BBQ, Italian fare & whiskey
7 Memphis food events to check out in May
Mark your calendars! May is a busy month when it comes to things to do on the food scene.
This year, Memphis will host two world championship barbecue cooking contests. The Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest returns for its 46th time. Smokeslam: The World’s Ultimate BBQ Showdown will host its inaugural event on the same weekend as the venerable Memphis in May contest.
Not interested in barbecue? Throughout the month, look for events and special dinners focused on everything from Tennessee whiskey to Spanish wines to lemonade.
May will end with the 35th anniversary of the Memphis Italian Festival, one of the city’s most beloved annual food festivals.
Here are seven food and drink events happening in May that you won’t want to miss.
The Big Squeeze Food Truck Festival at GPAC
Germantown Performing Arts Center will host its inaugural The Big Squeeze Food Truck Festival on May 4 in its outdoor venue, The Grove. The evening will feature food from six Memphis-area food trucks and live music from Memphis Jones. It is also the culminating event in Germantown’s Lemonade Stand Day.
The City of Germantown will host its first Germantown Lemonade Stand Day during the day on May 4, with stands being judged from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. The city has partnered with Germantown Education Foundation to teach kids about running a business and giving back. For a list of lemonade stands, visit germantown-tn.gov/lemonade. When: 4:30-7:30 p.m. May 4 Where: The Grove at GPAC, 1801 Exeter Road, Germantown
Cost: Free
Tickets: gpacweb.com
Silo Square’s Blues for the Blue Crawfish & Blues Festival
The second annual Blues for the Blue Crawfish & Blues Festival is a 21-andup event filled with live music, drinks, good eats and more. All proceeds benefit the Southaven Police Department’s First Responders Benevolence Fund and the Desoto County Sheriff’s Blue Line Fund.
When: 5-10 p.m. May 4
Where: Silo Square, Southaven Cost: $150 (Each ticket includes allyou-can-eat crawfish and four drink tickets.)
Tickets: silosquarems.com/bluesfor-the-blue
Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest
Calling all barbecue lovers! The 46th edition of the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest will be May 15-18 at Liberty Park.
The World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, the largest pork barbecue contest in the world, features the championship categories of Whole Hog, Rib and Shoulder.
Be sure not to miss annual festival events like the Ms. Piggy Idol Contest, Sauce Wrestling and the Kingsford Tournament of Champions Tour (advance ticket purchase required for the tour). The full schedule and ticket information are available at memphisinmay.org.
When: 5-10 p.m. May 15, 11 a.m.-midnight May 16-17, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. May 18 Where: Liberty Park
Cost: Single-day general admission tickets are $15 and four-day passes are $54.
Tickets: memphisinmay.org
Smokeslam BBQ Festival
The Smokeslam BBQ Festival will make its debut in Memphis on the river
at Tom Lee Park.
The three-day festival, dubbed the “World’s Ultimate BBQ Showdown,” takes place Thursday-saturday, May 16-18, and will play host to people from all over the country with activities for the whole family.
In addition to the barbecue competition, fans can delight in generous samples of BBQ dishes and enjoy bites from other local food vendors. The barbecue competition will culminate in an awards ceremony Saturday evening hosted by Michelle Buteau, comedian, actress, and host of “BBQ Showdown” on Netflix.
Tickets include tastings, nightly concerts, live fire demos, celebrity book signings and fireworks.
When: 2 p.m.-midnight May 16-18 Where: Tom Lee Park
Cost: Single-day general admission tickets are $24.99 and three-day passes are $65
Tickets: smokeslam.com
Tennessee Whiskey Week in Memphis
This year, Tennessee Whiskey Week will be a month-long chance for Tennesseans, tourists and travelers to experience the Tennessee Whiskey Trail and savor the state’s native spirits through immersive experiences across the state focused on four key areas: culinary, cocktails, competition and distilleries. The statewide whiskey festivities kick off May 3 in East Tennessee, then head to Middle Tennessee the week of May 12 and culminate in West Tennessee the week of May 20-25. Several events are planned for the Memphis area, including a Master Distiller-chef dinner at Bog & Barley featuring spirits from Old Dominick, Blue Note and Postmodern on May 23. Visit tnwhiskeytrail.com for a full list of events.
When: May 20-25
Where: Various Memphis restaurants
Online: For more tnwhiskeytrail.com
Spanish Wine Dinner at Restaurant Iris
details, visit
Restaurant Iris will host a fourcourse Spanish wine dinner on May 29. Kelly English has created a menu that features authentic dishes from Spain. Rootstock Wine Merchants will present a curated selection of Spanish wines from Tennessee-wide distributor Franklin Selections.
When: 6:30 p.m. May 29
Where: Restaurant Iris, 4550 Poplar Ave.
Cost: $125 per person, not including tax and gratuity
Reservations: Call the restaurant at (901) 590-2828
Memphis Italian Festival
Memphis Italian Festival returns to Marquette Park in East Memphis on May 30-June 1. For more than three decades, the festival and cooking contest have celebrated all things Italian in Memphis. What originated as a Holy Rosary School fundraiser in a parking lot with eight teams has grown into a full-blown festival and cooking competition with more than 40 teams competing for the title of Grand Champion.
Live music, a bocce tournament and carnival games are part of the fun at this family-friendly festival.
When: 3-11 p.m. May 30 and 11 a.m.-11 p.m. May 31-June 1
Where: Marquette Park, 4946 Alrose Ave.
Cost: $15 per person; Kids 10 and under are free
Tickets: memphisitalianfestival.org Jennifer Chandler is the Food & Dining reporter at The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at jennifer.chandler@commercialappeal.com and you can follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @cookwjennifer.