For students staying in Memphis during spring break, the Bluff City offers a variety of things to do, from outdoor activities to sporting events to new food experiences. The Daily Helmsman wanted to show those students only a sample of what the city offers next week.
1. Cheer on the Tigers in the last home game
The University of Memphis men’s basketball team will play their last home game March 4, senior day, against the East Carolina Pirates. A win could allow the Tigers to secure the fifth seed in the American Athletic Conference tournament.
Jimario Rivers, senior forward, is the only senior starter for Memphis.
“I hate that it’s coming to an end, but while I’m here, I’m just going to keep playing as hard as I can,” Rivers said.
2. Laugh it up at Memphis Comedy Festival
The Memphis Comedy Festival (MCF) is a four-day festival of comedy, with shows and seminars at various midtown locations each evening March 8 through March 11.
“The first year, (MCF) was a local show, and the second year we became a national festival,” Nathan Hiller, president of MCF and a U of M alum, said. “We’ve had major headliners for the last four years.”
The opening showcase March 8 includes two hours of stand-up comedy at Theatre Works performing arts venue and a free open mic at P&H Café.
Lizz Winstead, co-creator and head writer of Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show,” will be the headlining performer. Other scheduled performers include Brandon Ream, Jennie Stencel and Josh Ogle.
Tickets are $60 for access to all scheduled shows, including the showcase. Tickets can be purchased through the festival’s website or Facebook page. U of M students can receive 25 percent off tickets with promo code TIGERSLAUGH.
3. Play with chalk again at Chalkfest
Chalkfest, an annual spring festival hosted by the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, will be held March 10 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Students can join local artists in decorating the museum’s plaza with colorful chalk. The festival will include a live performance by New Ballet Ensemble and music by disc jockey Siphne Aaye. Food trucks from Memphis, Mojo Café and Artisan Gelato Café, will be present. Students can bring their own chalk or buy a box for $3. Pets are not allowed at the event, and only cash will be accepted.
4. Eat local at Memphis Black Restaurant Week
Memphis Black Restaurant Week, March 5-11, allows students to support local, black-owned eateries through discounted meals. Featured restaurants offering lunch and dinner include The Waffle Iron, Underground Café, G. Alston Restaurant, Laura’s Kitchen and A & R Barbecue. Meals are priced at $15 for a two-course lunch, and $25 for a three-course dinner. The week will end with a food truck rodeo Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. at Clayborn Temple. The food truck event will feature live music, snack vendors and shopping vendors. Black-owned food trucks will include Monette’s Munchies, Robinson Smokehouse and Owl’s Nest.
5. Learn African dance at the Crosstown Getdown
The Crosstown Getdown: African Dance, part of a monthly dance series hosted by Crosstown Concourse, will take place March 8 from 5 to 7 p.m. The session will include a free dance lesson, music and an open dance party. Drumming beats will be provided by Mississippi musician Tsagai Harris during the dance party.
6. Plant a tree
The Wolf River Conservancy is hosting its annual volunteer tree-planting project at Shelby Farms Park on March 10 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Students can help plant more than 4,500 native tree seedlings to restore habitats along the Wolf River and within Shelby Farms. Registration is available online through the conservancy’s website through March 9. Walk-up registration will begin at 9 a.m. on event day.
7. Paddle down the Wolf River
Ghost River Outfitters offers canoe and kayak rentals on weekends for paddling along an 8.5-mile trail down the Wolf River, located in Fayette County, Tennessee, and and joining the Mississippi River in Memphis. The trail includes wildlife viewing and a pass through Spirit Lake. Rentals include a boat, paddles and a life vest. Canoes are $50 for a daily rental, and kayaks are $40. Hourly rentals are available for $20 per hour beginning at noon every Saturday and Sunday.
8. Discover Memphis history through a Scavenger Hunt
Memphis’ Amazing Scavenger Hunt Adventure combines a three-hour city tour with the thrill and adventure of a scavenger hunt. Participants can work in teams to solve clues and complete challenges while learning about Memphis history.
The Adventure is guided completely from participants’ smartphones and can be started at any time with no check-in required. The Adventure is open 365 days per year from sunrise to sunset. Each team can have two to five participants.
Tickets are $49 per team, and students can use promo code MemphisEvent to save 20 percent.
9. Attend an acclaimed musical at the Orpheum
“Wicked,” an original musical, will run at the Orpheum Theatre from March 7 through March 25. “Wicked,” a Broadway sensation since 2003, tells the “untold” story of the unlikely friendship between two young women, Glinda and Elphaba, who ultimately become Glinda the Good Witch and the Wicked Witch of the West in the Wizard of Oz.
Ticket prices range from $49 to $159 and can be purchased online through the Orpheum’s website or in person at the Orpheum box office.
