Shelby Farms Conservancy and The Consortium MMT are partnering to bring a yet-to-be named music festival to Shelby Farms on Sept. 23 through 25.
The upcoming Beale Street Music Festival won’t be the only annual threeday outdoor festival in the Bluff City, thanks to a partnership from the Shelby Farms Park Conservancy and The Consortium Memphis Music Town.
A yet-to-be named outdoor festival is now scheduled for Sept. 23 through Sept. 25 to celebrate Shelby Farm Parks’ largest improvement project to date, “Heart of the Park,†which has been under construction since summer of 2014. The grand opening aims to activate a plug-and-play stage overlooking an expanded 80-acre lake as well as a new restaurant and café.
George Monger is the vice president and executive director of The Consortium MMT.
He is confident that Shelby Farms’ new partners in music will succeed, mainly for one reason.
“Our 2014 Epitome of Soul Awards,†Monger said. “It honored Stevie Wonder, Chaka Kahn, Eddie Levert of the O’Jays and Rickey Minor as the house band. I think that that’s an indication of the level of quality that this event will be. You can expect high-quality, internationally respected talent.â€
Though Monger could not confirm if any of the artists honored at the Cannon center for Epitome of Soul Awards last year would be part of the new festival, he did say that the lineup for the unnamed Shelby Farms festival will be released in June.
“We can’t think of a better way to celebrate what Shelby Farms Park and the Heart of the Park project mean to Memphis than with a weekend full of music at the water’s edge,†said Shelby Farms Park Conservancy Executive Director, Jen Andrews in a statement. “We are so excited to partner with The Consortium MMT to produce a worldclass entertainment experience in Heart of the Park.â€
Moriah Drinkard, a University of Memphis aluma, is now the director of the talent development complex at The Consortium MMT.
“I think there’s a great energy happening with the Memphis music industry and a great pack of community leaders wanting to push back to the forefront of Memphis’ economical success,†Drinkard said. “Shelby Farms is one of the greatest gems of our city. To host a musical event of this scale is beyond words.â€
Students at the University of Memphis also seem excited for the outdoor festival, which will overlook the expanded Patriot Lake.
“I think it’d be a cool place for music,†19-year-old Gabrielle Williams said. “I really like nature. The trees and the breeze and everything - I think it’s really nice - a breath of fresh air.â€
Dan O’Toole is a 22-year-old English major with a concentration in creative writing. “It’s reminds me of the Levitt Shell,†O’Toole said. “The Levitt Shell itself is an outdoor venue, but when you’re at Shelby Farms, I mean, that is recreational outdoor space. It’d be great for it.â€
22-year-old fashion major Corterious Ria’mone visits Shelby Farms from time to time, but hasn’t had a reason to go there since his field trip days.
“I haven’t been to Shelby Farms for an event since probably middle school,†Ria’mone said. “I’ve been more so going to the little outskirts connected to the Wolf River and things like that. Anything in the arts or related to festivals or carnivals is something that I would be personally willing to go see.â€
Diego Iegram, a 23-year-old physical education major, is up for the September festival under one condition.
“I mean they have plenty of space for it,†Iegram said. “As long as it doesn’t rain, ‘cause then it’ll turn into ‘Music Fest’ which is all mud. I’ve not been because it’s always muddy.â€
Despite any potential festival comparisons, The Consortium MMT’s George Monger is proud of his group’s work and partnership with the Shelby Farms Park Conservancy.
“We have two wonderful nonprofits that wanted to work together and establish this partnership in order to do so,†he said
