It’s time. Fanny pack on. Sneakers laced. Deodorant please. The kind that works pretty please. Festival season is upon us. Fall edition.
SEPTEMBER
Delta Fair & Music Festival
Delta Delta Delta Fair, can they help ya, help ya, help ya? Only if you’re in need of a good time with music, attractions, and food.
Agricenter International, through September 7
30 Days of Opera
There are 525,600 minutes in a year — that’s one way to measure a year, but you can measure September with 30 days of opera.
Various locations, through September 30
Orion Free Concert Series
Freeeeeeee music, including the Memphis Country Blues Festival ft. North Mississippi Allstars and the Sensational Barnes Brothers on October 11th.
Overton Park Shell, select dates through October 23
Art on the Rocks: A Garden Cocktail Festival
On the rocks about this festival? Let me sell you on it: Botanical cocktails, craft beer, and curated bites from local Memphis restaurants are gonna rock your world.
Dixon Gallery & Gardens, September 5
Germantown Festival
You wanna see the weenies run, don’t ya? You wanna see them run real chaotically in Germantown Festival’s annual race — among other things.
Civic Club Complex, September 6-7
International Goat Days Festival
Bah, humbug! More like bahhhhhhh, no humbug. This festival is the GOAT.
Ed Haley Sports Complex, September 6
TheatreWorks 30th Anniversary Theatre and Arts Festival
There’s no business like a show business that’s been in business for 30 years. Celebrate with workshops, performances, and more.
TheatreWorks@the Square, September 6
6th Annual Craft Food and Wine Festival
Graze away on at this tasting festival. You are a gazelle now. A gazelle who eats not grasses, but artisanal cheeses, gourmet snacks, chocolates, and more divine bites from Memphis’ foodpreneurs.
Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, September 7
A Taste of Memphis
Get a taste of Memphis by learning about local neighborhoods, community development corporations (CDCs), faith-based organizations, and more.
Tiger Lane, September 11
Cooper-Young Festival
You know it; you love it. Music, food, vendors, all in Cooper-Young.
Cooper-Young Historic District, September 13
Memphis Comic Expo
Nerd out on the best in pop culture, comics, cosplay, and artists at the Mid-South’s premier creator-focused convention.
Memphis Sports and Events Center, September 13-14
B.B. King’s Beale Street Birthday Bash
Celebrate B.B. King’s 100th birthday with live performances and family-friendly fun.
Outside of B.B. King’s Blues Club, September 14
Memphis Pride Festival
Rain, rain went away, so Memphis Pride Festival comes another day.
Overton Park Shell, September 14
Memphis Tequila Festival
Tequila might make your clothes fall off, but we request that you keep them on for this festival.
The Kent, September 19
Mid-South Balloon Festival
See the Wizard of Oz’s preferred form of transportation take flight at this fest.
Corner of TN-57 and Frazier Road, September 20-21
High Point Arts Fair
You’d better make it a point of the highest priority to visit this fair of artists, artisans, and more.
High Point Terrace, September 20
Teen Arts Fest 2025
Teenagers might scare you, but you can appreciate their art, right? That’s not scary, unless they make scary good art.
Benjamin Hooks Central Library, September 20
Delta Blues & Heritage Festival
Head to Mississippi for the oldest continuous running blues festival in the country.
Greenville, MS, September 20
Oktoberfest(s)
Lace up your lederhosen, folks. It’s time for Soul & Spirits’ Oktoberfest, and then before you know it, it’ll be time for another one in Overton Square. (And I’m sure there’ll be more in this city in between. Let us know.)
Soul & Spirits Brewery, September 20
Overton Square, October 25
Lemon Drop Festival
You’ll wanna lemon-drop by this fest, with bold martinis, live DJs, and high-energy vibes.
Fourth Bluff Park, September 21
Gonerfest 22
Going, going, gone to this multi-day rock festival, headlined by Lightning Bolt, Silkworm, Radioactivity, Snooper, and the Zambian psychedelia of W.I.T.C.H.
Wiseacre Brewery on Broad, September 25-27; Overton Park Shell, September 28
Mid-South Fair
This fair is far from mid as the kids say these days.
Landers Center, September 25-October 5
Southern Heritage Classic Cultural Celebration
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff faces Alcorn State University, plus a weekend full of events.
Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, September 25-27
53rd Annual Pink Palace Crafts Fair
Make it blue; no, make it pink. Make it MoSH. No! Pink! Pink Palace!
Audubon Park, September 26-28
Annual Free Shout-Out Shakespeare Series
Something Shakespearean this way comes, and it’s free performances of Much Ado About Nothing all around the city.
Various locations, September 27-October 19
Latin Fest
Celebrate Latin culture with music, dance, delicious food, a kids area, and more.
Overton Square, September 27
AfroSoul Fest
Take part in a one-day outdoor celebration of modern African culture through music, food, art, and community.
Court Square Park, September 28
Memphis Yoga Festival
It’s not much of a stretch to say that 15-plus yoga classes, vendors, live music, and food trucks make up a good time.
Rhodes College, September 28
OCTOBER
Mempho Music Festival
Here’s your memo to go to Mempho. This year’s headliners: Widespread Panic and Tyler Childers.
Radians Amphitheater at Memphis Botanic Garden, October 3-5
Mighty Roots Music Festival
Whatta fest, whatta mighty good fest. I wanna take a minute or two and give much respect due to the fest that celebrates the best of Americana and roots music.
Stovall, MS, October 3-4
The 2025 Bartlett Festival, BBQ Contest & Car Show
Bartlett’s coming in hot, hot, hot with music, a 5K, children’s activities, arts and crafts, barbecue, and more.
W. J. Freeman Park, October 3-4
Highway 61 Blues Festival
A down-home free blues festival.
Downtown Leland, MS, October 4
Memphis EuroFest Car Show
One car, two car, classic car, new car.
C. O. Franklin Park, October 4
Wine on the River Memphis
Don’t drink the Kool-Aid. Drink the wine.
Tom Lee Park, October 4
King Biscuit Blues Festival
You know what butters our biscuits? The blues. And the King Biscuit Blues Festival is one of the nation’s foremost showcases of blues music.
Helena, AR, October 10-11
Memphis Bacon & Bourbon Festival
We’re bringing home the bacon. And bourbon. Lots of bourbon. And bacon. Lots of bacon. And did we mention bourbon?
FedEx Event Center at Shelby Farms Park, October 10
Monster Market
Get freaky at this annual pop-up of weird art, hand-plucked oddities, strange apparel, and bizarre home decor.
Medicine Factory, October 10-16
Yazoo County Fair
This event offers amusement rides, exhibits of local canning, arts and crafts exhibits, talent stage, youth exhibits, and more.
Yazoo, MS, October 10-18
Edge Motorfest
This fest really revs our engines, with 150-plus cars competing for 25 different awards, live music, food trucks, and a general good time.
Edge Motor Museum, October 11
Paint Memphis
Paint it fun, seeing murals go up all over town?
Summer Avenue & National Street, October 11
V&E Greenline Artwalk
This free, family-friendly event features over 50 local artists and makers, live music, food, drinks, kids’ activities, and more.
V&E Greenline, October 11
Shroomlicious Mushroom Festival
Shroomlicious makes vegans go loco. They want some treasures so they get their pleasures from this festival. So delicious. It’s hot, hot.
Tom Lee Park, October 11
Tambourine Bash
Make like a tambourine and shake your booty down to the Shell for a night of Memphis music collaborations.
Overton Park Shell, October 12
Delta Hot Tamale Festival
This festival is a real hot tamale, celebrating local and regional artists, musicians, and tamale makers.
Main Street, Greenville, MS, October 17-18
Fall Fest
Fall into this fest of music, barbecue, vendors, food trucks, rides and attractions, and more.
Catholic Church of the Incarnation, October 17-18
Memphis miniFEST
A music fest, but make it mini. Duh!
Hi-Tone, October 17
Soul of the City
Two can keep a secret if one of them is dead … and the tour guides on Soul of the City, uh, are dead — and ready to reveal their hidden truths. Best to keep your lips sealed.
Elmwood Cemetery, October 17-18
Art on Fire
One word to describe this event: FIRE. Need more words to describe it? Music. Wine. Beer. Tastings. Art. Fire dancing. Bonfire. FIREEE.
Dixon Gallery & Gardens, October 18
Cooper-Young Beerfest
You must be 21 or older to read this event description. Why? Because there’s a lot of beer involved.
Midtown Autowerks Parking Lot, October 18
Fantasy Faire
Once upon a time there was a fair, full of crafts, games, food, and more.
Cordova Library, October 18
RiverArtsFest
As the largest artist market in the Mid-South, this festival features more than 150 artists from around the country.
Riverside Drive, October 18-19
Ska-Tober Fest
Ska’s still around apparently. So around there’s a festival for it — whether you like it or not.
Meddlesome Brewing Company, October 18
Mid-South Food Truck Festival
Get (your tummies) ready to rumble for this festival of delicious food trucks and vendors. No assembly required.
IKEA, October 19
Wolf River Fall Fest 2025
Get ready for an awesome time doing an arboretum scavenger hunt, meeting some creepy crawly critters, participating in a costume parade, and eating delicious treats from food trucks.
Wolf River Greenway – Shady Grove Trailhead, October 24
Cars on Main
The wheels on the car go round and round all down Main Street.
Riverside Drive, October 25
Greenline 15 Birthday Bash
’Cause when you’re 15 and somebody tells you to celebrate 15 years of Shelby Farms’ Greenline, you’re gonna do it with live music, food trucks, a beer garden, kids’ activities, and good vibes.
Shelby Farms Park, October 25
NOVEMBER
901 Hot Wing Festival
Wing … wing … wing … the chickens are calling, and they know what you want from them for this festival. They know. Answer the call.
Grind City Brewing Company, November 1
Broad Avenue Art Walk
Broaden your horizons at this annual art walk.
Broad Avenue, November 1
Día de Los Muertos Parade and Festival
Celebrate the Day of the Dead with the Brooks and Cazateatro Bilingual Theatre Group.
Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, November 1
Memphis Comic & Fantasy Convention
Superheroes, science fiction, fantasy. I don’t know much about that world, but I imagine it’s fantastic.
Hilton Memphis, November 1
Memphis Japan Festival
Celebrate the history, culture, and people of Japan with interactive and hands-on experiences of Japanese culture featuring food, entertainment, games, crafts, and more.
Memphis Botanic Garden, November 2
Memphis Crafts & Drafts Festival: Holiday Market
Shop till you drop at this locals-first market.
Crosstown Concourse, November 8
Memphis Monster Con
Horror celebrities, over 100 vendors and artists, cosplay, panels, food trucks, and much more — talk about a monster of a convention.
Pipkin Building, November 8-9
Lantern Festival
Something new to do at the zoo.
Memphis Zoo, November 14-January 31
Like You Children’s Film Festival
Screentime takes on a whole new meaning at this family-forward film festival.
Pink Palace Museum & Mansion, November 22-23
Holiday Spirits: A Christmas Cocktail Festival
The ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future can move over. A new set of spirits is in town.
The Kent, TBA
DECEMBER
Mid-South Toy Fest
We are toying with you when we say there will be over 50 vendor booths with new and vintage toys.
The Great Hall & Conference Center, December 6
Raised by Sound Fest
Sound off about how much you love Memphis music at this fest.
Crosstown Concourse, December 6
St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend
Choose the marathon, half marathon, 10K, 5K, or take on the 2-Race Challenge for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital’s largest single-day fundraiser.
Memphis, December 6
JANUARY
AutoZone Liberty Bowl
This is THE Liberty Bowl, where football, parties, and more happen.
Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, January 2