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Nashville may be the Music City, but Memphis is the heart and soul of music itself. The fact that it’s home to so many different styles is what makes it so great. One of the greatest sounds to come out of Memphis is hip hop, which will be highlighted at the Memphis Hip Hop Expo this Labor Day Weekend in Memphis, of course.

Over the course of four days, the Memphis Hip-Hop Weekend/Memphis Hip-Hop Expo will bring on a number of activities ranging from a 2 day expo with a variety of entertainment, live music performances, a music & art showcase, conferences, fashion showcase, tattoo ink show, South In Yo Mouth Food Taster, local celebrity sports competitions and more.

It’s basically Hip-Hop Weekend in Memphis; the Hip-Hop Expo is running from September 2nd to September 5th. The expo is taking place at the Memphis Cook Convention Center while the rest of the events are scattered. A big event at the expo is the Celebrity Baseball Game. It will be on September 5th at Willow Park. You can RSVP to the event at Eventbrite.com. After the game, you can look your flyest and head out to the Hip Hop Weekend After Party Labor Day Celebration. The location is TBA, so keep your eyes on the Expo website for details.

Hip-hop is alive!

photo credit: Wikipedia

Grab Your Friends for a Night Out on the Town!

Hey all of you Madison Humphrey Center Apartments residents and beyond! What do you normally find yourself doing on aThursday Night? If your answer is nothing, then on the first Thursday of every month head down to the corner of Cooper Street and Young Avenue for a fun, filled evening in your favorite Midtown hot spot. This all takes place onThursday, September 2nd from 5 to 9 pm.

As you stroll around Cooper and Young, you’ll be privy to local Memphis musicians, and fantastic discounts at local shops. You can get anything from garter belts and sushi to Moon pizza and brass cymbals. Yes the brass symbols are random, but some people need them, right?

This is also the time when area independent business owners stay open late and dish it all up with all of you! Make sure that while you’re there, you sign up for the drawings and giveaways; you just may get lucky!

Night Out starts promptly at 5:00 pm. The antique and retail shops are open until 9:00 pm and therestaurants and bars usually stay open until well past midnight. So grab your friends and have a great night out!

Join the Midnight Classic Bike Ride!

Is there anyone else out there that thinks that night time is the most beautiful time of day, other than sunrise or sunset? I just love activities under the stars, and I love the fact that it’s so much cooler than during the day. If you enjoy nighttime activiites, then you may enjoy the Midnight Classic Bike Tour, this Saturday, August 28.

The Midnight Classic Bike tour starts at Poplar Plaza Shopping Center. Registration for adults is $35 before noon on August 27, and is $40 on race night. Children 12 and under are $20 either way. So who’s participating? Folks from Mid-Town, the burbs, college students, artists, athletes, professionals, doctors, lawyers, fry cooks, firemen, and families from infants to octogenarians and more! Everyone can participate, and it’s sure to be a blast! There’s even a post-ride festival for participants.

The festival will feature music by the Venus Mission, bike checks, vendors, doors prizes, and more! The ride starts at midnight and ends at 3 am. People will begin to arrive at 10 pm and that’s a great time to socialize and make sure that everything is in order for the ride. The ride will be touring beautiful downtown Memphis with traffic safety protection along the way.

Did I mention that it’s BYOB? That’s bring your own bike. Don’t forget those helmets!

photo credit: ItzaFineDay

Image by aliwest44 via Flickr

Have you seen the Steven Spielberg film, The Color Purple? If not, you’re missing out on a classic. If you have seen it, how would you like to see the stage/Broadway adaptation of it? The Broadway production of The Color Purple is truly a sight to see, and it’s playing at the Orpheum in Memphis August 24-29.

The Broadway version of The Color Purple is based on the classic Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Alice Walker and the incredible film by Steven Spielberg, which has been a staple in many households for years. The story centers around the unforgettable story of Celie, who finds the strength to triumph over adversity, and discover her unique voice in the world.

The performance dates are:

• Tuesday, August 24th 7:30 PM
• Wednesday, August 25th 7:30 PM
• Thursday, August 26th 7:30 PM
• Friday, August 27th 8:00 PM
• Saturday August 28th 2:00 PM (mat)/ 8:00 PM (eve)
• Sunday, August 29th 1:30 PM (mat)/ 7:00 PM (eve)

Tickets are $25-$80 (plus any fees) and are available now at the Orpheum Theatre Box Office, Davis-Kidd Booksellers and Ticketmaster.

The Color Purple has always been one of my favorite films, and it’ll be interesting to see Broadway’s take on this classic film and novel. The greatest thing about the showing at the Orpheum is that it’s only a few minutes away from the Madison Humphrey Center Apartments.

See you there!

photo credit: aliwest44

If you’ve wisely invested in renters insurance, you don’t have much to worry about when it comes to replacing belongings after occurrences such as natural disasters. Many people don’t take advantage of renters insurance because of a common myth: the cost.

Renters insurance is surprisingly inexpensive. For a small fee a month, normally between $10 and $20, you can save thousands of dollars in case you have to replace your belongings. In all honesty, I’d much rather pay about $10 a month than to pay over $200 to replace a lost television or over $500 for a new laptop. That gives me a much greater piece of mind. This video shows exactly why renters insurance is important.

How do you get renters insurance? National insurance sites like State Farm, All State, and GEICO all carry policies. You can also visit the Madison Humphrey Center Apartments leasing office, and they’ll be happy to get you on your way to a higher piece of mind in no time.

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Hey MHC! Don’t  you just love the fresh picked tastes of the different produce that you pick up from the Memphis Farmer’s Market? Well, the Memphis Farmer’s Market knows that you love it, so they’re serving dinner, the Farm to Fork dinner to be exact.

The dinner will be on August 19 at Owen Brennan’s in Memphis. Join the great chefs for market-inspired feasts to support the Memphis Farmers Market. Make sure that you bring your appetite in order to properly support local farmers and growers.

Seating is limited, so make sure that you contact Owen Brennan’s to reserve your place. The Farm to Fork Dinner is a 5 course dinner with wine pairing, and the price of a plate is $50. Though the price may seem a little steep, it’s definitely worth it. In what other restaurant can you dine on delicious fresh and locally grown produce and meats, let only have a 5 course meal served as such? This is all the more reason to call and make your reservation today!

A portion of the proceeds from each dinner go to support the Memphis Farmers Market, which supports local farmers and growers.

Bon appetite!

There’s a party going on right here! Actually, there’s a party going on where ever Kool and the Gang is performing! Are you going to join the party? If so, head on over to Harrah’s Casino Tunica on Saturday, August 14 and get your dance on!

Kool and the Gang is a funk, party group that found a special sound at the unique intersection of jazz, r&b, funk and pop. They’ve been prime players in the music industry for over thirty years. Their music can be found playing at almost every wedding reception, family reunion, anniversary, etc. One of their songs that I will forever remember and two step to has to be “Celebration“. I’m sure once you watch the video below, you’ll know what I’m talking about.

Tickets for the show are $16.25 and $21.10, and can be  bought at ticketmaster.com

Memphis Gets Skate Park in 2011!

Skating aficionado’s unite! Memphis will finally be graced with a skate park in 2011! This park will be built in Tobey Park, near the Mid-South Fair Grounds. Now all you skaters can practice your ollies, grinds, and rail stands a little more safely than just utilizing whatever concrete you could find.

The long-awaited skate park at Tobey Park, near the intersection of Flicker Street and Avery Avenue, will be designed by Santa Cruz, Calif.-based Wormhoudt Inc. in partnership with Askew Hargraves Harcourt & Associates Inc. of Memphis.

Mayor A.C. Wharton has stated that the design team will host a public meeting within 30 days to gather input from the local skating community as to what they would like to see in the new park. Local skaters are actually amazed that they picked Tobey Park. The decision stemmed from a skateboarding demonstration that over 400 skaters performed to push for Tobey Park.

This is a great thing for the community. Who knows? The new park may entice non-skaters to give the activity a try.

Are you as excited as the rest of the city?

photo credit: Rev Stan

Four!

Hey MHC! What are you doing this weekend? If you need something to do, hop in  your car and travel about 30 minutes west to Fuller Fest 2010!

There is so much going on at Fuller Fest that it’s amazing that they fit everything in, in just one day! On August 7th, 2010 at T.O. Fuller State Park, you’ll be privy to a golf tournament, antique and classic car show, and gospel concert. The best part about all of this is that it’s free! You just can’t beat that.

The golf tournament is everything that you would expect it to be, plenty of green and trophies to the winners of the following categories: longest drive, closest to the pin, 3 flights, and 3 places for flights. The number of flights will be determined by the number of entries. The fee is $220 per foursome, so that’s roughly $55 per person. The price includes golf cart, green fees, and box lunches. Registration begins at 8:30 am.

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The antique and classic car show will be sure to turn more than a couple of heads. Since this is a competition, trophies will be awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place as well as Best in Show. The car show begins at noon and there is a $15 entry fee per vehicle. The judges will make their decisions based on the following categories: corvettes, antique trucks, classic cars, antique cars, and motorcycles.

The other main event at the festival will be the Gospel Concert. The MC will be James Chambers of WAVN -1240 AM radio. Participating in the concert are: Newsom Singers, Golden Keys, U-Turn, Supreme Harmonettes, Spiritual Excitement, Marvin Butler, and other local artists!

Lastly, there will be the normal festival staples such as food for purchase and arts and crafts for sale. Come out and enjoy the fun if you can!

What are you doing this weekend?

photo credit: wikipedia

What would Memphis be like without food festivals? That’s easy: a supremely skinny city that has some of the best music in the nation. Luckily for you, Memphis is filled with food festivals, and tomorrow is no different. Tomorrow, August 3rd at the Southland Greyhound Park-Kennel Club from 6:30 to 9 pm will be the 8th Annual Main Street West Memphis Taste of the Town.

Main Street West Memphis hosts the annual food and beverage tasting event featuring an array of regional restaurants. Tickets are $25 per person in advance or $30 at the door – a table of eight may be purchased for $200. There will be limited VIP seating inside the Bourbon Street Steakhouse Grill with private bar and a bottle of champagne for each table – price of VIP table is $300. Hooper Sales Company, Inc. will have a variety of wines and Arkansas Distributing will be on hand with a selection of premium beers.

This is sure to be a treat as anything that comes from a Memphian restaurant has to be good right?

Directions from Madison at Humphrey Center

Head east on N Humphreys Blvd. Take the 1st right onto Walnut Grove Rd. Merge onto I-240 E via the ramp to Nashville. Continue onto I-40 W. Entering Arkansas (19 miles). Take exit 279A toward Ingram Blvd. Merge onto Interstate 40 Frontage Rd E. Turn right at Ingram Blvd. Destination will be on the left

photo credit: jeffrey w