The Cooper-Young Festival in Memphis runs one Saturday each September around Cooper and Young, drawing 130,000 people for food, crafts and live music in the midtown neighbourhood.
Tip: Park on side streets early; the main strip closes to traffic. Brunch at Beauty Shop before the crowds.
Address: Cooper St and Young Ave, Memphis, TN 38104
The Memphis Italian Festival runs three days at Marquette Park in East Memphis at the corner of Park and Mendenhall, with the grape stomp, gravy contest and Italian-American cooking demos.
Tip: Kids 10 and under and active military free. Thursday night is the cheapest entry and least packed.
The Memphis Greek Festival at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church on North Highland in Memphis runs the first weekend of May with souvlaki, spanakopita and 67 years of tradition.
Tip: Adults $5; ages 5 and under free. Lines run shortest right at the 11:00 open.
Africa in April Cultural Awareness Festival in Memphis runs each April at Robert R Church Park downtown, with food vendors, a parade and music spotlighting an African nation.
Tip: Free admission. The food tent area gets busy by 13:00; arrive at 11:00 for first-out plates.
The World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest in Memphis runs each May at Liberty Park, the centrepiece of Memphis in May with global BBQ teams and the largest BBQ contest.
Tip: Friday is the easier day to walk through the team tents. Saturday is the finals and most crowded.
