Welcome back to The To-Do List, where Daily Memphian staffers suggest their favorite events and activities for the coming week. Want more ideas? Check out The Daily Memphian’s event calendar and feel free to submit your own events there, as well.

Eric Barnes: Digital art, work of Maurice Sendak are headed to Brooks

This week, there’s a rare chance to see Robert Altman’s “Nashville” on the big screen, Memphis in May wraps up with a run and Hubby Jenkins of Carolina Chocolate Drops fame plays Crosstown Arts. 

The Crosstown Arts weekly film series presents “Nashville” at Crosstown Theater on May 26. (Courtesy of Crosstown Arts)

‘Nashville’ at Crosstown Theater, Thursday:

The biggest and no doubt best movie made about our down-the-road neighbor, director Robert Altman’s bicentennial epic “Nashville” is a classic American movie that’s oddly hard to see in this streaming-oriented era. It’s not available for “free” anywhere and can only be purchased on major platforms such as Amazon or AppleTV. It will cost you a lot less to see it on the big screen, where it belongs, but you have one rare opportunity via this “Crosstown Arthouse” screening. The 160-minute film is a tapestry of mid-'70s America intersecting across the country music climate of Nashville, with a couple dozen evenly weighted characters (Lily Tomlin, Ned Beatty and Shelly Duvall among them) coming together and falling apart. Enduring masterpiece? Now dated? I haven’t seen it in probably 20 years. I look forward to a chance to decide. $5. 7:30 p.m. 1350 Concourse Ave. See here for more info. — Chris Herrington. 

Jill Johnson Piper: Mushroom foraging: the perfect pandemic pastime

Memphis Mushroom Festival features guided mushroom forays, cooking demos, lectures and more from May 26-30 at Meeman-Shelby Forest. (Jenny Max/Courtesy of Memphis Mushroom Festival)

Memphis Mushroom Festival at Meeman-Shelby Forest, Thursday-Monday:

The fungi is the star at this five-day, four-night camping festival featuring guided mushroom forays, cooking demonstrations by local chefs, yoga classes, a cacao ceremony, arts workshops, chakra dancing and talks on everything from sustainability to psychedelics. Plus, there’s live music from DrewBeats & Friends, Chinese Connection Dub Embassy, Memphis House Mafia and more. Attendees can come for one day, buy a three-day pass or opt to camp for four nights. $20 for single-day pass or $50 for three-day pass (camping prices vary). 910 Riddick Road. See the full schedule here. — Bianca Phillips

Craig Brewer (Courtesy of Crosstown Arts)

Craig Brewer’s Secret Screening at Crosstown Theater, Friday:

Memphis film director Craig Brewer’s occasional secret screening series is back at Crosstown Arts this Friday. Here’s how it works: Brewer picks a film, keeps it a secret and viewers find out when the film starts to roll. It’s a lesson in blind trust, but if “Hustle & Flow” didn’t give you enough reason to trust the guy’s taste, I don’t know what will. The last secret screening event featured the 1987 musical-comedy drama, “The Commitments,” and the only clue Brewer will give this go-round is that the event promises to be “cosmic.” WYXR DJ STH Memphis Jeff will perform live music, and more surprises and special guests are said to be in store. Doors at 7:30 p.m., screening at 8 p.m. $5. 1350 Concourse Ave. — Phillips

Jasmine McCraven: National Civil Rights Museum launches ‘Solidarity Now!’ exhibit

Memphis in May wraps up with the Great American River Run on May 28. (Blair Ball Photography)

Great American River Run at Handy Park, Saturday: 

Memphis in May International’s monthlong celebration wraps up this weekend with the annual Great American River Run, a race with half-marathon, 10km and 5km options. Runners will meet at Handy Park and run a course through Downtown and along the Mississippi River, ending back at Handy Park for a post-race party with free food and beer. Oh, and if you’re fast, you might even win a cash prize: more than $8,500 is set aside for the winners of each distance and the person who has the fastest time sprinting up the Harbor Town bridge. 7 a.m. half-marathon, 7:40 a.m. 10K and 7:55 a.m. 5K. Registration costs $40 for the 5K, $45 for the 10K and $75 for the half-marathon. 200 Beale St. Click here to sign up. — Phillips

Christin Yates: Memphis recording studio brings back ‘Purple Church,’ new art venue

Moth Moth Moth hosts the Rainbow Rumble drag lip sync battle at Black Lodge on May 28. (Chloe Littlefield/Courtesy of Rainbow Rumble)

Rainbow Rumble at Black Lodge, Saturday:

Moth Moth Moth, a local drag performer and self-professed “coolest girl in the universe,” hosts Rainbow Rumble, a drag lip-sync battle pitting eight contestants against one another onstage at Black Lodge. This “season two” edition is themed “king night” and will be co-hosted by Ponyboi. Stick around after the contest for a dance party. Doors open at 7:30 p.m., show starts at 8 p.m. $15. 405 N. Cleveland. Click here for more information. — Phillips

Sam Hegenheiser: New Overton shell show brings back venue’s all-time greats

The Overton Park Shell’s Orion free concert series kicks off with Sunset Symphony on May 29. (Phillip Van Zandt/Courtesy of Overton Park Shell)

Sunset Symphony at Overton Park Shell, Sunday:

The Overton Park Shell’s Orion free concert series kicks off this Sunday with the annual Sunset Symphony featuring the Memphis Symphony Orchestra. This annual concert was once the official closing chapter of Memphis in May, but it was replaced several years ago with the Great American River Run (see above). Though no longer under the Memphis in May umbrella, the show went on, moving from Tom Lee Park to the Overton Park Shell. Pack a picnic and some lawn chairs, and watch the sun set over Midtown. Food and drinks will also be for sale. 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Free. Click here for more information. — Phillips

Hubby Jenkins (Courtesy of Crosstown Arts)

Hubby Jenkins at The Green Room at Crosstown Arts, Wednesday:

When it comes to the righteous work of reminding the “Americana” scene that traditional American music is often Black music, perhaps no act deserves as much credit as the Grammy-winning North Carolina string-band Carolina Chocolate Drops. Unsurprisingly, Rhiannon Giddens has been the breakout solo star of that band since members went their separate ways, but banjo man Hubby Jenkins (who has continued to play with Giddens) was a key member of that group whose lively solo work has continued in the same vein, musically traditional but with a worldview also rooted in the here and now. Doors at 7 p.m., show at 7:30 p.m. $16 in advance, $20 at the door. 1350 Concourse Ave., Suite 260. See here for more info. — Herrington

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