Good morning, Memphis! ☀️
Here's your Sugar Rush Hour traffic report: heavy delays at the dessert counter, smooth sailing at the Overton Park Shell, and a rack of ribs blocking the way to Saturday's game.
Plan your route accordingly.
Let's get into it.
Events
🌻 Silo Square's Sunflower Festival Blooms for Make-A-Wish Saturday
We told you about this one in September, and now it's just two days away. The Silo Square Sunflower Festival returns to Southaven, Mississippi, on Saturday, Oct. 10, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free.
🚗 Cars for a cause. Classic car owners (1981 or older) can enter the car show for $25, and the money goes to Make-A-Wish Mid-South. Silo Square's earlier Cars for a Cause shows raised $8,000 for the charity in 2023.
🌻 Petal to the metal. The festival also has a curated vendor market with handmade goods and specialty foods, plus live music.
Get the details here.
Partner Spotlight
🏷️ 30% Off Memphis Prints From Photographer Connor Ryan
October is Photographer Appreciation Month, so we're tipping our hats to the people who point a lens at the 901. That includes our October partner, Memphis photographer Connor Ryan.
🌅 Picture perfect. Connor's Memphis prints include the Lorraine Motel, Sun Studio, Beale Street, the Main Street trolley and the bridge at sunrise.
🏷️ Frame it up. 901 Today readers get 30% off all prints with code 901 through Oct. 31. Choose a print, canvas or fully framed.
Shop the prints here.
Events
🎭 Free Opera and Free Shakespeare Take Over the Overton Park Shell This Weekend
The Orion Financial Free Concert Series has two free shows this weekend at the Overton Park Shell, 1928 Poplar Ave.
🎤 Aria-sing to the occasion. Opera Memphis performs Saturday, Oct. 10, at 7 p.m. The company turns 70 this year, and the Shell's listing promises "a night of love, lust, murder, revenge, and high notes."
📜 To bard or not to bard. The Tennessee Shakespeare Company performs Love's Labor's Lost on Sunday, Oct. 11, at 5 p.m. It's the 10th annual free Shout-Out Shakespeare series, with 14 actors and a 90-minute comedy with no intermission. Blankets, lawn chairs and picnic baskets are welcome.
See the series here.
Sports
🍖 Tigers Host UAB With a Bronzed Rack of Ribs on the Line Saturday
Photo: Chris Day, Commercial Appeal
Memphis hosts UAB in the Battle for the Bones on Saturday, Oct. 10. Kickoff is at 6 p.m. at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, and it airs on ESPN2.
🦴 Bone to pick. The trophy is a bronzed rack of ribs, introduced in 2006. UAB took it back to Birmingham with a 31-24 win last October. Memphis is 4-1 and UAB is 3-2.
🎷 BBQ and blues. The game's theme is BBQ & Blues, and the Tigers say a barbecue contest on Tiger Lane comes before kickoff.
Get tickets and gameday details here.
Guides
🍰 It's National Dessert Month, So We Made You a Guide
October is National Dessert Month on observance calendars, and our new Complete Guide to Desserts in Memphis is ready for your sweet tooth. It covers 68 locally owned spots from Downtown to DeSoto County.
🍫 Sweet history. Dinstuhl's has been making chocolates since 1902, and La Baguette turned 50 this year.
🧀 Cheesecake break. City Hall Cheesecake bakes 100+ flavors and has a shop at Silo Square in Southaven, a sweet stop before or after the sunflower festival.
Read the guide here.
Daily Picks
🗞️ Other News Around the 901
🪩 After the lights. The Pretty Lights After Party is Friday, Oct. 9, at Minglewood Hall with Maddy O'Neal, Motifv and Since Juleye. Doors are at 11 p.m. and the show starts at 11:30 p.m. It's 21+, general admission standing, and the venue is cashless. See the details here.
🛶 Canoe believe it? Mississippi River Expeditions, a guided canoe trip company, has moved its headquarters to Mud Island. Founder Matthew Burdine offers sunset, half-day and full-day trips, plus camping trips for up to 50 guests. A celebration is today, 5 to 8 p.m. Read more here.
🔥 Torch song. The 2028 Olympic torch relay will travel through all 50 states, starting in Atlanta in spring 2028. Organizers say the full route will be announced in 2027. Read more here.
🐻 Bear-ly believable. Backpack, a 20-year-old male brown bear, is the 2026 Fat Bear Week champion, beating Bear 910 by 103,344 votes to 98,253. He weighs roughly 1,000 to 1,200 pounds, and he got his name riding on his mom's back as a cub. Meet him here.
🛏️ Shelter in place. The city's contract list shows a funding agreement with The Hospitality Hub of Memphis for homeless shelter operations through June 30, 2028, with automatic renewal for one more four-year period. The record lists $5.26 million, against an estimate of $3.5 million. See the contract list here.
⛳ Teeing up the future. The city broke ground Sept. 29 on the Loren Roberts Family Clubhouse and Learning Center at The Links at Audubon, a permanent home for First Tee Tennessee-Memphis. The city is investing $7.5 million, and four $1 million commitments came from FedEx, the Brad Martin family, Bill and Amy Rhodes, and First Horizon. It's set to open in fall 2027. Read more here.
🐶 Pet project. The Dave & Cheryl Duffield Foundation is committing $250 million over five years to make veterinary care more affordable. Good News Network calls it one of the largest private philanthropic investments in American history. Read more here.
🎡 Last call for cotton candy. The Mid-South Fair wraps up Sunday, Oct. 11, at the Landers Center in Southaven. Hours are 4 to 10 p.m. Thursday, 4 to 11 p.m. Friday, 1 to 11 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 10 p.m. Sunday, and the fair says times are subject to change. Online tickets are $13 for adults and $8 for kids 5 to 12 and seniors 60+. Parking is $5 per car, and the midway is cashless. Plan your visit here.
🍂 Fall for it. Our fall festivals guide has more to do this weekend, like Autumn in Atoka on Saturday and Memphis Zine Fest on Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Find your festival here.
📚 Missed an issue? Catch up anytime in our archive.
📣 Want to reach 14,500+ inboxes across the Memphis metro? Advertise with 901 Today.
Settle This Debate
⚖️ Settle This Debate: Warm or Cold Dessert? 🍰
Is a dessert better warm out of the oven, or cold out of the freezer? Tap your side.
Warm or cold dessert?
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
