Are you ready to get lit, Memphis? It’s Friday, Dec. 6, and Crosstown Concourse is ready. They’ll flip the switch on their massive holiday lighting display tonight. If you’re in the suburbs, you’ll surely find plenty of lights in the Collierville Christmas Parade. And while we’re in the holiday spirit, check out our events guide to markets, lighting displays and more. 

On Saturday, 22,500 runners — myself among them — will take over the streets of Downtown and parts of Midtown for the St. Jude Memphis Marathon. If you’re not running and don’t care to watch the race, you could try to make your way over to Crosstown Concourse for WYXR’s “Raised by Sound” fest. But if you’re going at the festival’s 1 p.m. start, you’ll want to avoid North Parkway, which makes up a big chunk of the race route. (See the full route here.) You could also just stay home Saturday night and watch the Memphis Grizzlies play the Boston Celtics on TV.

On Sunday, there’s more basketball as the Memphis Tigers men’s team plays my alma mater, Arkansas State (Go, Red Wolves! Sorry.) at FedExForum, the women’s team plays Southern Mississippi away and the Grizzlies play the Washington Wizards, also away. For more weekend fun, consult The To-Do List. 

After 41 years, Houton’s has closed its only Memphis location, citing staffing issues and public safety concerns. In recent years, Houston’s had made some changes that weren’t popular with its fans, including turning away guests based on what they were wearing. They also removed the beloved chicken tendies from the menu, and if you ask Gibson’s Donuts owner Don DeWeese, that decision right there was the nail in the Houston’s coffin. Former Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton, who told us he’s “probably had more meals at Houston’s than I did at any of my homes I’ve lived in,” will have to find a new hangout, too. Our own Jennifer Chandler talked to Herenton and other regulars on the loss of their fave steakhouse.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Justice released a scathing report with findings from its 17-month investigation into the Memphis Police Department. The report said the MPD discriminates against Black residents and those with behavioral-health issues and uses “needless force” against children. But despite those findings, the city is refusing to enter into a binding agreement with the DOJ that would set forth conditions for MPD improvement. Memphis Mayor Paul Young did say they’re taking the findings seriously, but he cited the cost to the city and potential increases in crime as reasons not to enter into an agreement with the DOJ. He also said the city needs more time to review the DOJ’s findings. That said, the DOJ could still sue the city if it doesn’t voluntarily enter into a consent decree. 

Plus, TacoNGanas closed its Olive Branch spot, the Grizzlies’ “bench mob” shows out and 22,500 runners are descending on Downtown.