Merrymaking Pro Tips

Our fifth annual family festival, A Day of Merrymaking, is coming up this Saturday, June 3! Meet us on the Greensward from 10:00 – 3:00 for food, beer, music, dancing, games, and lots of local businesses.

Whether you’re attending for the first time or you’re a five-year veteran, here are some tips for maximizing your merriment:

1. Bring bathing suits for the kids–and maybe yourself! It’s June in Memphis, so this year we’re focusing on activities that beat the heat. The always-popular water slide will be back, and this year we’re bringing in a water tag arena. Think tag, but with spray guns! Our presenting sponsor Hollywood Feed will have cooling stations for dogs too, but no special attire is necessary. 🙂
2. Visit the Overton Park Conservancy booth early for freebies! Thanks to a grant from TVA, we’re moving toward a low-waste Merrymaking. The first 500 visitors to our booth will get a free Overton Park water bottle, which can be used at our hydration stations. We’ll have additional bottles on sale for $5 after we run out (plus current and classic Overton Park t-shirts on sale for $20–and remember, park members get 25% off everything!). Plus, our friends at Clean Memphis and Get Green Recycleworks will be helping you recycle cans and bottles throughout the day.
3. Bring some change. This event is free, as always, but it’s also a fundraiser for Overton Park Conservancy. As you may have heard, we’re currently nearing the end of a campaign to raise $1 million for the Greensward, so we need all the support we can get! We suggest a donation of $5 per person. Additionally, admission to the beer garden, which is presented by Echo Systems and Memphis Made, will be $10, which gets you two beers (additional beers are $5 each). Some other attractions also suggest a donation, such as the water tag arena, and you’ll need some money to visit the face-painting booth and dine at one of the many awesome food trucks. Check out our complete vendor list here.
4. Reduce your transportation headache. Traffic will be one-way (clockwise) in the park all day, so if you’re driving in, plan to enter at Poplar and Tucker. If you’d like to avoid parking altogether, we’ll have bike valet near the event entrance on the Greensward. Shuttles will also stop at First Baptist Church on Poplar & East Parkway (enter on E. Parkway and follow signs) and at the Overton Square garage (pickup is on the plaza behind Gould’s, next to the cornhole sets), every 20 minutes or so from 10:00 to 3:30. Here’s a handy traffic map.
5. Get out your dancing shoes! We are particularly excited about this year’s musical lineup. Nick Black kicks things off in bluesy style, and then Red Hot Lindy Hop will teach you how to swing-dance! Put your new skills to use when Zigadoo Moneyclips performs their high-energy set, and then groove with Teneia, who have been traveling the country spreading their joyous message and are generously stopping in Memphis just for this event.

In addition to everything mentioned above, we’ll have art activities for the kids, the return of Bubble Ball, a giant Jenga set, fun for the dogs, and local vendors offering everything from espadrilles to incense. (Ladies, there will also be a 30-foot bus full of LuLaRoe clothes!) Every year offers a unique and special opportunity to enjoy the park with your neighbors, and we can’t wait to see you all for this year’s event!

What if it rains?
We will hold the event rain or shine, unless there’s a thunderstorm. If we do cancel the event, we’ll post a notice on our website, as well as on all the Overton Park social media channels.

What about volunteers?
We still need help to put on the event! Choose your time and task at Volunteer Odyssey.