Tag: We Saw You

Categories
We Recommend We Saw You

WE SAW YOU: Loving Local

Bianca Phillips and Joe Yester (Photos: Michael Donahue)

Loving Local returned this spring in a new location : Grind City Brewing Company.

And, to make things even more festive, tap room manager Ashley Creecy created a special drink, “Peach, Please,” for the Project Green Fork event. It’s made with black tea, peach juice, lemon juice, and a Grind City seltzer base, all garnished with a lemon wheel and fresh mint sprig.

Jon Van Hoozer, Will Coleman, Donna Van Hoozer
Ali Manning and Beth Wilson
Daniel Taylor and Daishu McGriff

“The staff was fantastic to work with,” says Leann Edwards, Clean Memphis/Project Green Fork program director. “And the location is a great backdrop, with a lot of places for people to roam.”

Guests also dined in the tap room where they could “get a respite from the heat.”

Kevin Sullivan
Selah and Darius Nelson
Kofi Asare, Khendra Lucas, Ashley Peterson, Meredith Woloshin, Nathan Woloshin

About 300 people attended the event, which featured fare from Biscuits & Jams, Good Fortune Co., Kitchen Laurel, Lulu’s Cafe & Bakery, and Shroomlicious Meals.

“Our chefs really love to be part of this event,” says Edwards. As a press release states, “This community event celebrates the creativity of Project Green Fork certified chefs, breweries, and bartenders who create custom, small-plate appetizers, desserts, and cocktails for the evening.”

Categories
We Recommend We Saw You

WE SAW YOU: Strangewaze Wednesdaze

Daniel Parker, Jonathan White, Justin White, and Victoria Johnson (Photos: Michael Donhue)

Strangewaze Wednesdaze was held each Wednesday in May. But the final one was held June 5th because it was the rain date for the May 8th event. “There was a chance for tornadoes,” says event co-founder Emily Todd. “And, of course, that didn’t happen.”

Alex Turley and Jamie Harmon
harnae Lee and Hasani Madlock
Zach El-Oglah and Magda Sakaan

Attendance reached 725. Guests dined on free food, listened to music from Yesse Yavis and Tennessee Screamers, and sipped Memphis Made Brewing Company’s Srangewaze pale ale.

Emily and her dad, Mike Todd, began the event, originally known as “Hump Day Happy Hour,” in 2021 as a way to revitalize The Edge and Medical District. “The Edge had a lot of development momentum and interest in the neighborhood prior to Covid. When Covid hit, it slowed down a lot of that momentum.”

Emily Todd
Morgan Erdman and Chris Liberto

May events are geared toward people with money, Emily says. “Nothing is really accessible that is free and fun for the majority of residents of Memphis to do. We wanted an equitable, fun, community-activated experience. And we wanted to continue to grow in The Edge and the Medical District because of all the important growth that is happening there.”

Categories
We Recommend We Saw You

WE SAW YOU: Memphis Italian Festival

Neil Rome (Photos: Michael Donahue)

Neil Rome of the “901 Mafia” team entered his mouth-watering “Italian Muffuletta Meatloaf” in “Anything Italian,” one of the categories at the Memphis Italian Festival, held May 30th through June 1st at Marquette Park.

Lucca Dyer, D. J. Naylor, and Teagan Naylor
Brooke Davis and James Little 
Jacob Andew Bratcher, Abigail Miner, and Briley Faulkner

Rome begins making the dish, based on his grandmother’s take on an old Justin Wilson Cajun recipe, by creating a paste out of breadcrumbs, tomato sauce, eggs, seasoning, and parsley. He then adds ground beef and smoked ham, which he forms into a big ball before laying it out flat. He spreads a mixture of onions, black and green olives, Parmesan cheese, and pepperoncini peppers over it and slowly rolls everything up “like you would a jelly roll,” Rome says. Finally, he pours his gravy, which he makes out of tomato sauce, red wine, olive oil, and seasonings, over everything and slides it into the oven.

Marjo, Andrew, Joseph, and Billy Labonte
Zoey High, Sarah Jordan Houseal, and Olivia Tashie

Rome’s team’s entry didn’t win Anything Italian, but his team won the Father Milton Guthrie “You Are Great” award.

Forty-three teams participated in this year’s Memphis Italian Festival, which drew more than 15,000 people, says Richard Ranson, who along with his wife Vickie, is the cooking teams and judges co-chair.

Categories
We Recommend We Saw You

WE SAW YOU: Sunset Symphony

Kortland Whalum with Robert Moody behind him conducting the Memphis Symphony Orchestra (Photos: Michael Donahue)

About 8,000 celebrated the last Sunday evening of May listening to Tchaikovsky, Dvořák, and Sousa. They sat on blankets or chairs with their shoes off or on, and a full-scale picnic or just a flat box with a pizza in front of them.

Theo Thomas
Carl and Amasa Ealing
Alexis Burnett and Abrian Clay
Cassandra Hopper. Matthew Houston, Arlo Hopper at Sunset Symphony (Credit: Michael Donahue)
Jill and Chris Williams at Sunset Symphony (Credit: Michael Donahue)
Magnus Terry, Katherine Terry, Russ Thompson at Sunset Symphony (Credit: Michael Donahue)

This was Sunset Symphony, which was held May 26th at Overton Park Shell. The Memphis Symphony Orchestra performed under the direction of Robert Moody and Kyle Dickson. Kortland Whalum and Marie-Stéphane Bernard sang. 

“It’s just a beautiful display of Memphis,” says the Shell’s executive director Natalie Wilson. People were “spilling out” onto other nearby areas, including the Greensward at Overton Park and the grounds of Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, to hear the symphony because the event was so crowded.

Daniel Amram and Danielle Schaeffer
Josh Russell, Maddox Russell, Nathalie Russell, Mason Russell, and Jessica Rivera
Ace and JJ Leonard (Credit: Michael Donahue)
Sara and Cody Oscarson at Sunset Symphony (Credit: Michael Donahue)
Elands Kelly and Robin Noel at Sunset Symphony (Credit: Michael Donahue)

“This is what Memphis is about. We come together. We’re joyous. Children run and play. We enjoy the arts. We’re so blessed with these spaces that bring us together.”

This was the fourth year that Sunset Symphony, which many people associate with its Memphis in May predecessor at Tom Lee Park, took place at the Shell. “A joyous re-creation of a historic event at a historic place.” 

Lilly, Venus, and Louis Hamric at Sunset Symphony (Credit: Michael Donahue)
Lucy Nardo, Owen Isinger, Joseph Nardo, Lydia Nardo, Stella Isinger at Sunset Symphony (Credit: Michael Donahue)
Paris Carter at Sunset Symphony (Credit: Michael Donahue)
Matthew Hernandez at Sunset Symphony (Credit: Michael Donahue)
Laurie Stark, Kathy Mitchener at Sunset Symphony (Credit: Michael Donahue)
Jeremy Plyler and Stephanie Beliles at Sunset Symphony (Credit: Michael Donahue)
Pearson, Andrew, Rachel, and Emerson Black at Sunset Symphony (Credit: Michael Donahue)
We Saw You
Categories
We Recommend We Saw You

WE SAW YOU: SmokeSlam and the Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest

Ben Colar, Denzel Alexander, and Michael Butler Jr. at SmokeSlam

Two barbecue contests held at the same time in the same city.

Only in Memphis. Right?

Ryan Marsh and Elizabeth Sullivan at World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest
Nick Black at World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest
John Montgomery and Carol Coletta at SmokeSlam

Fifty-seven teams participated in the inaugural SmokeSlam in Tom Lee Park, May 16th through 18th. And 16,697 people (not counting teams) attended, says Lindsay Stevens, public relations for SmokeSlam.“We were just overwhelmed with the positivity we had from so many people,” she says. “I don’t think we could have been happier with the outcome.”

Mia Townsend and Abby Neal at SmokeSlam
Colin Ross, John McArthur, Cannon Smith, and Clark Schifani at World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest
Dudley Knowlton, Trenten McCarty, and Drew Ybos at SmokeSlam

The 46th edition of the Memphis in May (MIM) World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, held May 15th through May 18th in Liberty Park, also was a success, says Randy Blevins with MIM. He had no estimate yet about attendance, but a total of 129 competition cooking teams from 22 states and four foreign countries took part. “Yet again during the third weekend in May, the Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest became the biggest backyard in Memphis right in the heart of the city at Liberty Park,” Blevins says.

Both competitions are slated to return to their same locations in 2025.

Categories
We Recommend We Saw You

WE SAW YOU: Symphony in the Gardens

Laura Alexander and Gloria Dodds Harlan

Symphony in the Gardens was once again a sell-out at Dixon Gallery & Gardens. The outdoor event, which was held May 12th, featured the Memphis Symphony Big Band conducted by Scott Moore. Singer Kortland Whalum performed.

Kenneth and Jennifer Pierce
Erin Lech, Vivian Langston, and Evan Langston
Jude Tumminello, Mack Meyers, and Eva Meyers

A crowd of 1,300 people attended, says Jessie Wiley, Dixon’s director of development and communications.

“This is an annual tradition every year on Mother’s Day for over 20 years,” Wiley says. “It’s a special partnership between two valuable cultural organizations — the Dixon and Memphis Symphony Orchestra.”

Memphis Symphony Orchestra music director Robert Moody
Christopher Atkinson, Phil Sistrunk, and Olivia Grace Atkinson
Rev. Kenneth and Sheila Whalum

The event, which “brings diverse Memphians together,” is “so much fun,” Wiley says. A “joyous day. Time to spend with family and friends. A very relaxed atmosphere. Bring your own picnic or enjoy food trucks. You can kind of make it your own.”

Categories
We Recommend We Saw You

WE SAW YOU: RiverBeat Music Festival

Jackson Hendrix, Gabrielle Duffie, Nakita Spencer, Lawrence Matthews

You could call them “RiverBeatniks.” They were the more than 30,000 people who attended the inaugural RiverBeat Music Festival May 3rd, 4th, and 5th in Tom Lee Park.

Matthew Burdine and Daniel Bonds 
Russ Thompson and Katherine Terry
Emily and Will Carter

They braved periodic raindrops and often warm temps to see and hear performers, including Stax great Carla Thomas, Al Kapone, the Wilkins Sisters, Southern Avenue, Killer Mike, and Lawrence Matthews. All some music lovers needed was a blanket and a comfortable spot to kick off their shoes and experience 50 performers on five stages.

“We scanned in over 30,000 over three days,” says RiverBeat producer Jeff Bransford. “Ten-thousand a night.”

Kristin Leach and Haggard Collins
Ariyanna Beecher and Miles Robinson

How did he think RiverBeat went? “Spectacular. We couldn’t be happier. The feedback we got from both patrons and artists has been overwhelming.”

And will RiverBeat return next year? “One-hundred percent,” Bransford says. No doubt about it. “We’re already planning.”

Categories
We Recommend We Saw You

WE SAW YOU: World Championship Hot Wing Contest and Festival

Sam Watson

The World Championship Hot Wing Contest and Festival was back on Riverside Drive for the first time since 2017. The festival, which was held April 20th, was on Tiger Lane for many years after leaving Riverside Drive.

Chanell Gabrielle, Lyndon Thomas, Sadie Sherwood
Zedrick Woods and Jasmine Edwards
Alexis Grace

A total of 3,000 people attended the 22nd annual festival, says founder Paul Gagliano. All except one year, the event has benefited the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Memphis. Not counting this year, it’s raised more than $300,000 for the charity.

Gagliano recalled that first contest: “I asked the guy that had the Poplar Lounge if he would put up the parking lot and a little money.”

Paul Gagliano, David Hunnam, Pat Hunnam, Michelle Hunnam
Kilgore Trout, Joseph Wilson, Brennan Powers

He then went into the bar and told people his plans for a hot wing contest. They looked at Gagliano like he was crazy, but seven people took part. It was a hot wing contest, but, Gagliano says, “They were grilling deer meat and all kinds of meat.”

And, he says, “Budweiser gave me $1,000 bucks. And that was like a million right there.”

This year, 50 teams took part and competed for $10,000 prize money.

Categories
We Recommend We Saw You

WE SAW YOU: Brooks’ “People Are People” Preview Party

Christian Siriano and Coco Rocha

“Christian Siriano: People are People,” the new exhibit at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, is still going strong.

“It’s been great,” says Brooks chief revenue officer Jeff Rhodin. “In the first week we had more than 2,500 people.” The preview party was mind-blowing. More than 900 people attended the event honoring the American fashion designer on March 21st, the night before the exhibit opened to the public.

Daniela Griffin
Carl Bledsoe Jr.
Paul Thomas and Grace West

Thirty-six Siriano creations, including over-the-top gowns in over-the-top colors and shapes on mannequins of different sizes, are featured in the exhibit. As the news release from Brooks states, “Since launching his fashion house in New York in 2008, Siriano has become beloved for statement-making looks. … From glamorous gowns to gender-defying showstoppers, Siriano’s creations have been … worn by the world’s biggest stars, top models, pop icons, legendary divas, LGBTQIA2+ heroes, first ladies, and more.”

Greely Myatt and Ramona Sonin
Babbie Lovett

So, anybody who wants to get their mind blown has until August 4th to view the exhibit of fashions worn by Taylor Swift, Michelle Obama, Lady Gaga, and others.

Categories
We Recommend We Saw You

WE SAW YOU: Cooper-Young St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Dylan Borczak, Noe Meza, Emerson Hyndman, Akeem Ward, Carson Vom Steeg, Luiz Fernando from Memphis 901 FC soccer (Photos: Michael Donahue)

Irish eyes are still smiling after the Memphis Irish Society/Cooper-Young St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

“There was green beer flowing all over Cooper-Young that day,” says Tamara Cook, executive director of the Cooper-Young Business Association.

Patrick Reilly and DJ Naylor
Gina Sweat
Terrance Gaines and Kamilah Muhammad

The annual event drew 2,000 people this year, Cook says. “This is like the eighth one. We have them on St. Patrick’s Day every year. Next year, it will be on a Monday, although I keep asking them to have it on Sunday after the Beale Street parade. But they want to have it on the day.”

Memphis Irish Society and Celtic Crossing presented the event, Cook says. Mayor Paul Young was king of the parade and his wife Jamila Smith-Young was queen. Memphis Fire Department Chief Gina Sweat was the parade marshal.

Zach Brummett, Amy Dempsey, Lindsey Howell, Stegen Burkett
back: Morgan Max, Bristol Max, Maisey Johnston, Ramanda Johnston, Keith Johnston, front: Maverick Max, Christopher Johnston, Adilay Johnston
Shuntonisha Clark, Makenzie Clark, Kervin Mason, Michael Clark

This year’s parade featured 30 participants, including Memphis 901 FC soccer team, the Memphis Grizzlies, and the Memphis Police Department. There were bagpipers, horses, and dancers, including the Inis Acla School of Irish Dance step dancers. DJ Naylor opened up his Celtic Crossing Irish bar/restaurant for outdoor and indoor partying.