🎄 Bright Light! Bright Light!
With Thanksgiving in the rearview mirror, no longer can I cry foul when someone brings up the topic of the holiday season. So here I am ready to embrace it. Bring on the Gremlins, it’s Christmastime, MFers.* The lights are already aglow, not a second to be wasted. Just check out these hot spots already spreading the holiday cheer this weekend, just a day after the poor ol’ turkey gobbled its last gobble.
- Holiday Wonders at the Garden, Memphis Botanic Garden, select nights November 24th-December 30th, $15-$20
- Enchanted Forest Festival of Trees, Museum of Science & History, on display through December 31st, $6/children (3-12), $6/seniors, $7/adults
- Starry Nights, Shelby Farms Park, select nights November 24th-December 31st, $15.95-$35
- Zoo Lights, Memphis Zoo, select nights November 24th-January 6th, $14/members, $19/nonmembers
- <NEW!> Deck the Diamond, AutoZone Park, select nights November 24th-December 31st, $33.88
Deck the Diamond is a walk-through experience with over 190 lighting structures including large walk-through tunnels, archways, animals, presents, and trains all centered around a 60-foot Christmas tree. Guests will enjoy festive food and drinks, holiday activities, an ice-skating rink, musical entertainment, scheduled appearances by Santa and Mrs. Claus, fireworks, and much more.
*MFers=Memphis Flyer Readers. Shorthand, baby.
🐐 Glow Goat Yoga
Overton Park Shell
Friday, November 24, 4:30 p.m. and 6 p.m.
I don’t know who came up with goat yoga or why or how, but, hey, no judgment here. The Flyer is a judgment-free zone. For the most part. (I’m definitely not side-eying anyone right now, who knows exactly who they are and what they did and why I’m side-eying them.) But the goats, well, we can’t guarantee they won’t judge. We can’t guarantee anything when it comes to goats. And that’s why goat yoga is a hit: You never know what’s going to happen. This Black Friday, 901Goats is hosting two sessions of Glow Goat Yoga, with complimentary glow sticks and a fun neon vibe. Dress in your favorite neon colors, and bring a yoga mat or beach towel (or rent a mat for an extra five bucks). Tickets are $25 and can be purchased here. Goat for it. Hehe, or as a goat would say, Baaahahaha. Sorry, I hope I haven’t gotten your goat.
🎁 Cirque Dreams Holidaze
Landers Center
Friday, November 24, 7 p.m.
As the nation’s premier family holiday tradition, Cirque Dreams Holidaze will convey the magic of the season with a Broadway-style production infused with contemporary circus arts. The show features a world-renowned cast of performers accompanied by an ensemble of aerial circus acts, sleight-of-hand jugglers, fun-loving skippers, breath-catching acrobatics, and much more. Tickets are $42.50 and can be purchased here.
🎶 1st Annual M-Town Funk & Blues Fest
Cannon Center For The Performing Arts
Saturday, November 25, 5 p.m.
This fest is bringing the funk and blues to Downtown. Midnight Star, Original Lakeside, Memphis’ own Larry Dodson and band, southern soul sensation OB Buchana, and the iconic Bobby Rush will rock the house all night long. Tickets start at $72 and can be purchased here.
🎵 Tatsuya Nakatani Gong Orchestra
Off The Walls Arts
Sunday, November 26, 7 p.m.
Master percussionist Tatsuya Nakatani returns with his locally-sourced Gong Orchestra. Indeed, local musicians are trained in Nakatani’s technique for playing his adapted bowed gong, and he conducts them in a performance of his original composition. Each show is unique, so you won’t want to miss this show. Our writer Alex Greene interviewed Nakatani before his last performance in Memphis, so read more about the orchestra here. Tickets are $22.53 and can be purchased here.
🦫 Full Beaver Moonrise Walk Over Big River Crossing
Big River Crossing
Monday, November 27, 3:45 p.m.
Because I am mature, I will not tolerate any jokes about the Full Beaver that’s about to grace Memphis’ skyline. The Beaver Moon, as you immature folk will be happy to learn, is named for the time of year when beavers begin to take shelter in their hidey-holes for the winter ahead. To honor the Full Beaver, Big River Crossing is hosting a free, two-mile moonrise walk, where you’ll be in the perfect spot to watch the Full Beaver make its way over Downtown Memphis. The walk starts just before sunset and before the full moon’s rise. Remember, the walk is free, but gratuities are appreciated. Reserve a spot here.
☕ FREE Yoga at Comeback Coffee
Comeback Coffee
Tuesday, November 28, 1 p.m.
Tuesday afternoons are the busiest times for those of us on the Flyer production team — that’s when we’re wrapping up the paper before we send it off to the printers. So if you can make time on a Tuesday afternoon for a yoga session, well, you’re in luck, thanks to Sana Yoga offering a Downtown all-levels class at Comeback Coffee. And to sweeten the deal, it’s free — and you know we love things that are free. (That’s why our paper is free. Support us, hint hint.) Just show up, unroll your mat, and you will also get a discount on your choice of beverage afterwards. What’s the catch? Seems like there isn’t one. Well, except for you. You’re a catch. 😉
🕯️ Candlelight: A Tribute to Adele
Overton Chapel
Thursday, November 30, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Rumor has it, Adele is coming to Memphis, and I’m here to tell you two things: 1.) I created that rumor. 2.) That rumor is not true, my dude. Don’t believe everything you read on the internet, even if it’s by someone who’s an amazing journalist like myself. The truth is, the Listeso String Quintet is bringing the music of Adele to the Overton Chapel. The show will feature her hits, like “Hello,” “Rumour Has It,” “Set Fire to the Rain,” and more. Tickets start at $30 and can be purchased here.
🩺 Nurse Blake SHOCK ADVISED!
Orpheum Theatre
Thursday, November 30, 8 p.m.
Stand clear! Nurse Blake, aka Blake Lynch, is about to hit the Orpheum’s stage to share new stories with a comedic twist about the ins and outs of being a nurse. Healthcare workers are going to pack the theaters, so it’s sure to be the safest place and most fun place to be. Tickets ($39.50-$79.50) can be purchased here.
There’s always something happening in Memphis. See a full calendar of events here.
Submit events here or by emailing calendar@memphisflyer.com.