Memphis is My Boyfriend!
I LOVE Memphis!
Memphis is not only my hometown; Memphis is also my Boyfriend.
Yep you read right. Memphis is my boyfriend, and we’ve been dating for a while. (Who knows, he might even put a ring on it!) Our relationship isn’t perfect. Memphis is very temperamental when it comes to the weather, and he treats the expressway as his personal Nascar Raceway. Except for those and a few other other flaws, Memphis is great year-round. But he is especially fantastic during the Spring and the Summer. Minus the pollen and the insufferable heat, Memphis has a lot to offer during the Spring and Summer. As a Memphian, my social calendar is literally booked through the Turkey Trot in November.
One of my family’s favorite hangouts is the Levitt Shell. It’s located in Midtown in Overton Park: after the Brooks Museum, but before the Memphis Zoo. Memphis and I have had some get dates at the Levitt Shell. The Levitt Shell hosts the Summer Orion Free Music Concert Series. Every Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night you and your family can listen to LIVE music for FREE!!!!! If you have never experienced this, you are definitely missing out. My family and I load our car with blankets, foldable chairs, food, beverages, and a bubble machine. Truth be told, the blankets, chairs, and picnic basket never leave our car from May – October; but we’re all about the bubbles. Even thought the shows start at 7:30pm, we arrive early to get a really good spot. We all run around, dance, and enjoy ourselves. If you don’t want to bring anything but a blanket, that’s fine too: they have food and beverage trucks there all summer long.
Because Spring is in the air, so are the Festivals. I go to Every. Single. Festival. In. Memphis. Sometimes I attend them with my kids, but sometimes I go alone! Either way, festivals in Memphis are always full of fun and fellowship. It gives you an opportunity to see Memphis through the eyes of another culture.
Here is my current festivals list so far:
Memphis Greek Festival 5/10-5/11
Memphis Brewfest 5/11
Memphis Flyer Margarita Festival 5/11
World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest 5/15-5/18
Memphis Italian Festival 5/30-6/1
Memphis Juneteenth Urban Music Festival 6/14-6/16
Craft Food and Wine Festival 6/23
Mid-South International Festival 6/29-6/30
Germantown Festival 8/8-8/9
Bacon and Bourbon Festival 8/24
Memphis Food and Wine Festival 10/12
Everything I love about Memphis doesn’t always involve food. Memphis is one of the best cities for walkers and runners. You can literally complete a 5K (or greater) race every week while supporting some cool charities. And, true to the Memphis vibe, most races include amazing shirts, great swag, and wild afterparties featuring some of the best local cuisine. (I guess most things I love about Memphis do include food!) The Memphis Runner and Track Club offers a variety of run courses and amazing series!
The M-Town Series will be starting soon. It includes a run through the zoo, a sunset race through Harbortown, and 2 more awe-inspiring races:
5/23/2019 – ZOOM THROUGH THE ZOO 4 MILER
5/31/2019 – HARBORTOWN 3 MILE
6/8/2019 – ORION 5K (FORMERLY GIBSON GUITAR 5K)
7/3/2019 – MEMPHIS STARS AND STRIPES
But it would be awful to neglect some of my other favorite sinful indulgences. I enjoy the fact that there are amazing food trucks on every corner. No matter what your fancy is, there’s a food truck for that. I enjoy German Chocolate cake from Frost Bakery paired with the Butter Moon Coffee from The Ugly Mug. I live for Friday nights on Main Street. Oftentimes they have art galleries open, but if they don’t I rest my weary bones at Ernestine and Hazel. This building has been around since the 1903s. Now it’s a bar that screams MEMPHIS! Their soul burgers a necessary!
I also enjoy the Greenline, Overton Park, gas station fried chicken, Bar Dog Burgers, sand volleyball at the Railgarten, local goods at the Farmer’s Markets, art galleries, and much, much more.
Memphis and I may argue about the weather, politics, and school systems; sometimes we even argue over which place has the best grits, but our relationship still grows stronger with each sunrise.
