From 901 Fest to the Delta Fair: 9 things to do during Labor Day weekend in Memphis

John Beifuss, Memphis Commercial Appeal
·4 min read

You don't have to work hard to find entertainment in Memphis on Labor Day weekend.

First declared a federal holiday in 1894, Labor Day — the annual recognition of the achievements and contributions of American workers — has become an especially action-packed milestone. A three-day weekend for many, the holiday offers an end-of-summer chance to party down and act up before sunny days give way to winter weather, holiday stress and early sunsets.

Here is a list of nine things to do in the Memphis area over the holiday weekend. Some are outdoors, some are indoors, all are — we hope — worthwhile.

'Another Dimension: Digital Art in Memphis'

Through Sept. 11, Memphis Brooks Museum of Art in Overton Park

Like the towering "Vide-O-Belisk" of televisions that video art pioneer Nam June Paik created for the Brooks in 2002, which prefigured the boom in new types of visual image-making, digital creation has been on the rise in recent years, as chronicled in news stories about cryptocurrencies and NFTs. Open since June, the first-of-its-kind Memphis museum exhibit offers what Brooks curators call "a glimpse into the emerging digital art scene in Memphis," exploring ways in which artists working in digital media  can create "virtual environments" and "alternative physical and psychological spaces in the digital realm." Visit brooksmuseum.org.

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Pickin' and grinnin' and skeletonin': Keller Williams' bring his "Grateful Grass" show to the Overton Park Shell.
Pickin' and grinnin' and skeletonin': Keller Williams' bring his "Grateful Grass" show to the Overton Park Shell.

'Grateful Grass' — The Church Health 35th Anniversary Concert

5:30-9:45 p.m. Sept. 1, Overton Park Shell

To help promote recognition of and support for the nonprofit organization that provides crucial health care to the region's neediest residents, the Shell is the site for a free concert headlined by Keller Williams' Grateful Grass, in which the veteran singer-songwriter leads such ensembles as the Hellbenders and The Stone Gas Band in bluegrass-style renditions of Grateful Dead songs.

Marcella & Her Lovers will perform at this year's 901 Fest at Railgarten.
Marcella & Her Lovers will perform at this year's 901 Fest at Railgarten.

901 Fest

Sept. 1-4, Railgarten

Live rap, blues, rock and gospel will be on tap for four days at the food-drink-and-games venue at 2166 Central. The stellar lineup includes some of the area's best performers including Star & Micey, Dead Soldiers, Lord T & Eloise, Marcella & Her Lovers, Neighborhood Texture Jam, the Wilkins Sisters, Devil Train, the Lucky 7 Brass Band and this year's Grammy winner for Best Traditional Blues Album, Cedric Burnside. A weekend pass is $55; single-day tickets are $15 for Thursday or Sunday and $20 for Friday or Saturday. For daily music schedules, tickets and more, visit railgarten.com/901-fest/.

As demonstrated by this 2018 photograph of Sharon Harris and her 10-year-old nephew, Joduntis Robinson, the Delta Fair may make you scream with joy or fear or (most likely) some combination of the two.
As demonstrated by this 2018 photograph of Sharon Harris and her 10-year-old nephew, Joduntis Robinson, the Delta Fair may make you scream with joy or fear or (most likely) some combination of the two.

Delta Fair & Music Festival

Sept. 2-11, 7777 Walnut Grove at Agricenter International

Ten days of live music, rides, pig races, funnel cakes, circus acrobats, "Jurassic Kingdom Dinosaurs," livestock, celebrity visits ("Cobra Kai" star Gianni DiCenzo will be present Sept. 5) and more, the Delta Fair combines state-of-the-art attractions with old-school county fair appeal. Admission prices vary; free admission coupons are available, with restrictions, to those who register online. Visit deltafest.com.

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Memphis Public Libraries' LGBTQIA+ Pride Celebration

Sept. 2-3, Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library

Art, music, a trivia contest, a mini-Pride parade, raffles, free drinks and more are part of the fun as OUTMemphis, Friends of the Library and other allies recognize an important part of the Memphis community. Activities range from 6-8 p.m. Sept. 2 and from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Sept. 3. To register, visit memphislibrary.org.

Beale Street Cigar Festival

Sept. 2-4, Handy Park

Smoke 'em if you got 'em at this seventh annual stogie celebration, which features live entertainment (the B.B. King All-Star Band, among others) and vendors representing what organizers tout as "the top cigar brands in the world." Admission prices vary. Visit bealestreetcigarfestival.com.

We're gonna need a bigger screen: "Jaws" comes to IMAX on Sept. 2.
We're gonna need a bigger screen: "Jaws" comes to IMAX on Sept. 2.

'Jaws' in IMAX

Sept. 2-8, Malco Paradiso

Steven Spielberg's 1975 sharker, er, shocker was the biggest box-office hit of all time until something called "Star Wars" — created by Spielberg's pal, George Lucas — came along two years later. "You're gonna need a bigger boat," Roy Scheider famously said in the film; perhaps with that admonition in mind, Spielberg and Universal Pictures have upgraded "Jaws" for a bigger screen: The movie goes into re-release Sept. 2 in IMAX theaters (including the Paradiso at 584 S. Mendenhall), in a director-approved conversion that ought to show audiences how a single fish could make such a huge splash. Bonus: You can see "Jaws" — and any movie, at any Malco theater — for $3 a ticket on Sept. 3, which the National Association of Theatre Owners has declared "National Cinema Day," with $3 movie tickets all over America. For tickets and showtimes, visit malco.com.

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Stone Soul Picnic

3-9 p.m. Sept. 3, Overton Park Shell

One of the city's most storied events, the family-friendly Stone Soul Picnic has hosted an annual revue of gospel and R&B-oriented Christian music since 1974; this year's lineup will include the Spiritual Soldiers, the Sensational Wells Brothers and more. The free event is organized by WLOK-AM 1340, the first Black-owned radio station in Memphis. Visit wlok.com.

Smooth soul balladeer Peabo Bryson is coming to the Cannon Center.
Smooth soul balladeer Peabo Bryson is coming to the Cannon Center.

Peabo Bryson and the River City Jazz & Music Festival

6:30-11 p.m. Sept. 4, Cannon Center for the Performing Arts

The veteran soul balladeer headlines an evening's entertainment that also includes South African singer-guitarist Jonathan Butler, smooth-jazz saxophonist Najee and the fusion group, Pieces of a Dream. Find more information on Facebook or at thecannoncenter.com.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Labor Day in Memphis things to do: Delta Fair, 901 Fest, 'Jaws' more