Good morning, Memphis! ☀️
It's October 1, which means pumpkin spice is now legal in every form. Memphis weather is slowly getting the memo, but we're dressing for fall anyway. Sweaters are optional this weekend. Stein-holding is not.
Here's what's inside today:
🎸 Two bands on the riverfront tonight
🍺 A brewery wants you to bring your own stein
🖼️ A way to put Memphis on your wall for less
🎪 A whole street shuts down for a party
🦎 A weekend full of scaly friends
🐕 Two sleepy pups get a very good wake-up call
Plus, we’ve got Thursday Trivia. Let's get into it.
Events
🎪 Evergreen Street Fair Takes Over Overton Park Ave Saturday
The Evergreen Street Fair closes down Overton Park Avenue in Midtown on Saturday, October 3, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. It's free.
🎶 Band together. Live music plays all afternoon. Wyly Bigger closes it out from 3 to 4:30 p.m., then the party moves to Evergreen Grill.
🍦 Snack break. About 11 food vendors are lined up, including Ivey's Ice Cream, French Truck Coffee and Flipside Asia. The street is closed from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., so walk or bike.
See the details here.
Music
🎸 The Avett Brothers and Drive-By Truckers Play Grind City Amp Tonight
The Avett Brothers bring Drive-By Truckers to Grind City Amphitheater tonight, Thursday, October 1. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and the show starts at 7 p.m.
🎻 Strings attached. The Avetts are four-time GRAMMY nominees, and Drive-By Truckers open the night on the Memphis riverfront.
🎒 Know before you go. The venue is cashless and has a clear bag policy. Free and premier parking are both offered.
Get tickets here.
Partner Spotlight
🖼️ Put Memphis on Your Wall (And Save 30%)
Photo: Connor Ryan
Connor Ryan, a Memphis-based photographer, is 901 Today's small business partner for October, and you, dear readers, can save big on his Memphis prints this month.
📸 Wall-worthy Memphis. The print collection has shots of the Lorraine Motel, Sun Studio, Beale Street, the Main Street trolley and the bridge at sunrise.
🎨 Pick your style. Each print comes in multiple sizes. Get just the print, or have it delivered on canvas or fully framed.
🏷️ Use the code. Enter promo code 901 for 30% off all prints. The sale ends October 31.
Shop the prints here.
Food & Drink
🍺 Wiseacre Brewing Raises a Stein for Oktoberfest Saturday
Wiseacre Brewing hosts Oktoberfest at its Broad Avenue taproom on Saturday, October 3, from noon to 10 p.m.
🥉 Medal-winning märzen. The party celebrates Wiseacre's Oktoberfest beer, which won a bronze medal at the 2025 World Beer Cup. Stein fills include Oktoberfest, Tiny Bomb and Sky Dog.
🎺 Brass and bites. The Mighty Souls brass band plays 3 to 6 p.m., and Panuzzo King and other food trucks will be there. Bring your own stein (up to 1 liter) or buy one on site.
See the details here.
Guides
🍂 Your Guide to Fall Festivals Around the 901
Fall in Memphis means a packed calendar, so we built Your Guide to Fall Festivals Around the 901. We checked dates, prices and hours and kept only what's still ahead. Some highlights:
🎡 Ride on. The Mid-South Fair runs October 1-11 at the Landers Center in Southaven, with 50-plus midway rides, funnel cakes and turkey legs.
🍻 Grown-up zoo day. Zootoberfest runs every Saturday and Sunday in October at the Memphis Zoo. Zoo admission gets you in, and 21+ guests can sip local fall brews.
Read the full guide here.
Daily Picks
🗞️ Other News Around the 901
🤠 Boot-scootin' boogie. Under the Harvest Moon is Friday, October 16, from 7 to 9 p.m. at Bobby Lanier Farm Park in Germantown. Expect chuck wagon cuisine, line dance lessons, s'mores, a bourbon pull and Chicken Bingo. Tickets help fund a new children's play area. Get the details here.
🎨 Art attack. The new Memphis Art Museum has commissioned new works, including a 276-foot woven curtain by Yunhee Min and a rooftop piece by Jordan Ann Craig. The museum opens December 6 at Front Street and Union Avenue, and it's free for Shelby County residents. Read more here.
🍗 Wing it. Wing Wars is this Saturday, October 3, at the Stax Museum. Eight local wing spots compete for a $10,000 People's Choice prize, and there's a 3-on-3 basketball tournament, too. Hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Read more here.
🎤 Free at the Shell. The Orion Financial Free Concert Series has two shows this weekend at the Overton Park Shell. Rock band Drivin N Cryin plays Friday, October 2, from 7 to 9 p.m. On Saturday, October 3, a Hispanic Heritage Celebration brings cumbia band Los Kumbia Brotherz and Aztec dancers. Both are free. See the series here.
🏐 Dig in, think pink. Memphis Volleyball hosts Tulane for Dig Pink night on Friday, October 2, at 6:30 p.m. at Elma Roane Fieldhouse. Get the details here.
🐕 Hero pups. Germantown firefighters from Engine 92 rescued two family dogs, Sassy and Willow, during a carbon monoxide emergency on August 24. A generator had been placed near the garage. The city's reminder: run generators outdoors, away from doors and windows, and keep working CO detectors. Read the story here.
😂 Crist-mas on Main Street. Comedian John Crist brings John Crist Live! to the Orpheum Theatre on Sunday, October 4, at 7 p.m. Tickets are still available. Get tickets here.
🦎 Scale up your weekend. The Memphis Reptile Expo is October 3-4 at the Pipkin Building (940 Early Maxwell Blvd.). It runs 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and until 3:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $15 at the door, and kids 7-12 are $5. See the details here.
🔦 Laser focus. A drive-in laser light show is set for the Agricenter on October 2-3.
🎩 Pass GO, open app. Monopoly returns to McDonald's on October 6, and you'll need the McDonald's app to play. Read more here.
📚 Catch up on guides. Missed one of our Memphis guides? Browse them all here.
📰 Catch up on newsletters. Missed a past issue? Browse the archive here.
🤝 Want to reach Memphis? 901 Today goes out to 14,000+ Memphis metro readers every weekday. Partner with 901 Today.
Trivia
🧠 Thursday Trivia
That's it for today!
Thanks for spending part of your morning with us.
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Have a great Thursday, Memphis. We'll see you tomorrow.
— 901 Today
