Peabody Rooftop Parties

Have you had a chance to attend any of the Rooftop Parties at the Peabody this summer? If not, you still have 2 weeks left to get in on all of the fun!

The Peabody Rooftop Parties are the perfect pre-stop before you go out for the evening, or a great place to hang out with friends after work. The event takes place between 6 pm and 10:30 pm. There’s a $10 cover charge, and guess what? The first drink is on them!

Every rooftop party features live music. This week features G3 The Garry Goin Band. This R&B showband features awesome male and female vocals, supurb sound, and a vast array of songs that you love from the 50’s to today’s top hits.

The food tomorrow night will be ‘soul food’: fried chicken, mac & cheese, cornbread, and summer tomato salad. Remember,  you must be 21 or older to enter, and ladies and hotel guests are free before 7 pm.

Enter the Realm of Music Video Production!

Hey Arbors! Are there any of you out there who have always been interested int the music industry but have no talent whatsoever? Have you or someone  you know always dreamed of making music videos? Well, here’s your chance to gain some insight into the industry at the Music Video Production Summit hosted by the Memphis Music Foundation and Live From Memphis.

This workshop is geared toward filmmakers and musicians seeking to expand their craft and exposure. This is perfect for you communications and video production majors out there. There will also be a panel discussion ranging from the following topics:

• Explaining the unique aspects of producing a music video
• How a music video can publicly showcase the talent of a musician or video artist
• Comparing the difference in filmmaking and music video production
• Discussing the creative relationship with the musician and the director
• And more!

Panel guests include: Mike McCarthy (Memphis Filmmaker); Nathan Black (Unbreakable Productions); Sarah Fleming and Christopher Reyes (Live From Memphis); and Joe Gotti (JG Productions).

So if you’re interested in the music industry, this just may be  your ticket in. The event is free, but space is limited, so RSVP as soon as you can.

photo credit: timgrable

Lights, Camera, Action! Casting Workshop in Memphis

Hey Arbors River Oaks! Did you have a great holiday weekend? I hope so. Well, it’s time to get back into the swing of things and I have a new event for all of you aspiring actors and filmmakers.

FuelFilm: Memphis, a nonprofit organization that promotes the growth of the area film industry, will host a casting workshop from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, July 10, at Memphis Heritage’s Howard Hall (2282 Madison Ave).

The event is aptly titled “Cast Away“. Cute play on words, huh? “Cast Away” is intended to bring local actors together with producers, directors, writers and people interested in filmmaking. Luckily for those interested in acting, the workshop is free. If you are an aspiring filmmaker, the workshop is $10. That’s not bad at all, for what you’re gaining from the experience.

You get to mingle with local actors and filmmakers in order to get their insights into the industry, and actors will have a chance to read for various parts.

I think anybody that’s interested in the entertainment industry should definitely attend. You may not get another opportunity as good as this one.

Would you like to see more workshops like this around town?

Directions from Arbors River Oaks:

Head north on Arbor Commons Cir toward River Commons Cir N. Turn right at River Commons Cir N. Turn left at Humphreys Blvd. Turn left at Walnut Grove Rd. Merge onto I-240 E via the ramp to Nashville. Take exit 12B on the left for Sam Copper Blvd. Merge onto Sam Cooper Blvd. Turn left at E Pkwy N. Turn right at Madison Ave. Destination will be on the right.

17th Annual Juneteenth Freedom and Heritage Festival in Memphis

Hey Arbors River Oaks! It’s time once again for the Annual Juneteenth Festival here in Memphis! And, no, it isn’t a typo, it’s actually spelled Juneteenth.

For those of you that don’t know,  Juneteeth is likely the oldest-surviving celebration to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States.  Juneteenth began in Galveston, Texas, a year after Union troops arrived there to proclaim freedom for all slaves on June 19, 1865 (hence the Juneteenth , which is derived from June Nineteenth) — 2 years after the Emancipation Proclamation.

There is a different theme every year; this year’s theme is a tribute to African-Americans in politics from Reconstruction to the present, which connects the first black U.S. senator, Mississippi congressman Hiram Rhodes Revels, to a more recent U.S. senator, President Barack Obama.

A theme of the Juneteenth Festival in Memphis that has begun to pick up in recent years is that more and more African-American families are having their family reunions there. Last year, at least 20 family reunions were going on.

So what else is going on at the festival? Well, a variety of music can be heard, from blues, gospel and jazz to soul and hip-hop, all a reminder of the lasting impact African-American culture has had on popular music. Connecting black American music with its roots in the Afrodiaspora, the festival will kick off Friday morning with African drumming. Neo-soul and spoken-word acts will continue throughout the day.

This sounds like a supremely awesome even giving tribute to those that endured so much. I would attend, but I have my own family reunion to attend this weekend.

The 17th Annual Juneteenth Freedom and Heritage Festival begins Friday at 11 am and runs into Sunday at 7 pm. All days begin at 11 pm with Saturday being the only day that ends at 8 pm. Best of all, it’s free to the public.

If you can, I highly recommend attending. It’s taking place at Douglass Park, only about 15 minutes from Arbors River Oaks. All the more incentive for you to attend!

Cajun, Crawfish, and Catfish, oh my!

Hey Arbors River Oaks! You know that when it comes to the best food in the nation, Memphis never fails to deliver. However, this festival isn’t all BBQ centered. It’s the Cajun Catfish and Crawfish Festival!

It all goes down TODAY from 5 pm to 8 pm at the Cajun Catfish Company in East Memphis, 1616 Sycamore View to be exact. Luckily for you Arbors River Oaks residents, the Cajun Catfish Company is right up the road; it’s only about 9 minutes from here!

What are you getting at the Cajun Crawfish Festival? Live New Orleans music on the patio (where most of the activities will take place), mounds and mounds of crawfish, free giveaways, and refreshing beer specials! Not to mention some of the best catfish on the east side of Memphis!

So come hungry, bring friends, and you surely won’t be dissapointed!

Are you a fan of the Cajun Catfish Company?

Directions From Arbor Rivers Oaks

Head north on Arbor Commons Circle toward River Common Circle N. Turn right at River Commons Cir N. Turn left at Humphreys Blvd.  Turn left at Walnut Grove Rd. Merge onto I-240 E via the ramp to Nashville.  Take exit 12 C to merge onto I-40 E toward Nashville. Take exit 12 for Sycamore View Rd toward Bartlett. Turn left at Sycamore View Rd.

Sprint into Summer!

Hey ARO! Are there any runners in the crowd? Well, if so, I have some information for you. The Memphis Runners Track Club has listed two upcoming events that you may be interested in: the Civitan 5K and the Gipson Guitar 5K. Both are on June 12 with one in the evening and on that morning. You’ll have to be pretty awesome to participate in both races; I can barely imagine running in one! Actually, I can barely image running,

The Civitan 5K is taking place at Shelby Farms, and is celebrating children and adults with special needs. Wheelchair participants are welcome, if not encouraged to participate! Registration is still open, and you will be able to register on race day as well.

The Gipson Guitar 5K is on June 12 at 7 pm. They’re hailing it as “the Saturday night run and party that signals the official start of summer fun!” There’s even a roof top after party after the event!  The race takes place at 2nd at Beale St.

Be sure to check out the events websites for more information, and get ready to sprint into summer!

Related articles by Zemanta

• Beginner Training for a 5K (walking-running-training.suite101.com)

A Little Taste of Italy in Memphis

You know what I love about Memphis? I love the fact that we branch out to so many different cultures, and try to include everyone in the celebrations. There’s always so much going on, that you can hardly be bored in Memphis? What’s going on this week to keep you culturally inclined? Why, the Memphis Italian Festival of course.

For those that don’t know, the Memphis Italian Festival, held at beautiful and convenient Marquette Park in East Memphis, is a community celebration, demonstrating the values of family, faith and fellowship in the Italian-American tradition, for the benefit of the children of Holy Rosary Parish School.

There’s so much going on at this festival: arts and crafts, a cafe and wine garden, bocce tournaments, pizza tossing, and plenty of food concessions and music. I love food, especially Italian, so I’m pretty sure would be my  favorite part of the festival. The pizza tossing sounds interesting, and I’m a big fan of little crafts and knickknacks from around the world.

The festival starts this Thursday, June 3 at 5 pm, and continues through Sat. and Sun. at 11 am. Be sure to come out and experience the Italian-American culture for yourself!

Romancing the Cone

Summer is so close I can taste it! And what does summer taste like? Ice cream of course! More specifically, if you’re at Barkley’s Stem Shop in Midtown, it tastes like $1 ice cream. What could be sweeter?

Barkley’s has been serving soft serve ice cream cones for $1 for a few months now. They recently added hand-dipped options in vanilla, chocolate, black walnut, and strawberry which are also $1. It’s all an incentive to get more bodies in the doors of the flower shop. And with ice cream at such great prices, can you really ask for a better incentive?

Barkley’s is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon.

So this summer, when you’re romancing your honey (or for whatever other reason you may buy flowers) be sure to get a cool treat to beat the summer heat.

You think you know BBQ? You have no idea…

If anyone knows Memphis BBQ, it’s these guys. 7 friends took on the ultimate BBQ challenge, and ate at 34 BBQ joints in 3 days. If someone asks you if you’d partake in this little adventure and you answer yes, the next question would be…why?!

When asked why the guys replied that it was “just for the absurdity of it”. Well, that’s one reason.

The group of seven spent a weekend in April eating and rating ribs, sandwiches, beans, slaw and sauce. And, yes, they truly did go to 34 places. With six Sonic stops in between. (Gotta love their happy hour )

I don’t think that I could take on this endeavor, even though I absolutely LOVE BBQ. Could you?

Here’s the list of restaurants that the guys ventured to, as well as the full story.

A Weekend of BBQ? I’m In!

Memphis in May continues! What does the third weekend in May represent? It’s the Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest! Starting Thursday, May 13th, downtown Memphis will smell like nothing but barbecue. I can’t wait; I’m getting hungry just thinking about it!

Normally, Thursday is just one big party! It’s like Mardi Gras Memphis style. Strolling down the row of ‘beginner’ BBQ-ers gives you the feel of one huge block party! There’s dancing, music, and most importantly, the food! On Friday you’ll find lesser parties, and on Saturday, all is quiet as people anxiously await the results of who won the contest.

Luckily for us all, the forecast is looking pretty good the weekend. Let’s just hope it doesn’t rain! If I were you, I’d bring your ponchos just in case.

Do you attend the BBQ contest often?

Next Page »