Memphis Creative Week: August 7–13, 2026

Friday, August 7

• 4 p.m. onward — Blue Christmas at Bar Hustle
  Bar Hustle at ARRIVE Memphis, South Main · No cover listed
  FREE ENTRY
  A fully decorated Elvis-themed Christmas takeover with live music, impersonators, trivia, bingo, and food and drink specials. It continues daily through August 17. Event details

• Doors 5 p.m. — Premo Rice Live
  New Daisy Theatre, Beale Street · $33 GA; $83.49 meet-and-greet
  ONE-NIGHT-ONLY ADVANCE TICKET
  The better choice tonight for contemporary independent hip-hop and a Beale Street crowd. Event and tickets

• 6 p.m. — Canoes + Cocktails
  Shelby Farms Park, East Memphis · Ticketed; price shown during booking · 21+
  ADVANCE TICKET
  Guided sunset paddling followed by Old Dominick cocktails, snacks, music, and games—an unusually Memphis date-night experience. Shelby Farms information

• 8 p.m.; doors 7 p.m. — Zoso: The Ultimate Led Zeppelin Experience
  Minglewood Hall, Midtown · Ticket price shown at checkout · All ages
  ONE-NIGHT-ONLY ADVANCE TICKET
  A large-scale, carefully recreated Zeppelin concert rather than a casual cover-band set. Official venue page

Saturday, August 8

Saturday is overloaded—in a good way. The daytime events can be combined, but the evening choices conflict.

• 10 a.m.–2 p.m. — Summer Splash
  Overton Park Greensward, Midtown · Free
  FREE FAMILY-FRIENDLY FINAL DATE
  Waterslides and outdoor play on the Greensward; this is the final Summer Splash of 2026. Event details

• 11 a.m.–noon — Chelsea Wall Community Celebration
  71 Chelsea Avenue, North Memphis · Free
  FREE FAMILY-FRIENDLY ONE-TIME EVENT
  Meet the artists and celebrate new murals transforming the historic Chelsea floodwall into a community-history and public-art landmark. UrbanArt Commission registration

• 11 a.m.–8 p.m. — Memphis Black Family Reunion, Day One
  Martin Luther King Jr. Riverside Park, South Memphis · Free
  FREE FAMILY-FRIENDLY FESTIVAL
  Local art and music, the “Give Memphis Her Flowers” creative showcase, children’s activities, a market, picnic areas, and the People’s Assembly. Official festival page

• 1–4 p.m. — Free Family Day at Stax Museum
  Stax Museum, Soulsville USA · Free
  FREE FAMILY-FRIENDLY
  Free afternoon admission offers an easy way to connect Saturday’s community celebrations with Memphis soul-music history. Event details

• 2:30 p.m. — CatVideoFest 2026
  MoSH/Pink Palace, Midtown · $15 adults; $12 children
  FAMILY-FRIENDLY ONE-SCREENING ADVANCE TICKET
  A big-screen collection of cat videos and animation benefiting Mewtopia Cat Rescue—lighthearted, communal, and far stranger than streaming the clips at home. Official Like You Film Club schedule

• 6–8 p.m. — My Big Backyard Jam Session
  Memphis Botanic Garden, East Memphis · $15 members; $20 nonmembers; children 12 and under free
  FAMILY-FRIENDLY ONE-NIGHT-ONLY ADVANCE TICKET
  The public opening of the new Fun Studio play space, with Graham Winchester, Jeff Hulett, Ben Church, Lori McStay, Frank McClallen, creative activities, and outdoor play. Official tickets

• 6–10 p.m. — Memphis Chicken & Beer Festival
  Tiger Lane, Liberty Park · $45 plus tax and fees · 21+
  FESTIVAL ONE-NIGHT-ONLY ADVANCE TICKET
  Unlimited beverage samples, food vendors, and live music, with part of the proceeds supporting Merge Memphis. Festival tickets

• 7 p.m. — Elvis Vegas Nights
  Graceland Soundstage, Whitehaven · Individually ticketed
  ELVIS WEEK ONE-NIGHT-ONLY ADVANCE TICKET
  A high-production celebration of Elvis’s Las Vegas periods, featuring multiple Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist winners and the EAS Band. Official Graceland listing

Sunday, August 9

• 10 a.m.–4 p.m. — Memphis College of Art, 1936–2020: An Enduring Legacy
  Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Overton Park · $18 adults; $15 seniors/students; $10 youth; young children free
  FAMILY-FRIENDLY
  Ninety works by MCA faculty, administrators, and graduates document the school’s enormous influence on Memphis’s creative identity. Official exhibition page

• 11 a.m.–8 p.m. — Memphis Black Family Reunion, Day Two
  Martin Luther King Jr. Riverside Park · Free
  FREE FAMILY-FRIENDLY FESTIVAL
  A second opportunity to experience the performances, creative showcase, community market, and civic programming. Official festival page

• 7 p.m. — Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Semifinals
  Graceland Soundstage, Whitehaven · Individually ticketed
  ELVIS WEEK ONE-NIGHT-ONLY ADVANCE TICKET
  The competitive side of Elvis Week, bringing together leading tribute performers from qualifying events around the world. Official Graceland listing

Monday, August 10

• 9:30 a.m.–4 p.m. — Canvas, Clay & Camera
  St. George’s Episcopal Church Art Gallery, Germantown · Free
  FREE
  Paintings, ceramics, and photography from eleven local artists, with sales partially supporting Carpenter Art Garden’s work in Binghampton. Exhibition details

• 7 p.m. — Elvis: Hollywood Hits Live
  Graceland Soundstage, Whitehaven · Individually ticketed
  ELVIS WEEK ONE-NIGHT-ONLY ADVANCE TICKET
  A live production built around Elvis’s movie era, spanning Jailhouse Rock, Blue Hawaii, Viva Las Vegas, and other soundtrack material. Official Graceland listing

Tuesday, August 11

• 10 a.m.–5 p.m. — Debbie Likley Pacheco: Living in Layers
  Dixon Gallery & Gardens, East Memphis · Free
  FREE
  Mixed-media works combining city photography, digital manipulation, paint, and wax—particularly worthwhile for artists interested in hybrid processes. Official exhibition page

• 1 p.m. — EP Core Live!
  TCB Showroom at The Guest House at Graceland · $21.50–$36.50
  ELVIS WEEK ONE-TIME EVENT ADVANCE TICKET
  A multigenerational program featuring John Oates, Sweet Inspiration Estelle Brown, emerging performers, fan creators, and material from the Graceland Archives. Official announcement

• 7 p.m. — Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Finals
  Graceland Soundstage · Individually ticketed
  ELVIS WEEK ONE-NIGHT-ONLY ADVANCE TICKET
  The culmination of the international tribute-artist competition. Official Graceland listing

Wednesday, August 12

• 3 p.m. — Presley Pop Art with Kelsey Adrienne
  Jungle Room Bar at Graceland · $48
  HANDS-ON ONE-TIME EVENT ADVANCE TICKET
  Create an original Elvis-inspired mixed-media canvas using vintage matchbooks, clippings, photographs, and playing cards. Capacity is limited. Official event announcement

Thursday, August 13

• 6 p.m. — Latin Soul Sessions Residency Opening
  Club La Rumba, South Main · From $25.44
  OPENING NIGHT ADVANCE TICKET
  Dariel Amant and Keri Lee open a three-night residency exploring the intersection of Memphis soul and Latin music, food, and dance. Tickets and weekend details

• 7–9 p.m. — The Fall
  Crosstown Theater, Crosstown · Ticketed
  ONE-NIGHT-ONLY ADVANCE TICKET
  Tarsem Singh’s visually extravagant fantasy is built around storytelling, imagination, and extraordinary real-world locations—the film pick of the week. Official Crosstown Arts listing

• 7 p.m. — Elvis 1956
  Graceland Soundstage, Whitehaven · Individually ticketed
  ELVIS WEEK ONE-NIGHT-ONLY ADVANCE TICKET
  Live music, archival screen material, and conversation examine the pivotal year Elvis became both a superstar and a national controversy. Official Graceland listing

Event schedules and ticket availability can change, particularly during Elvis Week, so check the linked page before leaving.