A Day of Merrymaking: 10 Things to Know Before You Go
Our family festival, A Day of Merrymaking, is coming up on Saturday, October 6 from 10AM to 3PM on the Greensward, and we want you to have a wonderful time. Here are the top ten things to know before you head out for a day of fun in the park:
1. You won’t want to miss the performances.
From Overton High School Concert Band’s tribute to Stevie Wonder, to the original choreography of Company d, to the reggae rock of Chinese Connection Dub Embassy, our stage, sponsored by The Commercial Appeal, will have a wide variety of music, dance, and performance. Click for schedule.
2. If you want to help us pull off this event, volunteer shifts are still available!
We’re in urgent need of more volunteers to fill setup, event, and teardown shifts. If you or your group are available Friday afternoon or anytime Saturday, please sign up to help or e-mail Rose Baker directly at [email protected].
3. If your dog likes to dress up, this could be her moment of glory.
Hollywood Feed presents its Halloween Spooktacular at noon, featuring adoptable pups from Streetdog Foundation in costume. After that, go onstage with your well-dressed dog to compete for prizes! You’ll just need to sign up at the Hollywood Feed tent before noon. Click for details.
4. Free shuttles and half-price Explore Bike Share rides are just two of the ways to get to the festival without your car.
You can park at the City’s General Services Area at 281 E. Parkway N. or at the Overton Square garage and use a free shuttle provided by FedEx, you can cycle in and use our bike valet, or you can use an Explore Bike Share bike. There are EBS stations near the Greensward and East Parkway Pavilion, and a temporary one will pop up at the General Services Area on Saturday. All rides will be half-price when you buy a pass this weekend from the BShare app or ExploreBikeShare.com, but if you check out your bike at General Services Area, your rental is FREE for 60 minutes. If you DO come by car, plan to enter at Poplar and Tucker–traffic will be one-way. Click for details.
5. You can help shape the future of the park.
Overton Park Conservancy is currently developing a master plan for the park, and the festival will offer a chance to provide your ideas for the future. You can participate in some imaginative exercises when you stop by the master planning booth, located right next to the Overton Park Conservancy booth. Want to get a look at one of the spaces we’re planning for? Park your car at the General Services Area and take a look around–the City is currently vacating the site, and it will ultimately be returned to parkland. This is your first chance to get a feel for how the space might be used. Here’s what to expect.
6. You can help make this a low-waste event (and snag some free swag).
This year’s event will feature recycling bins alongside trash cans, so you can separate waste. We’ll also have water stations throughout the event so you can fill up for free. Need a reusable water bottle? Stop by the Overton Park Conservancy booth for a free aluminum bottle courtesy of TVA.
7. You’ll have plenty of chances to indulge your inner artist.
This year’s even features two collaborative mural projects: a freeform paint and Sharpie canvas presented by The Art Project and Art Center Memphis, and a paint-by-numbers Old Forest scene created by students at Memphis College of Art. For the musically inclined, Arts Memphis and the Tennessee Arts Commission are presenting an instrument petting zoo, where you can try out musical instruments hands-on. Click for details.
8. The event is free, but bring some spending money.
Admission to A Day of Merrymaking is free, with a $5 suggested donation benefiting Overton Park Conservancy. You’ll also want to bring cash or credit cards to our food truck court and artist market, featuring dozens of local vendors with art, jewelry, fashion, bath products, and more. For a list of vendors and food trucks, click here.
9. The beer garden is back!
Thanks to our friends at Echo Systems, you can relax in the beer garden with brews donated by Memphis Made. $10 admission gets you two beers, with 100% of proceeds going to Overton Park Conservancy.
10. Our community partners will register you to vote, and there will be ASL interpretation of all stage performances.
The deadline to register to vote in November’s elections is next Tuesday, so Memphis Empower Coalition will be on hand to make sure you’re up to date. DeafConnect of the Mid-South can assist individuals with hearing loss in registering, and they’ll also be offering interpretation of the performances onstage. Read about our community partners here.
