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Last night, we presented a Key to the City to Booker T. Jones. His music helped create the Memphis sound, carry it around the world, and open doors for generations of artists who came after him. Booker T. has given so much to Memphis and to music, and it was an honor to give him a key that carries a simple message: “All of Memphis is open to you.”
As I was on stage with a legend, I was reminded once again that Memphis has such an outsized influence on the rest of the world when it comes to culture. And this weekend, that story of influence continues all across our city.
At the Orpheum, Memphis hip-hop pioneers 8Ball & MJG will perform with Bun B and the Renaissance Orchestra. The pairing of Memphis hip-hop with a full orchestra is a reminder that the music made here crosses boundaries and deserves its place among the great American art forms.
Just a few miles away, the Overton Park Shell continues celebrating 90 years of bringing people together through music. This weekend includes the Memphis Youth Symphony, gospel artists, and a Memphis Studio Super-Set honoring Stax, Sun, Sam Phillips Recording, American Sound, Royal Studios, and UNAPOLOGETIC. The events are family-friendly and free.
The Southern Heritage Classic returns with HBCU football, marching bands, the Orange Mound parade, and the Battle of the Bands. For many families, it is a reunion and a tradition passed from one generation to the next, while introducing young people to the excellence and opportunity our historically Black colleges and universities represent.
Cumbia en el Río will bring Latin music and dance to Beale Street Landing. Isaiah Rashad will perform at the new Satellite Music Hall. Opera Memphis will continue offering free performances across the city, and the Delta Fair will close out its 10-day run.
And at the Memphis Museum of Science & History, the second annual Like You Children’s Film Festival will introduce young Memphians to films and filmmakers from around the world. Children can experience new stories, meet filmmakers, and try filmmaking for themselves. The future of Memphis culture begins in spaces like these.
A child watching a film this weekend could become our next great filmmaker. A student playing at the Shell could one day headline it. A teenager hearing Memphis hip-hop performed with an orchestra could discover a new direction for their own music.
And there is something else that happens on weekends like this. People get out and experience Memphis together. They fill our venues, eat at our restaurants, stay in our hotels, and support local businesses. That activity supports jobs and puts money back into our local economy.
But the impact is bigger than that. A family takes their children to the Shell for the first time. College friends come back to Memphis for the Southern Heritage Classic. Someone discovers an artist or a venue they did not know before. People meet and reconnect. There is a magic in making memories together.
Our artists, venues, festivals, and cultural organizations cannot thrive if we simply say we are proud of them. Buying a ticket supports the people who make these experiences possible. Bringing your family builds an audience for the future. Showing up for a free event tells organizers and sponsors that we want them to keep investing in Memphis.
This weekend, buy a ticket. Attend a free performance. Take your children. Invite a friend. Make a memory in Memphis.
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