April showers bring April festivals — and then May shows up with even more, followed closely by June, which clearly didn’t get the memo about pacing. Blink once and July and August are already stringing up lights and firing up food trucks. That’s right, friends (and we’re comfortable calling you that if you are): Festival season has officially taken over Memphis. From street fairs to music blowouts to that one event where you swear you’re “just going for an hour” and leave six hours later with a sunburn and kettle corn, it’s time once again for the “Spring Fairs & Festivals Guide.”
APRIL
Memphis Cocktail Festival
Craft cocktails, top bartenders, and enough creative spirits to make your group chat’s “one drink” plan hilariously unrealistic.
Minglewood Hall, April 4
Vintage Market
Get ready to give your closet some personality. This market brings together more than 30 of the finest vintage vendors around.
Crosstown Concourse, April 4
Memphis Tattoo Festival
World-class tattoo artists, buzzing machines, and brave souls with fresh skin collide under one roof.
Graceland Exhibition Center, April 10-12
Art in the Loop
Stroll, sip, and pretend you weren’t already planning to buy “just one small thing” before leaving with three prints, a handmade mug, and a new personality as a patron of the arts.
Ridgeway Loop Road, April 10-12
Spring Arts & Crafts Festival
Scoring handmade goods, supporting local artists, tasting yummy foods from vendors, and live entertainment — basically a festival where your wallet and your stomach both win.
Agricenter International, April 10-12
Juke Joint Festival
A blues-soaked block party where the guitars are loud, the barbecue is louder, and sleep is optional.
Clarksdale, MS, April 11
Taste the Rarity
Experience rare pours, good vibes, and the very real possibility that you’ll loudly declare a barrel-aged stout your new best friend by day’s end.
Wiseacre Brewing Company, April 11
Shop Black Fest
This traveling market’s serving up Black-owned business vibes, creativity on tap, and strong community love.
Bass Pro Drive and Riverside Drive, April 11
Mimosa Festival Memphis
A bubbly, brunch-fueled celebration where Memphis gathers to sip endless mimosas.
Tom Lee Park, April 12
Good Vibes Comedy Festival
Where very funny people make us laugh so hard we forget about pollen season.
Hi-Tone, April 16-18
Shelby Farms Canoes and Cocktails (Photo: Courtesy Shelby Farms Park Conservancy)
Canoes + Cocktails
Rent a canoe, kayak, or bring your own boat.
Shelby Farms Park, April 17 and most Fridays through September
Africa in April
African culture, crafts, and music — and enough dancing to make the Mississippi River start moving to the beat.
Robert Church Park, April 17-19
Belgian Beer Festival
A celebration of Belgian beer and the re-release of Ophelia Saison.
Soul and Spirits, April 18
Shell Daze
Mempho Presents offers this laid-back celebration of live music blending rock, folk, bluegrass, and Americana vibes.
Overton Park Shell, April 17-18
Earth Day Festival and Fun Run (Photo: Courtesy Shelby Farms Park Conservancy)
Earth Day Festival and Fun Run
Explore, learn, trot, and experience how to go green in fun ways.
Shelby Farms Park, April 18
Porch Fest (Photo: Courtesy Brandon Dill)
Cooper-Young Porchfest
Porches turn into mini concert stages.
Cooper-Young Historic District, April 18
World Championship Hot Wing Contest & Festival
Brave souls battle sweat, sauce, and questionable life choices in the name of crispy, spicy glory.
River Garden Park on Riverside Drive, April 18
Vegan Block Party
Enjoy a family-friendly day filled with epic vegan food, DJs, and fun.
Martyrs Park, April 18
Vintage 901 Food & Wine Festival – The Grand Tasting
Uncork experiences with wine tastings and local flavor.
The Lobbyist, April 18
Mid-South Food Truck Festival
Memphis parks its best rolling kitchens in one spot so you can eat like a king without ever committing to just one type of cuisine.
Martyrs Park, April 19
Wolf Springfest with Ashley McBryde
Ashley McBryde brings the beat, the crowd brings the chaos, and your “just one drink” plan quietly disappears by sunset.
BankPlus Amphitheater, April 23
Double Decker Arts Festival
Art, music, and just enough double-decker buses to make you crave fish and chips between guitar solos.
Oxford Courthouse Square, Oxford, MS, April 24-25
33rd Rajun Cajun Crawfish Festival
Get ready to pinch and peel, and nobody leaves without butter on their shirt and zero regrets.
Riverside Drive, April 19
Shelby Forest Spring Fest
An annual excuse to frolic outdoors, go all in on your love for nature, and eat funnel cake like it’s a competitive sport.
Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park, April 25
Overton Square Crawfish Festival
A butter-drenched celebration where you eat your weight in crawfish.
Overton Square, April 25
Café du Memphis
A gloriously delicious church café pop-up where shrimp, beignets, and good intentions unite.
St. Michael Catholic Church, April 26
Trolley Night
Trolley Night turns the city into a block party where art, music, and people-watching compete for your attention.
South Main Arts District, last Friday of the month
MAY
RiverBeat Music Festival
Hip-hop, EDM, Americana, and indie acts will share stages for a weekend with the best food, vibes, and views.
Tom Lee Park, May 1-3
Experience Memphis Gardens
A citywide garden tour that showcases hundreds of private and public gardens.
Various locations, May 1-June 14
Memphis in May International Festival
Explore and honor Ireland and its vibrant culture.
Memphis, May 1-31
Bookstock
A gloriously nerdy neighborhood bash where book lovers crawl out of their reading nooks to mingle, enjoy storytelling, and pretend they totally meant to buy all those books.
Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library, May 2
Cigar & Whiskey BBQ Festival
A relaxed, social atmosphere centered around tasting and pairing experiences.
Agricenter International, May 2
Memphispano Performing Arts Festival
This inaugural showcase of artistic talent features workshops, theater performances, and activities for artists of all ages and disciplines.
Voices of the South, May 4-31
Cinco de Mayo at the Renasant
Enjoy the sounds of a live bilingual band while challenging friends to classic yard games.
Renasant Convention Center, May 5
Mississippi Wildlife Heritage Festival
Celebrate Mississippi’s rich outdoor traditions, local culture, and Delta heritage.
Downtown Leland, MS, May 8-9
Manes on Main
Smoked beers and food and the re-release of What a Mane Smoked Festbier.
Soul and Spirits, May 9
Puppy Palooza (Photo: Courtesy Jamie Harmon)
Puppy Palooza
Bring your furry friends and enjoy activities like pet portraits, agility courses, a costume contest, pupsicles, and more.
Crosstown Concourse, May 9
Memphis Greek Festival
Visitors are invited to “be Greek for a day” while experiencing traditional music, dancing, cuisine, and cultural exhibits.
Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, May 8-9
Germantown Performing Arts Center’s Big Squeeze (Photo: Courtesy Justin Fox Burks)
Big Squeeze Food Truck Festival
A delightfully messy mashup of food trucks, sunshine, and questionable self-control, where “just one bite” quickly turns into a full-blown culinary sprint.
Germantown Performing Arts Center, May 13
World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest
A smoky showdown of serious grill masters and equally serious appetites.
Liberty Park, May 13-16
DreamFest Weekend
Enjoy a chill outdoor hang at this multi-day music event. People picnic at these concerts, so don’t forget your lawn chair.
Overton Park Shell, May 16-17
Hope Festival
Family-friendly festival with food trucks, entertainment, vendors, and fireworks.
Tom Lee Park, May 22
Bluff City Fair
A family-friendly event with carnival rides, including thrill rides and kiddie ones, along with a petting zoo.
Tiger Lane at Liberty Park, May 22-31
Great American River Run
5K, 10K, and half marathon courses along the Mississippi River, followed by a festive post-race celebration.
Routes throughout Memphis, May 23
Memphis Italian Festival
Italian-American food, grape stomping, arts and crafts, and bocce ball.
Marquette Park, May 28-30
Memphis Dragon Boat Festival
A day of spirited paddling, questionable coordination, and enthusiastic yelling as teams race dragon boats across Shelby Farms Park’s water.
Shelby Farms Park, May 30
Memphis Listening Lab’s Record Exchange (Photo: Courtesy Memphis Listening Lab)
Memphis Listening Lab’s Record Exchange
A love letter to vinyl and people who collect it. The festivities spin up with a film screening, a cozy candlelight listening session, and live music.
Memphis Listening Lab, May 30
Memphis Concrète Music Festival
Two days and nights, a stack of synthesizers, and enough experimental electronic music to make your houseplants feel futuristic.
The Green Room at Crosstown Arts, May 30-31
Memphis Margarita Festival
Serving up tangy sips, good vibes, and just enough lime to make you pucker your lips (in a fun way).
Overton Square, May 30
JUNE
Tupelo Elvis Festival
Downtown Tupelo turns into a blue-suede swirl of rhinestones, Elvis impersonators, and hip-shaking nostalgia.
Downtown Tupelo, MS, June 3-7
Memphis Pride Fest
Celebrate love, glitter, and gloriously unapologetic vibes, where Memphis turns up the color, the crowds, and the collective fabulousness across the city.
Various locations, June 6
Juneteenth Douglas Freedom & Heritage Festival
A celebration honoring Juneteenth with music, culture, and enough good vibes to make freedom feel like a block party with historical significance.
Douglas Park, June 18-20
Blues Week @ The Blue Front
Where the riffs are hot, the drinks are cold, and your “just one more song” turns into closing the place down.
Blue Front Café, June 17-20
Juneteenth Shop Black Festival
A vibrant Juneteenth celebration featuring dozens of Black-owned vendors, food, and community culture in honor of freedom and entrepreneurship.
Martyrs Park, June 20
Memphis Crafts & Drafts: Summer Market
Shop some of the best local artists and makers while enjoying your favorite beer at this indoor and outdoor shopping event.
Crosstown Concourse, June 6
Record Fair
Vendor fair with local shops and individual sellers of all things music.
Soul and Spirits, June 13
Memphis Brewfest
Live music, food trucks, artisan vendors, entertainment — need I say more?
Shelby Farms Park, June 29
Tequila Festival
A spirited gathering where tequila flows with tastings, good vibes linger, and questionable decisions are made.
The Kent, June 27
Vintage Market
A collaboration with Mint Condition Vintage with vendors selling clothing, home goods, and retro items.
Soul and Spirits, June 27
JULY
4th Fest
A family-friendly event with both indoor and outdoor views of dazzling downtown fireworks on Independence Day, with concessions and festive bar specials.
Renasant Convention Center, July 4
Harry Potter’s Birthday Party and Trivia
Celebrating Harry Potter’s birthday with themed beers, food, and trivia — Hogwarts’ houses costumes strongly encouraged.
Soul and Spirits, July 31
AUGUST
Elvis Week
A week-long celebration where Graceland becomes ground zero for tribute acts, fan devotion, and more Elvis sightings than logic can comfortably explain.
Graceland, August 8-16
Soul and Spirits Book Fair (Photo: Courtesy Blair Perry)
Book Fair
Local shops and individual sellers of all things books.
Soul and Spirits, August 8
Memphis Chicken & Beer Festival
Where August heat meets fried greatness and cold brews in a glorious celebration of chicken-fueled decision-making.
Tiger Lane, August 8
FedEx St. Jude Championship
Golf’s biggest names chase birdies and bragging rights while Memphis chases shade, snacks, and at least one hole-in-one worth cheering about.
TPC Southwind, August 12-16
FoodieLand Food Festival
Where your diet goes to be deeply misunderstood, your stretchy pants earn their keep, and “just one more bite” becomes a multi-day commitment.
Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, August 21-23