Good morning, Memphis. ☀️
And Happy Thursday!
Between high-school football schedules dropping, a new sports bar opening, and concert series kicking off, it's starting to feel like fall...
...if you ignore literally everything about the weather.
In today's edition:
🍔 Harbor Town's newest hangout has arrived
🎶 Bartlett's summer concert series returns Saturday
🎭 Hattiloo Theatre announces its next big act
… Plus, coffee competitions, sunflower fields, dog park updates, and more
Let’s get into it.
Food
🏈 Harbor Town Has a New Game-Day Hangout
J Woods Sports Bar
Harbor Town's dining scene just got a little louder.
J. Woods Sports Bar has opened in Harbor Town, bringing dozens of TVs, elevated bar food, and a new neighborhood spot for catching the Grizzlies, Tigers, NFL Sundays, and whatever game happens to be on.
🏈 Perfect timing with college football and NFL seasons right around the corner.
🍔 The menu includes burgers, wings, sandwiches, and shareable appetizers.
📺 Multiple TVs throughout the space make it built for game days, watch parties, and keeping up with every score.
Consider this your reminder to start building your fall sports rotation now.
Events
🎸 Bartlett's Summer Concert Series Returns This Saturday
Bartlett LIVE
Summer concert season is back in Bartlett!
The city's annual Bartlett Live Music Series kicks off this Saturday evening with Truck Patch Revival, bringing another season of free outdoor concerts to W.J. Freeman Park.
🎶 Who: Truck Patch Revival opens the 2026 concert series.
🪑 Bring: Lawn chairs or blankets and settle in for a relaxed evening outdoors.
🍔 Expect: Food vendors, family-friendly activities, and a great community atmosphere.
No ticket needed. Just good music, good food, and a reason to get out of the house.
See you there!
Theater Thursday
🎭 Hattiloo Theatre Is Entering a New Era
Hattiloo Theatre
One of Memphis' most celebrated arts organizations is getting ready for a major expansion.
Hattiloo Theatre will unveil three new spaces this August — The Second Stage, Culture Box, and Café Loo — creating more room for performances, community events, and everyday gathering.
🎟️ The Second Stage adds an 88-seat performance venue, giving Hattiloo more flexibility to produce shows and collaborate with more artists.
☕ Café Loo will serve as a new gathering spot for coffee, tea, work sessions, and pre-show drinks and bites.
🎤 Culture Box will bring a rotating lineup of experiences, including comedy nights, spoken word competitions, live music, game nights, and karaoke.
The expansion moves Hattiloo beyond a traditional theater experience, creating a larger cultural hub where Memphis can gather, connect, and celebrate Black art in all its forms.
Daily Picks
🗞️ Other News Around the 901
🧋 Coffee competition: Edible Memphis is asking readers to crown the city's best iced coffee spot. Voting begins today!
🎼 A new season of music: The University of Memphis has released its 2026-27 performance lineup featuring concerts, jazz, orchestra, opera, and more. Check it out here.
🚓 Watch your speed: Operation Southern Slow Down began Monday, bringing extra law enforcement patrols to Tennessee roads as officers crack down on speeding.
🐶 Dog park update: Shelby Farms' off-leash dog park will remain closed another 7–10 days after algae testing found conditions unsafe for dogs.
♟️ Checkmate: Registration is now open for the 80th Annual Peter P. Lahde Tennessee Open & State Chess Championship, coming to the Memphis Chess Club this September.
⏰ No more changing the clocks? A bill moving through Congress could make Daylight Saving Time permanent nationwide if it clears the Senate.
🍸 Shake things up: Memphis Bartending School is now enrolling students for upcoming classes if you've ever wanted to learn the trade.
🌻 Sunflower Season: The sunflower field at Ducks Unlimited Park near Big River Crossing is officially blooming—prime time for your annual sunflower photos.
🎶 Music on the Square: Main Street Collierville's Summer Concert Series continues TONIGHT from 7–9 p.m. in the Historic Town Square.
📖 Need a quiet night out? Cossitt Library's Silent Book Club meets tonight at Sugar Ghost, where you can bring whatever you're reading, grab a treat, and enjoy some peaceful reading time with the Memphis book community. No discussion required.
Want to reach Memphis?
901 Today goes out to thousands of Memphis-area readers every weekday. Advertising with us means growing your business and supporting a feel-good, homegrown newsletter that’s all about building community in the Memphis metro.
That's it for today!
Thanks for reading this issue of 901 Today.
If someone forwarded you this email, make sure to subscribe so you never miss what's happening around Memphis. And if you found something fun to do this week, send this newsletter to a friend and make plans together.
Have a great Thursday, Memphis. We’ll see you tomorrow with a full lineup of weekend events and live music!
— 901 Today