Community > Play > Festivals & Events
From worldclass traveling art exhibits to the wildest of street parties, Memphians can always find something to celebrate.
Year-round we celebrate our diversity, our southern roots, our obsessions with good food and even better music, and our love of Memphis’ natural surroundings.
Huge celebrations in February for Mardi Gras, and the Ragin’ Cajun Festival attract locals an every year. There is also a Memphis Music Festival in September, and an International Competition in October.
All-night blues fest on Beale Street sound good? Or, is a symphony-serenaded picnic overlooking the Mississippi River more your speed? Either way, Memphis has an event to tempt the most stay-at-home sort of person.
Memphis in May International Festival is the city’s largest festival. The annual, month-long celebration of international culture, business, education, and fun honors a different country each year. The festival is centered in Tom Lee Park, overlooking the Mississippi River, and attracts an average of more than 500,000 people each year. Events include the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest Beale Street Music Festival and the Memphis Symphony Orchestra’s Sunset Symphony.
Africa in April Cultural Awareness Festival is an international cultural awareness celebration held throughout the month. The festival provides historical experiences highlighting various and diverse African-American disciplines via art, history, genealogy, crafts, musicology, dance, folklore and story-telling.