Peg Legs and Pickles: Weekend Fun in the City
A pair of public events bring unique fun to Memphis this weekend, celebrating two rather different pillars of human culture: delicious hamburgers and scurvy dog pirates.
Once plundered, booty must be divided, like these bandits did during last year’s Pyrate Faire.
The Mid-South Pyrate Faire packs Mud Island River park with plank-walking, merchant ship-pillaging fun Friday, September 28 through Sunday, September 30, while the Best Memphis Burger Fest will send glorious clouds of smells into the air from the Minglewood Hall parking lot Sunday, September 30.
Hosted by the Mid-South Buccaneers, the Pyrate Faire is a free event that brings three days of high seas action to Mud Island River Park. Organizers promise it will be packed with “all things swashbuckling”, with a heavy emphasis on family fun.
Sunday afternoon, the best burger-meisters in the city will do battle for the title of Best Burger at the Best Memphis Burger Fest. Dozens of teams are anticipated to do burger battle in four categories: Best Memphis Burger, Anything But (fowl, game, fish, etc.), Veggie and Extreme. In the final category, all entries must weigh in at least two pounds.
A customizable burger from Bleu, one of the restaurants participating in the cook-off.
Benefiting Mid-South Spay and Neuter Services, the event involves a bunch of local restaurants and organizations, including Claybrook Farms, Bluff City Coffee and Cafe Eclectic.
“We are so happy to be the official charity for Best Memphis Burger Fest,” says Stephanie Bennett, Mid-South Spay and Neuter’s interim executive director. “It’s through support from individuals and groups such as Seth (Agranov, food blogger and festival organizer) and the Best Memphis Burger Fest that we’re able to offer our affordable services to so many animals and their owners in Memphis.”
“Yes, you can,” says Stephanie Bennett of Mid-South Spay and Neuter. “As long as you’ve been neutered.”
Amateur teams will also compete, giving the pros a run for their money. Local food trucks will also be on site vending grub, and chances are good bites of burgers will make their way into attendees’ hands.
There’s other fun stuff happening in the city this week and into the weekend, too, like Gonerfest’s garage rock marathon taking place at venues all over the city, the Mid-South Fair at Landers Center in DeSoto County, a Trolley Night in the South Main neighborhood on Friday night, and the pulse-raising precision of the LeMoyne Owen College Step Show Spectacular happening Sunday at the Levitt Shell. Check the listings for your favorite kind of fun and get out into the city.
