Welcome back to The To-Do List where Daily Memphian staffers suggest their favorite events and activities for the coming week. 

On The To-Do List this week: The Ostrander’s show must go on, Kelly English serves an art-inspired menu and the Stax Music Academy opens the fall Shell series with a summer-themed show. 

‘The Fashion Soirée: Celebrating One Year of the Couture Collective’ at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Thursday:

The Couture Collective at the Brooks is turning one year old, and they’re celebrating in style of course. The Couture Collective is made for fashion lovers, by fashion lovers. They host oodles of design-based events to support the museum and highlight fashion artists across the city, like the upcoming Come As Thou Art Shakespearean masquerade. Naturally, the anniversary celebration on Thursday is themed to get you ready, so the category is “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Plus, you can meet some of the guest designers ahead of the masquerade. Sonin Lee, creative director of Memphis Art & Fashion Week, will debut an exclusive design, and there will be food and drinks and music from DJ Rosamii. 6-8 p.m. Free to attend. 1934 Poplar Ave. Click here to register. — Kelsey Bowen

Spinville Vol. 2: Love Jones at Handy Park, Thursday: 

This second event in this free DJ series from Curate Vibes, the Downtown Memphis Commission and The Genre restaurant is inspired by the classic ’90s Black romantic film “Love Jones.” DJs LA, Houston and Siphne Aaye will spin love songs, slow jams and heartbreak anthems. LA will focus on ’90s mashups, Siphne Aaye will play neo-soul mashups and Houston will spin Usher’s “Confessions” album, “cd burners,” BET “Uncut” and “Atlanta basement energy.” 7-10 p.m. Free admission (Register here). 200 Beale St. — Elle Perry

Spillit: Field Trip at New Memphis, Thursday:

This Memphis storytelling series is back with a back-to-school theme. Local teachers and school administrators from Compass Hickory Hill, University Schools, Crump Elementary and Overton High School will tell real stories from the classroom (or the field!). New Memphis will also be announcing their 2025 Educators of Excellence. Light refreshments and drinks will be provided. 6-8:30 p.m. Free. 516 W. Tennessee St., Suite 301. Click here for more info. — Bianca Phillips

Joseph Stinchcomb residency at Bar Limina, Friday-Saturday:

Jospeh Stinchcomb

The latest bartender to take over Bar Limina’s residency series is the owner of Oxford, Mississippi’s Bar Muse. Stinchcomb is a 2019 James Beard Award winner, and he was featured in last year’s documentary “I’m Not Your Negroni.” That film looked into how Stinchcomb’s Black History Month cocktail menu sparked cultural dialogue in Oxford. 631 Madison Ave. More info here. — Phillips

Cirque Italia’s ‘Paranormal Cirque’ at Wolfchase Galleria, Friday-Monday: 

Cirque Italia’s ”Paranormal Cirque” will be at Wolfchase Galleria, Friday-Monday, Aug. 22-25. (Submitted)

Cirque Italia is bringing their big-top circus to the mall parking lot. This horror-themed show is described as “thrilling, wicked, sexy and dangerous” in the press release, and judging by the preview video, I’d say those adjectives are all accurate. There are women in goth makeup doing aerial arts, zombie-costumed men folded into human pretzels, motorcyclists on high wires, etc. And the best part? No animals are exploited for this show since Cirque Italia is an animal-free circus. 7:30 p.m. Friday, 6:30 and 9:30 p.m. Saturday, 5:30 and 8:30 p.m. Sunday and 7:30 p.m. Monday. 2760 N. Germantown Pkwy. Click here for tickets. — Phillips

Morning After Club at Cooper House Project, Saturday:

Memphians Lauti Monserrat and Steven Lopez’s monthly daytime party combining house DJs (this time Jos.Heat and Nate Packard), vintage sellers and coffee is back for its third iteration. This event is set to feature two DJs, one vendor and deals on coffee and beer. 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Free admission. 906 S. Cooper St. More info here. — Perry

Momma’s 2-year anniversary party at Momma’s, Saturday:

Momma’s celebrates two years on Saturday, Aug. 23. (Chris Herrington/The Daily Memphian file)

Momma’s bar will celebrate its second birthday with live music from Bobbie Stacks, Frankie Hollie and Sky King and a set by DJ Tree. Plus, they’ll have drink specials and raffle giveaways. Starts at 11 a.m. Free. 855 Kentucky St. Click here for more info. — Phillips

Memphis Youth Art Mart at Wiseacre Brewing OG, Saturday:

The second annual Memphis Youth Art Mart is by and for high school artists. Last year, artists sold paintings and prints, handmade T-shirts, custom jewelry, crocheted wares, decorated jars full of goodies, plushies, abstract art, postcards and stickers. Baylus Schaffler, a 17-year-old senior at St. Mary’s Episcopal School, along with fellow teen artists and friends Caroline Chandler and Sharon Perdomo, are the organizers. At least 30 artists are signed up to participate in this year’s event. Local teen bands Parasoline and Above Jupiter are scheduled to perform. Click here to read more about the market’s origins and future. Noon-4 p.m. 2783 Broad Ave. Free admission. — Perry

Chef Kelly English’s ‘Nourishing Waters’ dinner at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Saturday:

Chef Kelly English’s four-course dinner celebrates Calida Rawles’ “Away with the Tides” on Saturday, Aug. 23. (Natalie Van Gundy/The Daily Memphian file)

Chef Kelly English has put together a four-course menu inspired by Calida Rawles’ “Away with the Tides,” an art exhibition on view at the Brooks. In her artwork, Rawles envisions water as a space for Black healing, so English will pay tribute to six pioneering Black women chefs whose recipes helped define American cuisine. Besides the food, there will also be storytelling by Charles McKinney of Rhodes College, music by Nubia Yasin and wine pairings from Black Girl Magic Wines. 6-8 p.m. $205.88. 1934 Poplar Ave. Click here for more info. — Phillips

Stax Music Academy at Overton Park Shell, Saturday:

Stax Music Academy opens the Overton Park Shell fall concert series on Saturday, Aug. 23. (Greg Campbell/The Daily Memphian file)

Stax Music Academy opens the Overton Park Shell’s free, fall concert series with a summer showcase. The show was originally intended to close the Shell’s summer concert series but was rescheduled due to stormy weather. Operated by the Soulsville Foundation, the Stax Music Academy offers musical education to students in grades 6-12 after school and during summers. Members of the group recently performed at the Smithsonian’s annual Folklife Festival in Washington, D.C. Food trucks scheduled for the Shell performance are Smoke & Ice, Poke Cha, Carmelitas and Kaye’s Pints & Scoops. Attendees can also bring food and beverages of their own, in addition to blankets and lawn chairs. Leashed dogs are allowed in certain areas. 7-8:30 p.m. Free admission. 1928 Poplar Ave. More info here. — Perry

Darius Rucker at Radians Amphitheater, Saturday:

Darius Rucker

The lead singer for 1990s mega-platinum, frat-rock band (Hootie & the Blowfish) becomes a mainstream country stalwart a generation later? That’s a microcosm for how a large swath of pop music has changed. But the country scene has been a snug fit for Darius Rucker’s combination of strong voice and down-home, aw shucks vibe. Rucker’s played Live at the Garden before, and there’s a reason they’re having him back. 8 p.m. Starting at $84. See here for tickets. — Chris Herrington

Ostrander Theatre Awards at the Orpheum Theatre, Sunday:

The annual Ostrander Awards ceremony will be held Sunday, Aug. 24, at the Orpheum Theatre. (Don Perry/The Daily Memphian file)

The annual Ostrander Theatre Awards almost didn’t happen this year. A financial shortfall followed last year’s show, mostly due to charges from the ticketing platform. But those problems were resolved, and the show will go on. Sixteen local theater organizations have been nominated for awards in acting, directing and backstage work, and musical numbers from the eight nominees for Outstanding Overall Production will be performed. 6:30-10 p.m. $20. 203 S. Main St. Click here for tickets. — Phillips

Alley Dayz in Barboro Alley, Wednesday:

The Downtown Memphis Commission is bringing its alley-centric block party series back to Barboro Alley. Attendees can expect local vendors and performances from Opera Memphis and a to-be-named Memphis DJ. At the event, visitors can try area businesses, including Belle Tavern, Sage, Margaritas and Aldo’s Pizza Pies. 5:30-7:30 p.m. Barboro Alley (between Main Street and South 2nd Street). Free admission (RSVP here). — Perry

Xuefei Yang at the Scheidt Family Performing Arts Center at the University of Memphis, Wednesday:

Renowned classical guitarist Xuefei Yang stops in Memphis while on a 15-city U.S. tour. Yang is originally from China and is now based in the U.K. The tour follows the late July release of her album “Chapeau Satie,” composed of her guitar arrangements of the famed French pianist and composer Erik Satie’s works. Her concert will include those works and everything from Spanish and Colombian classics to American jazz standards, with more of Yang’s arrangements. Yang’s performance will be in the Plough Foundation Performance Hall. Note: Parking is free in the Central parking lot after 4:30 p.m., which can be accessed from Central Avenue or Poplar Avenue, with the following code: 06874#. 7:30-8:45 p.m. $39 (plus fees) for a single ticket, $26 (plus fees) each for four or more tickets. 3800 Central Ave. — Perry

Sunny Sweeney at Hernando’s Hide-A-Way, Wednesday:

Sunny Sweeney will play Hernando’s Hide-A-Way on Wednesday, Aug. 27. (Amy Harris/Invision/AP file)

Attention fans of Tyler Childers, Sturgill Simpson and Margo Price: Sunny Sweeney might be for you. Sweeney took her shot at the mainstream country stardom she deserved with a 2011 debut that included a surprising twist (“From a Table Away,” where the “other woman” watches the married couple reconnecting) on one of the oldest country tropes, the cheating song. Since then, she’s gone indie and has been what Childers would call a “road dog,” regularly hitting up small clubs from coast to coast. This country true believer will be in Memphis fresh off another fine new record, “Rhinestone Requiem.” Sweeney has a song called “I Feel Like Hank Williams tonight.” There’s no better venue to feel that way. Cam Pierce opens. 8 p.m. $20 in advance, $25 at the door. 3210 Old Hernando Road. See here for more info. — Herrington

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