5 Things To Do This Weekend: 4/6 – 4/8

Hello Memphis! Here are the five things you won’t want to miss in Memphis this weekend, plus a few extras.

(And yes, for the first time in nine years, I’m publishing these before Friday morning. What do y’all think about that?)

Here’s the list:

1. Midtown Opera Festival 2018, Playhouse on the Square, April 6-14, $100 festival pass ($400 value), individual events start at $10, all ages

Opera Memphis’ festival returns to Playhouse on the Square, anchored by The Triumph of Honor and The Opera 901 Showcase. Get your passes here. Here’s the lineup for this weekend:

2. Super Chevy Show, Memphis International Raceway, Friday – Sunday, $20 – $45, all ages/kid-friendly

The 32nd Annual Super Chevy Show is back and bigger than ever. Expect all things Chevrolet: drag races, auto swamp meet, car part marketplace, and largest collection of Chevys in one place. Plus, music from Montgomery Gentry.

3. Farmers Markets.

A) Cooper Young Community Farmers Market Crawfish Boil, First Congo Parking Lot, Saturday, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m., free entry, all ages/kid-friendly

It’s time for the 5th annual CYCFM! Enjoy local beer, crawfish, and other food for sale, plus live music from Rod Duran.

B) Memphis Farmers Market Opening Day 2018, G.E. Patterson and S. Front St., Saturday, 8 a.m. – 1 p.m., free to enter, all ages/kid-friendly

Memphis’ largest farmers market kicks off the season with Opening Day on Saturday, April 7 with food vendors, food trucks, and entertainment.

4. Shelby Farms Earth Day Celebrations, Shelby Farms Park, starts Saturday, prices vary, all ages/kid-friendly

Celebrate Earth Day in the month of April at Shelby Farms with four events. The Down To Earth Festival is the big one, on April 7 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. with activities, food, and music (free admission; $5 parking). The Earth Day 5K is April 15, the Family Camp Out is April 20-21, and Outdoor Movie Night is April 28.

5. Persian Festival, Overton Park, Sunday, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., free, all ages/kid-friendly

Celebrate Persian and Iranian culture at the inaugural Persian Festival. Enjoy authentic Persian food, a handicrafts exhibition, music, dance, and more.

And a few more…

– Taste the Rarity, Wiseacre Brewing, Saturday, 3 p.m. – 7 p.m., $50 + fees, 21+

Taste rare craft beers from breweries around the country and celebrate the release of the 2018 Unicornicopia. There will be music, food, and fun.

– Tour De Brewer and Bike Fest, Memphis Made, Saturday, noon / 4-7, $12, all ages

Ride your bike on a guided tour of three Memphis breweries (including samples) leaving from Memphis Made at noon ($12 for the tour benefits kids’ bike safety program) and then hang around for “bike fest” with music, Explore Bike Share demos, food trucks, and more.

– Mississippi Ale House Brewfest. MS Ale House (Olive Branch), Saturday, noon – 6 p.m., $55, 21+

You’ll have a chance to sample from a group of 55 different craft beers from a dozen breweries and home brewers at the inaugural MS Ale House Brewfest in Olive Branch. They’ll have music and food trucks, too.

All Weekend

– Art by Design at Pipkin Building (all weekend)

– Super Chevy Show at Memphis International Raceway (all weekend)

– UNION A New Musical at Clayborn Temple (all weekend)

– Ballet Memphis’ Peter Pan at The Orpheum (Sat. and Sun)

– Spring Market of Memphis at the Agricenter

– James & The Giant Peach at Circuit Playhouse

Friday

– Paul Thorn at Railgarten

– Art In The Loop at Ridgeway Loop Road

– Art By Design Cocktail Party at Pipkin Building

– Memphis Manifest at Crosstown Arts

– South Main Sounds Songwriter Night

– Tayla Lynn at BPAC

– Grizzlies v. Kings at FedExForum

– A Taste of Memphis at Tiger Lane (MLK50 event)

– Crosstown Culinary Crawl

– First Friday: Tattered Treasures Tour at Woodruff-Fontaine House

– MS River Kings v. Huntsville Havoc at Landers Center

– Aquanet at Lafeyette’s Music Room

Saturday

– Sista Strut Cancer Walk in Cooper Young (street closures in the area 10-noon)

– MLK50 Commemorative Event at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church

– MCA’s Art In The Park at Overton Park

– Annual Rites to Play Carnival at Rhodes

– Choose 901 Merch Market at Saddle Creek

– Shop Small feat. Foxglove Farm at Ghost River Brewing

– Inspired by Dreams Showcase at Bartlett Station Municipal Center

– Chalk the Courtyard w/ Art Project at Overton Square Tower Courtyard

– Birdie Brigade Railgarten Takeover

– Taste the Rarity Beer Fest at Wiseacre

– Loflin Yard’s Two Year Anniversary Party

– Cookies and Cocktails at the Pipkin Building

– Red Hot Lindy Hop Swing Dancing Lessons at Rumba Room

– Speakeasy Gala at The Great Hall

– Gala Celebrating Culinary Arts at GPAC

– Short in the Sleeve at Growlers

– Chive On Muscle Warriors benefit for Muscular Dystrophy Assoc. at Jerry Lee Lewis Cafe

– Jungle Boogie dance night at Club Memphis

Sunday

– 51st Annual Kite Day at Church of the River

– Organ Concert by Alesssandro Bianchi at St. George’s Episcopal

– Live Music at all the Huey’s

– Memphis Grizzlies v. Detroit Pistons

– Wrestlemania Watch Party at Jerry Lawler’s on Beale

– Sunday Showtunes Singalong at Zebra Lounge

– Memphis Sushi Class at Memphis Made