Tag: Fourth Bluff

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Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

Margarita Fest Coming at Ya

A few exciting changes for this year’s Margarita Fest. It’s got a new earlier date, now set for May 11th, 3-6 p.m. And it’s got a new setting — the Fourth Bluff Downtown.

Imagine it — you, a ‘Rita, and the sweeping views of the river.

As always, area restaurants will be vying for the prize — Best Margarita in Memphis. Past winners Blue Monkey and Agavos will be there slinging their best. Among the other participants are Babalu, Mi Tierra, My Favorite Place, and many more.

Tickets get guests 15 samples, but don’t worry, full-size drinks are available as well.

Tickets usually sell out for this one. Don’t tarry.


Proceeds go to Volunteer Memphis.

You must be 21 or over to attend. 

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News News Blog

Fourth Bluff to Fund Memphians’ ‘Fresh Ideas and Programs’

CREDIT: The Fourth Bluff

The Fourth Bluff collaborative is looking to grant residents up to $20,000 to fund community programs Downtown near the river.

The “Fuel the Fourth Bluff” Community Fund is meant for project or programs “that can activate public space to make them places that bring people of diverse backgrounds together, that foster civic engagement and environmental stewardship, and that add value to community,” according to the Fourth Bluff website.

The local Fourth Bluff collaborative is a piece of the national Reimagining Civic Common initiative. Memphis is one of five cities that received a total of $4 million to invest in shared public assets. To date, those funds have helped create the River Garden and River Line, as well as other activations and programs like RiverPlay and the Fourth Bluff Ice Rink.

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Now, the Fourth Bluff wants to give Memphians a share of $100,000 in order to fund “fresh ideas and programs.” Grants will be distributed in $1,000, $5,000, $10,000, and $20,000 amounts.

Anyone from artists and activists, to students and entrepreneurs, to organizations and corporations, is encouraged to apply. However, the proposed programs must take place within the Civic Commons footprint — an approximate six-block area, roughly bordered by Main, Mud Island, Jefferson, and Monroe. Projects can also take place on the River Line between the Beale Street Landing and the A.W. Willis Bridge.

The Fourth Bluff

Map of the Fourth Bluff

The projects also have to meet one of the Civic Commons’ four goals: civic engagement, value creation, socioeconomic mixing, and environmental sustainability.

Applicants will be chosen by a group of community reviewers who will select proposals for “imaginative programs that advance one or more of the goals of the civic commons. We’ll also be looking for innovation and ensuring the applicant has the capacity to produce the requested program.”

Selected programs, including one-time events and series, could kick off as soon as April and wrap up in October.

Applicants can apply here before Monday, March 18th. There will also be a public Q&A session about the opportunity Tuesday (today) at 6 p.m. at 409 South Main.

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News News Blog

Group Plans Civic Hackathon to Address Social Issues

A gathering to generate ideas to address social issues in Memphis is set for this weekend, August 3rd- 4th on the riverfront.

The “civic hackathon” is hosted by the Fourth Bluff, an initiative aiming to revitalize and connect public spaces Downtown.

The two-day event is designed for people to come and share ideas for ways to tackle the various social issues in the city. Shamichael Hallman, the civic engagement coordinator for the Fourth Bluff said he wanted to take the traditional hackathon concept and “put a social-minded spin on it.”

“I often hear people talk about various issues as though they don’t have the power to do anything about it,” Hallman said. “They are waiting to see who else will act, but I’m hoping an event like this will make people think ‘we can actually do something about this.’”

The first day will be an “evening of inspiration and networking,” followed by a “day of ideating and hacking.”

On Friday, over dinner, attendees will hear from a speaker panel comprised of local social entrepreneurs like Tony Knox, founder of Fitnexx, a fitness gaming system and Sarah Petschonek, founder of Volunteer Odyssey, a platform designed to connect people with volunteer opportunities.

For Saturday’s discussion, attendees will break into groups to tackle the focus areas: civic engagement, cultural fragmentation, and chronic homelessness.

This means generating ways to get people involved in the government process, bring people together, and bridge the gap among the city’s homeless population, Hallman said.

After the event, Hallman said the Fourth Bluff will help connect those who want to pursue their ideas to the necessary resources or groups who are involved in similar work.

“We hope this is the first of a set of ongoing events,” Hallman said. “We want relationships to form to create a framework for these events to happen again. It’s an important opportunity to bring together a diverse group of people in public place.”

Bringing people together in public places is one of the goals of the Fourth Bluff, which is a piece of the national Reimagining Civic Commons initiative. Other cities participating in the three-year initiative include Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia, and Akron. In Memphis, the Fourth Bluff project is seeking to empower people to “take back, recapture, and reclaim” public places in order to create spaces that are welcoming to all, Hallman said.

The hackathon here will take place at the Beale Street Landing, beginning at 3 p.m. on Friday and 4 p.m. on Saturday. Everyone is welcomed and it is free to attend.