event poster. Reusable water bottles may be brought in to fill up at the Shell’s water fountains.
Rhythm of Care
Comeback Coffee
Friday, April 19, 7 p.m.
Immerse yourself in the sounds of Memphis’ hottest local artists: Raneem Imam with Fergus Barnes on guitar, and QEMIST. Proceeds benefit Church Health. Tickets $10 can be purchased here.
Swiftie Saturday
Novel
Saturday, April 20, 9 a.m.-8 p.m.
If you’re a Swiftie, keep reading. If you’re not, move on. I’m not about to get any haters here, but I’ll keep things short and sweet. Novel wants you to leave a blank space on your planner this Saturday as they have a whole-ass day of Swift-inspired events for all ages. Bring the kids to the Speak Now Teen Writing Workshop (ages 13+) at 9 to 10:15 a.m., $10; Swiftie Story Time (ages 0-5) at 10:30 to 11 a.m., $5; or Swiftie Story Time (ages 5-12) at 12:30-1:30 p.m., $5. Later in the day, show up to one of three Never Grow Up Bracelet Making (ages 18+) sessions, where you’ll make the friendship bracelets and enjoy a specialty Swiftie-themed cocktail (or mocktail). Tickets ($35) include two drink tickets, bracelet-making, and a copy of Taylor Swift Mad-Libs to take home. Never Grow Up Bracelet Making will take place at 2 to 4 p.m., 4 to 6 p.m., and 6 to 8 p.m. Tickets for all of these events can be purchased here.
Earth Day Festival
Shelby Farms Park
Saturday, April 20, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
The way the Earth rotates makes my day, and it oughta make yours, too. So celebrate the Earth on its special day (Earth Day, duh) at Shelby Farms Park, where adults and kids alike will have opportunities to experience, explore, and learn different ways of going green in Memphis.
Spirit Fest Holistic, Metaphysical, & Crystal Expo
Agricenter International
Saturday-Sunday, April 20-21, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
Get physical … er, I mean, metaphysical at this holistic, metaphysical, crystal expo with vendors, readers, authors, practitioners, speakers, and healers from across the country. A full schedule of speakers can be found here. (The Flyer’s own Metaphysical Connection columnist and Broom Closet owner Emily Guenther will give a talk on “The Goddess Archetype” at noon on Saturday.) Admission at the door is $12/day or $20/weekend, or buy tickets online in advance for $9/day or $14/weekend.
World Championship Hot Wing Contest & Fest
River Garden Park at 51 Riverside Drive
Saturday, April 20, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
Wing, wing, wing, we have a winner. A winner, winner chicken-dinner. That’s what you’ll be hearing at this contest for the best wing. Oh and it’s supporting The Ronald McDonald House Charities of Memphis. Tickets are $20 and come with three Wing Bucks for redemption of three wings from competing teams. Please note that all other hot wing samples are provided by all participating hot wing teams in exchange for a small donation ($1-$2) to the Ronald McDonald House.
Cooper-Young Porchfest
Cooper-Young Historic District
Saturday, April 20, noon-6 p.m.
Porches were made for more than Amazon deliveries and spying on your neighbors. They can be stages, too — at least that’s the case for this unique music festival of free concerts on, yes, the front porches of the homes in Cooper-Young. A full map and schedule of performances can be found here. Coupled with this event, the CYCA will also bring back their annual community yard sale that morning (8 a.m.-noon), and the after-party will kick off at 6 p.m. on Young Avenue between Philadelphia and Bruce with performances by Dead Soldiers, Sweet Darlin, and Speaker Girl on the Shell on Wheels stage. Oh, and a crawfish boil! Free to attend.
Taylor Swift Album Release Listening Party
Chimes Square at Overton Square
Saturday, April 20, 7 p.m.
If you’re not all Swift-ed-out, join Overton Square for an album release listening party for Taylor Swift’s new album, The Tortured Poets Department. There’ll be a themed photo wall, friendship bracelet making station, Swiftie-themed giveaways, and drinks for purchase at the CFY Bar all while tuning into her brand-new album.
Rajun Cajun Crawfish Festival
Riverside Drive, between Jefferson and Union
Sunday, April 21, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
Let’s get cray. What’s the o-cajun, you ask? The Rajun Cajun Crawfish Festival, supporting Porter-Leath. It’s a day of crawfish bobbing, eating, and racing, plus Louisiana zydeco music, vendors, and more. Crawfish meals — which include crawfish, shrimp, corn, and potatoes — are $40. Visit rajuncajunmemphis.org for more information. Admission is free!
There’s always something happening in Memphis. See a full calendar of events here.
Submit events here or by emailing calendar@memphisflyer.com.
