Good morning, Memphis! ☀️
It's 901 Day, which means Memphis is throwing itself multiple parties and inviting all of us along.
Today's forecast:
a big birthday feeling for the whole city
a downtown seafood spot cutting the ribbon TODAY
a Sinatra tribute show that's already half sold out
and a favor we're asking of all 11,000-ish of you
Let's get into it.
Food & Drink
🦞 The Wait Is Over: Walt & Ricky's Opens Today
Walt & Ricky’s Renderings
Walt & Ricky's Seafood Kitchen throws open its doors today with a Grand Opening Ribbon Cutting at 1 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., in the old Fancy's Fish House spot, with sweeping Mississippi River views.
Ribbon, cut. Guest arrival is at 3 p.m., the ribbon cutting hits at 4 p.m., and there's a champagne toast plus live music all day. Valet parking is complimentary.
Home of the BBQ oyster. The new 300+ seat riverfront seafood and steakhouse serves signature BBQ oysters, fresh oysters, seafood towers, premium steaks, and handcrafted cocktails.
Make a reservation on their website (or just follow the smell of oysters).
Events
🎉 It's 901 Day, Memphis — Here's Where the Party Is
It's September 1, which means it's officially 901 Day — the one day a year Memphis throws itself a party just for having the area code it has.
Choose your fun. Choose901 hosts a free block party at Loflin Yard (7 W. Carolina Ave.) from 5–10 p.m., with a DJ, live music starting at 8:30, and happy hour food and drinks all night.
Up on the roof. Old Dominick Distillery is throwing 901 Night, a rooftop party at 305 S. Front St. from 5–10 p.m., with local live music, DJs, and drinks.
Run it off first. Grivet Outdoors, Trail Trippers, and Saucony host a 901 Day Scavenger Run at Soul & Spirits (845 N. Main St.) at 6 p.m. Memphis-themed challenge stops, shoe demos, giveaways, and beer for finishers.
Want the full day-by-day rundown, including deals, free museums, and more? Read our 901 Day guide here.
Music
🎤 Sinatra's Coming to the Peabody, And Half the Shows Are Already Gone
Sinatra: Under the Stars is real, and it's already selling fast. Constellation Concerts brings the Tommy Ward Orchestra to The Peabody for a night of classic standards, live orchestra, and vocals under the stars.
Come fly with me. Four shows are on the board: Friday, Sept. 4 at 6:30 and 8:45 p.m. (both already sold out), and Saturday, Sept. 5 at 6:30 p.m. (going fast) and 8:45 p.m. (still open).
Ring-a-ding-ding. Tickets start at $55. Expect a live orchestra, classic standards, and a very dressed-up crowd.
Grab tickets before Saturday sells out too.
Food & Drink
🍷 The Craft Food & Wine Festival is Back This Weekend
Craft Food & Wine Festival
The Craft Food and Wine Festival returns to the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art on Sunday, Sept. 6, with unlimited tastings from 35+ local food vendors plus wine, beer, and craft cocktails.
Taste of the town. General admission runs 5–7 p.m. and includes food, drinks, and live music. VIP guests get in at 4 p.m. with a champagne toast and a chef-curated menu from JEM Dining.
Grab it before it's gone. This one's 21+, and tickets run $75–$300 depending on tier.
Community
📝 Help Us Get to Know You (Yes, You)
901 Today just passed 11,000 readers, and for the whole month of September, we want to hear from you. Take our quick Reader Survey (5 minutes, tops) and help us make 901 Today even better for Memphis.
Daily Picks
🗞️ Other News Around the 901
🦁 Vote like an animal. The Memphis Zoo wants your help picking its new look. They've narrowed things down to four new brand concepts, and you can vote for your favorite in a quick online survey. but hurry, voting closes Sept. 14.
👵 Grandma's got connections now. Germantown school leaders gave initial approval to a plan that would let grandchildren of Germantown residents attend the suburb's schools without paying tuition, as long as the grandkid lives elsewhere in Shelby County. It still needs a second vote, but if it passes, it would start with the 2027–28 school year.
🏈 Time to pick your MVP. Five Memphis-area football players are up for Player of the Week, Week 2, including Jakarion Burrell of Brighton, who ran for 241 yards and 2 touchdowns, and Jayden Flores of Kingsbury, who threw for 7 touchdowns in one game. Voting closes Thursday at 5 p.m.
🎬 Lights, camera, Memphis. A new documentary called "The Lorraine", about the Lorraine Motel's history beyond the day it became known for tragedy, will open the 2026 Indie Memphis Film Festival. The festival runs Nov. 5–8, with opening night at the Halloran Centre.
🎸 Strings attached. Stars and Guitars, an acoustic-style benefit concert, hits Minglewood Hall on Wednesday, Sept. 2, with Brent Smith and Zach Myers of Shinedown, The Band Perry, and more sharing one stage. Showtime is 7 p.m., and it benefits Le Bonheur Children's Hospital.
📽️ Picture this. Crosstown Arts screens "Ernest Cole: Lost and Found", a documentary about the South African photographer who captured the reality of apartheid, on Thursday, Sept. 3 at 7 p.m. at the Crosstown Theater.
🚗 We told you the traffic wasn't that bad. A new study covered by Travel + Leisure found Memphis drivers lose the least amount of time to traffic of any big U.S. city measured — just 19.4% of drive time, way less than Los Angeles or New York. Add in Beale Street, Graceland, and world-famous barbecue, and it's easy to see why Memphis is getting road trip love.
🐭 Last chance, y'all. The "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse" exhibit at the Children's Museum of Memphis wraps up Sept. 6. Kids help throw Pluto a birthday party with hands-on stations for baking, inventing, and crafting. No extra ticket needed, it's included with regular admission.
📚 Catch-up crew. Missed an issue (or ten)? Every 901 Today we've ever sent lives in our archive. Read back whenever you want.
🏆 Score check. Want every Memphis-area high school football score and standing in one place? Check out the 901 Scoreboard! Week 2 scores are up now, with volleyball and soccer coming soon.
📢 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 starting your morning with us (and happy 901 Day)!!
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Have a great Tuesday, Memphis. We'll see you tomorrow.
— 901 Today
