For eight years, Lauren Kennedy was executive director of the UrbanArt Commission, an organization which was essential to the spread of so much public art throughout Memphis

This week, Stax kicks off a summer dance series in Handy Park, flowers meet art at the Dixon and Memphis Made rolls out the hops. 

St. Paul and the Broken Bones will headline the inaugural SmokeSlam barbecue contest. The lineup also includes rap, rock and funk.

“I found that I’m always learning new things,” one of the master gardener tour guides said about the annual spring walk. “Even though I know about some of the plants out here, I always learn something new.”

For the third season of Stereo Sessions, WYXR is back to unveil a new crop of six rarities, including the story of a blind keyboardist, an all-female ensemble of roots-punk rockers and more.

“We want to build this brand,” organizer Nick Barbian said. “It’s something that can be hopefully the launch of spring and summer event season here in Memphis.” 

This week, Memphis Farmers Market opens, Elizabeth King performs “sacred soul” at Crosstown Arts and there’s an eclipse party in Overton Park. 

The month starts with a “Wicked”(ish) witch defying gravity in a musical that’s coming to the big screen this year. Also, fairy-tale friends take a journey “Into The Woods” and “Hamlet” is reimagined in the 1920s.

Nykesha Cole joined Eric Barnes on this week’s episode of “The Sidebar” to talk about her work as the arts-and-culture liaison for Shelby County Government.

A race for doughnut lovers, a brand-new cocktail festival and a brunch day party round out the April 2024 guide to food and drink events in Memphis. 

The event honors the memory Jared McStay, whose nickname was Jughead. In addition to co-owning the record store on Madison Avenue for 20 years, McStay was a musician and radio DJ.

Dozens of children were off the races to hunt for Easter eggs at the Dixon March 30.

Presley was on hand for the announcement regarding the former Hard Rock Cafe site, which will house the Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum and Memphis Music Hall of Fame.

Learn the indigenous history of coffee, frolic in spring blooms at Memphis Botanic Garden and hunt for Easter eggs at the Dixon.

Josh Burgess, who founded Lucy J’s with his wife, joined Eric Barnes to talk about Lucy’s J’s support of families working to get out of homelessness and the many ways the bakery supports these families.

A former restaurant server will open a new art gallery and event space inside Midtown’s Minglewood Plaza Friday, March 29. 

“If I wanted to have a sophisticated school, I would have ballet,” Principal Louis Padgett said. “I want (the) boys and girls to be more sophisticated than myself. I said I’d never leave this school until it had ballet.” 

Related story:

New Ballet’s new leader brings ‘talent, aspiration, hope’ to young dancers

“No matter what I’m doing, I spend (time) investing in kids and neighborhoods. At New Ballet, I get to do it in a way that’s fresh and exciting.”

Related story:

Giving it a twirl: More Memphis schools offer ballet classes

A retro but fresh bluegrass duo, an experimental music lineup, a violin concerto composed by a modern jazz legend and performed by one of classical’s most celebrated violinists, one of R&B’s modern greats and a west coast hip-hop heroine come to Memphis in April. 

DeSoto County supervisors boost budget for expansion of the Southaven convention facility from $35 million approved in 2021, to $84.1 million.

“Lizzo won her first Grammy in one of the dresses downstairs, and Michelle Obama gave one of the greatest speeches of her career in one of these dresses,” Christian Siriano said. “That feels more important than just clothes to me.”

This week, Christine Weinreich, head of the Memphis Library Foundation, joined Eric Barnes on The Sidebar to talk about the foundation’s work in support of Memphis public libraries. 

This week, sci-fi fans unite at Mid-South Con, ZZ Top and Lynyrd Skynyrd share a stage and the Memphis Symphony Orchestra gets cosmic with Pink Floyd.

FedExForum is heating up this summer.

Attendees from Memphis and beyond headed Downtown for the 51st Annual Silky O’Sullivan’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade Saturday, March 16.