man with young girl on shoulders both hold up peace signs at Cooper young festival

Can't-Miss Spring Events in Memphis

It doesn't matter which weekend you decide to visit this spring, there's something happening in Memphis. Whether it's a food festival, cultural celebration, award-winning play, or rockin' concert, you'll find the party — or maybe the party will find you. 

Memphis’ Biggest Spring Events:

TROLLS: Save the Humans at Memphis Botanic Garden

Feb. 1–May 21, 2025
Recycle artist Thomas Dambo's larger-than-life troll sculptures are coming to Memphis Botanic Garden. Explore the gardens to meet Dambo's six giants in this outdoor exhibit with an emphasis on sustainability. 

Memphis Grizzlies

March–April 2025
Don't miss your chance to catch NBA superstar Ja Morant, 2025 NBA All-Star Jaren Jackson Jr. and the Memphis Grizzlies make their playoff push. The regular season runs through April 13, 2025. See the NBA's biggest stars as they take the floor at FedExForum. Get your tickets now! 

Memphis Redbirds AAA Baseball

March–September 2025
Have a grand slam of a good time with the best Minor League baseball team in the country. The St. Louis Cardinals affiliate serves up a home run at every Redbirds game with fun activities and games to keep everyone in their seats beyond the seventh-inning stretch. Select games even include a fireworks show at the end. This year, the season gets underway with the Battle of the Birds! The St. Louis Cardinals are coming to town for a friendly exhibition on March 24, 2025

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Silky Sullivan St. Patrick’s Parade

March 15, 2025
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day on iconic Beale Street at the 52nd annual Silky Sullivan St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Join a sea of green in cheering on the floats, marching bands, steppers and more as they march down Beale.

Some Like It Hot

April 8–13, 2025
Some Like It Hot is coming to the Orpheum Theatre. Don’t miss your chance to see this Tony and GRAMMY winner live, April 8 - 13, 2025. Get your tickets today! 

Peabody Rooftop Parties

April–August, 2025
Party on the most happenin’ rooftop in Memphis! If you’re 21+, kick off your weekend at the Peabody Memphis hotel’s weekly rooftop party. Every Thursday throughout spring and summer, the Peabody welcomes a live DJ and weekly headliner for the ultimate Memphis party. Several bars, a large dance floor, a VIP area and a beautiful view of the Mississippi River’s sunset set the tone for a memorable dance party in Memphis.

World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest

May 14–17, 2025
Memphis in May is just around the corner, and we bet you can already smell the barbecue! Memphis is the barbecue capital of the world, so naturally the Bluff City is home to the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest. Stop by Liberty Park, where the world’s best smokers and pitmasters will be hard at work perfecting their ribs, rubs and sauces in the hopes of being crowned the king or queen of Memphis barbecue. Travel Tip: Remember this isn’t a food festival. You’ll only be able to sample the recipes of cooking teams if you’re invited to their booths, but there’s still tons of food and fun for guests too!

SmokeSlam

May 15–17, 2025
Don't miss Memphis' newest barbecue-cooking contest. "The World's Ultimate BBQ Showdown" is set for May 15 - 17, 2025, at Tom Lee Park on the Mississippi Riverfront. Watch some of the world's best pitmasters compete for a $250,000 prize. Visitors can also enjoy games, a carousel, a Ferris wheel, a local marketplace and food samples. 

Memphis' Biggest Spring Festivals

Soulful Food Truck Festival

March 23, 2025
Cap Memphis Black Restaurant Week with live music, DJs, local shopping and fare from more than 30 local and regional food trucks at the Soulful Food Truck Festival on Tiger Lane. 

Memphis Tattoo Festival

April 4-6, 2025
The Renasant Convention Center will welcome more than 200 of the world's best tattoo artists for a three-day festival filled with competitions, vendors, live tattooing and walk-up tattoo sessions. 

Vintage901® Wine, Food and
Music Spring Festival 2025 

April 5–6, 2025
Foodies are in for a treat at the 9th Annual Vintage901® Wine, Food and Music Spring Festival 2025. The weekend includes food-and-wine-pairing classes, chef demonstrations, meet-and-greets with culinary professionals and live music at The Grand Tasting. Then, go for a relaxing late brunch at The Sparkling Brunch.

Shelby Forest Spring Fest

April 12, 2025
Head to Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park to enjoy live music, crafts vendors, festival food and cultural and wildlife exhibitions all for just $5 at the 13th Annual Shelby Forest Spring Fest

Shell Daze Music Festival

April 19, 2025
Shell Daze Music Festival is bringing Lettuce, Daniel Donato's Cosmic Country, Grace Bowers & The Hodge Podge and The Velvet Dogs to Midtown's Overton Park Shell. Tickets are on sale now. VIP packages include early entry, access to a private discounted bar, a VIP viewing deck, 10% discount on merchandise and more. 

Crawfish on Newspaper advertising the Crawfish Festival
Andrea Zucker
Peabody | Phillip Van Zandt
Cochon BBQ Festival
Justin Fox Burks
Memphis Redbirds player with a young fan. | Craig Thompson
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Taste the Rarity 2025

April 26, 2025
If you're a craft beer connoisseur, Taste the Rarity is a must. This four-hour beer festival at Wiseacre Brewing Co. features food trucks, live music and unlimited beer tastings from a variety of brewmasters. Guests must be 21 or older.  

World Championship Hot Wing Contest and Festival

April 26, 2025
Memphis is known for its barbecue, but did you know it's also the hot wing capital of the world? Get tickets to the 23rd annual World Championship Hot Wing Contest and Festival to sample smoked, fried and grilled wings tossed in all kinds of sauces and rubs, from sticky sweet to spicy, as you overlook the Mississippi River at Downtown's River Garden Park.

RAJUN CAJUN CRAWFISH FESTIVAL

April 27, 2025
Venture to the heart of Downtown Memphis to enjoy delicious crawfish amid a sea of your new best friends at Rajun Cajun Crawfish Festival on April 27, 2025. This festival is filled with arts and crafts, games, live music and a whole lotta crawfish. Come celebrate Cajun country’s favorite dish.

OVERTON SQUARE CRAWFISH FESTIVAL

April 2025
Didn't quite quench that crawfish fix? Don't miss the Overton Square Crawfish Festival. This free fest is packed with live music, goods from local makers and artisans, craft brews and more of those tasty crawdads.

RiverBeat Music Fest

May 2–4, 2025
RiverBeat is back for its second year on the Mississippi Riverfront at Tom Lee Park this spring. Headliners include Missy Elliot, Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals, The Killers and more. Be there for three days of 50+ bands jamming across five stages.

DREAMFEST WEEKEND

May 16–18, 2025
Head to the Overton Park Shell for three days of rap, hip-hop and more performances at DreamFest Weekend. This collaborative festival features local artists and musicians to help promote Memphis’ rich arts and culture scene.

About the Author

Born and raised in Memphis, J.T. Mullen has written about the city and its surrounding area for more than seven years. You'll probably catch him in the stands of a Memphis Tigers basketball or football game with barbecue nachos in hand. 

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