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

This week, Fire Pit Fridays makes a comeback, Ken Burns’ new film screens for free and Meddlesome Brewing hosts what may be the shortest race ever.

Stage & Sketch at the Dixon Gallery & Gardens, Thursday:

Dixon Gallery & Garden’s Stage & Sketch teacher Shelda Edwards used her iPad to sketch Memphis wrestlers Bobby Ford and Dorian Vain at a previous event. (Greg Campbell/Special to The Daily Memphian)

This is not your average figure drawing class. Rather than sketching models in traditional poses, this event features models in costumes assuming dynamic poses. For example, back in May, attendees at the event, organized by Rainbow Rumble co-producer Shelda Edwards, drew wrestlers in action. Bring your own preferred drawing surface (digital or paper) and supplies. 6-8 p.m. Free. 4339 Park Ave. More info here. — Bianca Phillips

‘Bettye’s Bin: The Personal Archives of Stax Songwriter Bettye Crutcher’ opening reception at Stax Museum of American Soul Music, Thursday:

Bettye Crutcher (Courtesy Stax)

The “Bettye’s Bin” exhibit is based on letters, lyric sheets, photos and other items of Stax Records songwriter Bettye Crutcher. The memorabilia was found in a storage bin in an antique mall in Lexington, Tennessee, and donated to the Stax Museum. Crutcher co-wrote Johnnie Taylor’s Grammy Award-nominated 1968 hit “Who’s Making Love” as part of the songwriting team We Three, with Homer Banks and Raymond Jackson. The opening includes a Beale Street Brass Note presentation and a conversation with Stax musician, producer and songwriter Bobby Manuel and Crutcher’s grandson Devin Crutcher. Devin Crutcher will also sing some of his grandmother’s songs, accompanied by the 926 Stax Music Academy Alumni Band. The exhibit will be on view through Feb. 22. 6-7:30 p.m. Free (register here). 926 E. McLemore Ave. — Elle Perry

‘The American Revolution’ at Crosstown Theater, Thursday:

Documentarian Ken Burns’ latest series, “The American Revolution,” will debut on PBS across six nights, November 16-21, but Memphis watchers can get a free sneak preview of the opening episode, in a screening sponsored by local station WKNO. A conversation with Memphis Public Library historian G. Wayne Dowdy will precede the screening. 7 p.m. Free. 1340 Concourse Ave. For more info, see here. — Chris Herrington

‘The Thanksgiving Play’ opens Friday at Theatre Memphis:

From left to right, Eliana Mabe, Jamie Boller-Raup, Charles Ratcliff perform a scene from "The Thanksgiving Play" at Theatre Memphis. (Carla McDonald/Theatre Memphis)

Larissa FastHorse is the first known female Native American playwright to have a play produced on Broadway with her work, “The Thanksgiving Play.” The play is a satire that exposes the ironies of “performative wokeness” and cultural misrepresentation. “I think a satire can just be about what’s fun about being a human and what’s silly about being a human,” director Jared Thomas Johnson said. Read more about it in our monthly theater guide. Runs through Nov. 22. 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, 2 p.m. on Sundays. $25 630 Perkins Extd. — Alys Drake

Fire Pit Friday at Tom Lee Park, Friday:

It finally feels like fall, and what better way to celebrate than standing over a firepit and sipping on hot cocoa. You can do both as Fire Pit Fridays relaunch this week. They’ll continue every Friday through Dec. 19. There’s a new theme each week, and this one is Cocoa & Crafts. There will be a holiday coloring station and — probably too soon — photos with Santa. 4:30-6:30 p.m. Free. 422 Riverside Dr. More info here. — Phillips

Sean Latif Heiser’s ‘Time is a Hearer’ opening reception at the Beverly + Sam Ross Gallery at Christian Brothers University, Friday:

Malaysian-born, Brooklyn, New York-based Sean Latif Heiser is an abstract painter. In an artist statement, Heiser said he sees painting as a place to combine form and color with thought, memory, fantasy and reality. Heiser received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. The gallery is on the lower level of the Plough Memorial Library, in the center of CBU’s campus. 5-8 p.m. (opening reception) Free admission. 650 E. Parkway S. —Perry

Crafts & Drafts Holiday Market at Crosstown Concourse, Saturday:

The annual Memphis Flyer Crafts & Drafts Holiday Market will be at Crosstown Concourse on Saturday, Nov 8. (Courtesy Molly Willmott)

With Halloween over, holiday shopping season is officially here. And one of your first chances to get started is the annual Crafts & Drafts market at Crosstown, sponsored by the Memphis Flyer. More than 90 vendors will be selling made-in-Memphis gifts, and the beer will be flowing. At least booze makes the shopping stress a little more bearable, right? 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Free. 1350 Concourse Ave. More info here. — Phillips

Creative Aging exhibition opening at Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library, Saturday:

Creative Aging offers free art-based classes and performances to Memphians age 65 and up. Courses include painting, drawing, sculpture, mosaic, writing, guitar and piano. Its new exhibition features work participants created in studio art courses at 10 Memphis Public Library branches. The reception will be on view through Nov. 30. 2-4 p.m. Free admission. 3030 Poplar Ave. — Perry

Meddlesome Meandering at Meddlesome Brewing Co., Saturday:

Meddlesome Brewing will host the Meandering 0.5K on Saturday, Nov. 8. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian file)

Want all the fun of a post-race party without the race part? Every year, Meddlesome hosts a 0.5K “race” (that’s one-third of a mile) that ends with two post-race beers, live music and food. This year, the eats will come from Howard’s Donuts Lakeland, Waldo’s Chicken & Beer, Soul Fish Cafe and Tavern 018. Proceeds benefiting Stax Music Academy. 4-10 p.m. $40. 7750 Trinity Rd Suite 114. More info here. — Phillips

Booker T. Jones at the Bartlett Performing Arts & Conference Center, Saturday:

Booker T. Jones will play the Bartlett Performing Arts and Conference Center on Saturday, Nov. 8. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian via AP)

The man who gave us “Green Onions” as the frontman for Booker T. & the M.G.’s has a solo show at BPACC this Saturday. The Grammy Award-winning Stax Records star got his professional start at age 16 playing sax on the Satellite Records (later Stax) hit “Cause I Love You” by Carla and Rufus Thomas. And at 80 years old, he’s still going. 7:30-10 p.m. $60. 3663 Appling Road. More info here. — Phillips

Youth Ballet Memphis’ ‘Collaborations 2’ at Ballet Memphis, Saturday-Sunday:

Ballet Memphis’ youth arm and the Stax Music Academy will collaborate on Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 8-9. (Submitted)

For the second year in a row, Ballet Memphis’ youth arm and the Stax Music Academy will collaborate — hence the name. “Collaborations 2” features three original works that Youth Ballet Memphis students Abigail Andrews, Holland Gossett and Jadirah Zatar choreographed, set to music that Stax Music Academy student songwriters have written. The show will also feature a Brandon Ramey world premiere, a Virginia Ramey new work and a restaged Ben Delony work. (The Rameys are co-directors of the youth company.) 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, 2 p.m. on Sunday. $20 (tickets here). 2144 Madison Ave. —Perry

Dayglow Goner Records Pop-up at Wiseacre Brewing HQ, Sunday:

J.B. Horrell will perform with Aquarian Blood at Wiseacre Brewing on Sunday, Nov. 9. (Houston Cofield/The Daily Memphian file)

Gonerfest’s first shows at Wiseacre in September were a big success, so Goner is coming back for a daytime show with local acts Aquarian Blood and Aiden Osias and visiting acts from Nashville and New Orleans: Jake Orrall (from Jake The Brotherhood), Chris Lyons of Silver Synthetic and Ultrafrog. As always, Little Bettie will be dishing up pizza pie, and Wiseacre will be slinging beer and cocktails. 1-4 p.m. 398 S. B.B. King Blvd. More info here. — Phillips

Memphis Jazz Workshop Live in ’25 at Crosstown Theater, Sunday:

Memphis Jazz Workshop members will play a show at Crosstown Theater on Sunday, Nov 9. (Brad Vest/Special to The Daily Memphian file)

We were all there to cheer along as the Central High Jazz Band played their way to the top this year. And, if you’ve got a hankering for more jazz, look no further. A few Central High Jazz Band and other Memphis Jazz Workshop students, faculty and alumni will perform a live recording event at Crosstown Theater on Sunday night. The idea is to capture the electric atmosphere of a live audience. MJW has been promoting jazz in the community by offering a workshop series in the fall and spring and a summer camp for young musicians in grades 6-12 interested in jazz. Now, it’s time to return the favor and make some noise for them. 6 p.m. Tickets start at $58. 1350 Concourse Ave. Click here to buy tickets. — Kelsey Bowen

MUSE Creative Gathering: LOVE at Bar DKDC, Monday:

Like Really Creative is hosting a collective love song-writing workshop at Bar DKDC on Monday, Nov. 10, 2025. (Courtesy Like Really Creative)

What goes into a love song? Melody, poetry, vocals and a whole lot of passion? Find out for yourself Monday night at Bar DKDC as local musician Raneem Imam leads a collective love song-writing workshop. The gang at Like Really Creative is calling for writers, singers and musicians of all kinds (percussionists, guitarists, bassists, key players, horn players, wind instrument players, electronic producers and beyond). And if you’re more of a love song lover instead of a lover song maker, don’t worry! You’re more than welcome to come and just enjoy. But, hey, when the music starts brewing, you may just find you’ve got to let your heart sing. 964 Cooper St. $10. 6:30-8:30 p.m. Click here to reserve your spot. — Bowen 

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