Good morning, Memphis! ☀️
We ran the numbers, and today's issue has two bears, one cheesy holiday, and zero regrets.
Friday is National Quesadilla Day, and the Memphis Zoo wants you to guess how much its grizzly bears weigh. (Please do not guess the weight of any quesadilla. That's a different contest.)
Somewhere in between, there's a salsa party, a Dolly party, and a fair that has a grizzly bear experience.
Let's get into it.
Events
💃 Latin Fest 901 Turns Overton Square Into a Salsa-bration Saturday
Latin Fest 901 celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with a free, all-ages party at Overton Square this Saturday, Sept. 26, from noon to 6 p.m.
🎶 Dance card full. Memphis theater group Cazateatro puts on the fest at 2101 Madison Ave., and organizers say it's "bigger than ever." Expect live music and dance, a kids' area, and lots of Latin culture. The full lineup hadn't been posted yet, so check the site for updates.
🌮 Snack attack. Last year's fest was billed as having about 60 vendors and 10 food options, including Ecuadorian food and Argentinian empanadas. Come hungry and leave happy.
Get the details here.
Food & Drink
☕ Ramblin' Joe's Is Perking Up Germantown
Ramblin’ Joe’s Coffee
Ramblin' Joe's Coffee, a Memphis coffee company with more than 50 years of history, opens a new Germantown shop on Oct. 10.
🏦 Bank on it. The new spot is at 1227 S. Germantown Road in a former bank building, so the only thing you'll be withdrawing is a latte. The company says it has a bigger seating area than its Memphis shops, so there's room to sip and stay a while.
🌱 Family roots. The business started in 1971 and is now run by the third generation of the family. Germantown is shop number six, and the company says a Houston, Texas store is coming next year.
Grand-opening plans haven't been announced yet, so follow along here.
Music
🤠 South Main Trolley Night Puts On Its Dolly Boots Friday
Photo: Downtown Memphis Commission
South Main Trolley Night is a free, monthly street party, and this Friday, Sept. 25, it's going Dolly Parton themed. Fans celebrate Dolly Parton Day on Sept. 25, a month after the country legend passed away at age 80, and South Main is joining in. Fun fact: the historic rail trolleys are still out of service, so this party is on foot. It's still on the right track!
🤠 Boots on, South Main. The party starts at 5 p.m., and I Love Memphis Blog says you're invited to bring your "best Dolly energy" (boots encouraged). Look for live music, local specials, happy hours and pop-up vendors.
🎬 Nine to five, then jive. The Halloran Centre on South Main is also showing 9 to 5 for free at 9 a.m., 2, 5 and 9 p.m. The 9 a.m. show comes with free donuts while supplies last, and the later shows bring Dolly karaoke.
Get the Trolley Night details here.
Arts & Culture
🎭 Our Fall Theater Guide Steals the Show
Our new Memphis Theater & Performing Arts Guide lists shows at more than two dozen stages, from downtown Memphis all the way to Senatobia, with dates running into next summer.
🎟️ Broadway bound. The Orpheum's touring lineup includes Spamalot (Oct. 27-Nov. 1), The Great Gatsby (Dec. 1-6) and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (June 29-July 4, 2027). Cast your spell early!
❄️ Home-stage advantage. Local stages have big shows too. Playhouse on the Square puts on Disney's Frozen Nov. 13-Dec. 20, and Theatre Memphis rocks out with Million Dollar Quartet Oct. 16-Nov. 7. It's the perfect excuse to let it go and go see a show.
Browse every show in our guide here.
Family Fun
🎡 The Mid-South Fair Is Ready to Spin Into Town Oct. 1-11
Mid-South Fair
The Mid-South Fair returns Oct. 1-11 to the Landers Center in Southaven, Mississippi, with rides, fair food and lots of new surprises.
🐻 Bear necessities. New this year are a grizzly bear experience, a circus show and a brand-new thrill ride with its own custom soundtrack. Grown-ups get a new Biergarten (21+), and the pig races and petting zoo are back.
🎟️ Free-for-all days. Admission is free on Oct. 1 (from 4 p.m.), Oct. 5 (Mississippi Monday, with a Mississippi ID) and Oct. 7 (Kids Day, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.). On other days, buying tickets online saves you a couple of bucks over the gate.
Get tickets and see hours here.
Daily Picks
🗞️ Other News Around the 901
🐻 Weigh in. Fat Bear Week has a Memphis twist! The Memphis Zoo wants you to guess how much its grizzlies Cochise and Yukon weigh. Reply to the zoo's Fat Bear Week post on Instagram (@memphiszoo) by Sept. 29, and the two closest guesses for each bear win a gift basket with a painting from the bear, a plush and homemade honey. Read more here.
🧀 Grate day. National Quesadilla Day is Friday, Sept. 25, so it's time to get a little cheesy. Not sure where to melt? Our guide to 65+ Latin and Mexican restaurants may point you to a huitlacoche quesadilla at Taco Antrax on Summer Avenue and quesabirria from the Taquería Chelita truck in Cordova. Find your cheesy fix here.
🍷 Glass act. Tonight at 6 p.m., the Memphis Wine Society hosts The Shape of Wine: An Evening With Riedel Crystal at the Brooks Museum. Guests sip four wines from fancy Riedel glasses and from regular ones to see if shape changes the taste, then take home a set of four Riedel glasses. Get tickets here.
🎻 Bow down. Tomorrow night, Orchestra Noir brings its Culture 2000 Tour II to the Orpheum at 7:30 p.m. Maestro Jason Ikeem Rodgers leads a live orchestra through 2000s hip-hop and R&B hits. Get tickets here.
🪗 Accordion to plan. "Weird Al" Yankovic brings his Bigger & Weirder 2026 Tour to the Landers Center in Southaven, Mississippi, on Saturday, Sept. 26 at 8 p.m. Opening the show is Puddles Pity Party, a 7-foot sad clown with a big singing voice. Yes, you read that right. Get tickets here.
🥐 Half a century of dough. La Baguette on Poplar Avenue is turning 50, and the birthday party is free. Stop by Saturday, Oct. 3, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for live music, a photo booth, face painting, cookie decorating and a prize wheel. The chicken salad sandwich and petit fours are fan favorites. Read more here.
🐱 Purr-fect timing. Starbucks has a Black Cat Halloween lineup on the way. The Black Cat Frappuccino, a chocolate cake-flavored drink topped with chocolate cat ears, and a Black Night Cookie arrive at select stores Oct. 22. The glow-in-the-dark cold cup and cat mugs are already out at select stores while supplies last. Read more here.
🛒 Bulk delivery. DoorDash and Uber Eats now deliver from Costco warehouses nationwide, so that giant pack of paper towels can come to you. You still need a Costco membership, and prices and fees can run higher than in the store. Memphis has Costcos in Cordova and on Hacks Cross Road, so check your app to see if yours is on the list. Read more here.
📱 Hey Siri, pay up. Did you buy an iPhone 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max or any iPhone 16 between June 10, 2024 and March 29, 2025? You may be able to claim a share of Apple's $250 million settlement over Siri and Apple Intelligence features. Payments start at a base of $25 per phone and could rise to as much as $95 or shrink depending on how many claims are filed. The deadline is Dec. 21, 2026, and Apple denies any wrongdoing. Find out if you qualify here. You can file at the official settlement site.
♻️ Litter-ally award-winning. The Tennessee Delta Alliance was named Non-Profit Recycler of the Year by the Tennessee Recycling Coalition. Based at the University of Memphis, the group works across five West Tennessee counties and has helped collect about 77,000 pounds of litter since 2023. Read more here.
🏈 Tackling the weekend. One of Friday night's top matchups is Southwind at Briarcrest Christian in Eads at 7 p.m. Both teams are ranked in the latest TSWA poll: Southwind is No. 4 in 6A and Briarcrest is No. 3 in DII-AAA. Last year's game ended 48-42, so bring snacks. Also, No. 2 Munford (5A) hosts No. 7 Whitehaven (6A) that night. Find more games in our high school football guide here.
🥞 Egg-cellent choices. Hungry for something better than cereal? Our Memphis breakfast guide lists 52 verified spots for biscuits, pancakes, bottomless mimosas and more, from Downtown to DeSoto County. Find your next brunch here.
📚 Page turners. Missed a guide or a past issue? Catch up on every past newsletter here, and browse all of our Memphis guides here.
📝 Survey says. Tell us about you and you could win dinner on us! Take our 901 Today reader survey for a chance to win a $50 gift card to the Memphis-area restaurant of your choice. One reader wins, it takes less than five minutes, and it ends Sept. 30. Take the survey here.
🤝 Sponsor-tunity knocks. Want your business in front of 13,500+ Memphis metro readers every morning? Partner with 901 Today and get your brand in their inbox. Learn more here.
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 for the Weekend Guide.
— 901 Today
