Memphis In May

What a disappointment! We traveled all the way from California via planes, trains, and automobiles just to find out that our $9 per person entry fee gave us the privledge of purchasing overpriced street vendor food (corndogs, nachos, etc.) and "looking" at the contestant booths. No BBQ samples, no opportunities to purchase BBQ, nothing! The look of disappointment on my husband's face will forever be my only memory of Memphis. The Kingsford koozie and Weber grilling sample soveniers were nowhere near worth the $700 we spent to attend.

I took my family to the Sunset Symphony this year and we all had a great time. The Navy blues band that was playing when we arrived was excellent, the air show was entertaining and the Memphis Symphony Orchestra sounded terrific, as did the Bar-Kays. The fireworks took a while to get going, but once they did it was a spectacular sight over the river. I highly recommend attending this event next year.

First let me state that the Memphis in May World Championship BBQ Contest is an amazing sight to behold... The sweet smell of hickory hangs thick in the air. Booths (some 3 levels tall) line the mile long park. Over 100,000 people flock to this Mecca of BBQ every year to eat, drink, and worship at the altar of swine. Now you will find people who trash this and other BBQ festivals because teams hold private parties and won't let them in...this is the truth, we do hold private parties and most of the time we won't let you in, but please give me a chance to explain WHY we don't (and CAN'T) let people in to our booths... The reason all of us teams do not provide food to festival goers are 3 fold... 1. Health codes prohibit us from distributing food and beverages to festival goers...We only can give things to our "invited guests" 2. We pay for this contest out of our own pockets...even the smallest Patio Porker team is probably spending 2 grand to enter and compete...some of the bigger teams can spend over 25-30 thousand dollars....My teammates and I throw in $300 each, so yes, it is our party. 3. We cannot accept money or sell anything to the general public - We WILL BE disquallified from the contest for doing so. It is about winning to us, so please don't ask us to ruin our chance to win. We as teams are truly sorry that people come every year expecting to be able to just walk in and eat whatever they want...and every year people actually yell at us, and I've even had some people become violent (I have been hit) because of the above rules. Please understand this, we plan and save our money for months to do these contests. We spend a week of our vacation time to set this up and take it down. We work very hard to compete and the parties that people are not "allowed in" are our celebrations with family and freinds... NOW- If you do a little internet leg work you will find that in the months prior to the contest you have the ability to join many of the teams through their facebook and webpages. If you just want to attend the festival and not be on a team then you have many options - 1. Get on Facebook and the web and make friends with some teams (Start with mine if you like, we have people from all over the country come and hang with us) 2. The Peoples Choice Contest - From 2-6pm on Thursday and Friday of the contest. $4 gets you 5 samples of BBQ which you vote on, the winner is determined by the masses. 3. Cooker Caravan - This program is free and lets you tour team booths *Thursday and Friday 11:30 am - 3:30 pm (last tour leaves at 3:30 pm) *Saturday 10:30 am - 2:30 pm (last tour leaves at 2:30) Teams give you guided tours of their booths, and here's a little secret...a few of us will invite you back for the party :-) Neil Gallagher Pitmaster - Too Sauced To Pork BBQ Memphis TN - Buffalo NY

I mainly went to see Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks. They were supposed to start at 9:45 that night. Well, they started early, so I was in another part of the park and missed a song or two. I got to the stage and saw one song before they announced the closing of the park due to bad weather. I know that weather is something that sannot be helped, but I was very dissapointed. I guess if I had not driven six hours to get there, I would not be so unhappy. The main reason that I would not recommend this event to a friend is the poor lack of planning where the grounds were concerned. Was it really necessary to put all the stages on top of mud holes? It looked like Woodstock. From what I hear the event is rained on every year. Could they not find a way to keep the patrons out of knee deep mud? You even had to walk through mud to get to restrooms and concessions. I don't mind getting rained on, but the mud is too much. Oh and can you please tell me why folding chairs are not allowed. It makes no sense at all.

It always rains. But it is so much fun. You have to go next year!

It rains every year during the Beale Street Music Festival. I live in Memphis and go every year. The organizers of the event do not allow umbrellas to be brought into the event, so if you go, you will get soaked. In past years a three-day pass entitled you to a wristband which allowed one to leave and return at will allowing people to seek shelter when it started raining and return when the rain stopped. This year's festival allows one to leave and return only once per day thus ensuring that festival attendees have a chance to experience the joys of being trapped in a mud filled pit during a monsoon. The music is always great, but the discomforts inflicted on musical festival guests by the organizers' obtuseness make it less than an enjoyable experience.

My girlfriend and I really enjoyed this great event. As always, it rained just a little bit but it was an awesome. I never would have thought that I could have such a great time watching The Goo Goo Dolls and The Limp B-I-Z-K-I-T. Definitely recommended.

Great shows and a great crowd would go again bring your friends

Memphis is doing it right with the Beale Street Music Festival.

Glad the weather held off until the end of the night. It was a great night on the riverfront and a great night of music to suit all tastes.

I wasn't that impressed. If there had been many bands that I loved I would have had a better time, but for the line up presented the punishment of having to be surrounded by that many drunk/high inconsiderate people was not worth it. I might brave it again in the future but only for a concert that is too good to pass up. Go for the bands not the atmosphere.

It was a great line up with awsome weather can't wait for the next two nights.

All 4 bands were great hoping weather will break so we can enjoy again today!

Even though the organizers have no control over the weather, it was wet. But a day before the start of the Music Festival we reviewed the line up and noticed that some of the bands we were looking forward to seeing were no longer playing. So the 3-day pass we purchased, we felt a like we had gotten the raw end of the deal. My suggestion is to wait until the week of to purchase tickets.

Mutemath was awesome as always. They always put on a great show! 30 Seconds was really good except for the fact that Jared Leto talked as much as he was singing. He's good at workin a crowd but u can do it too much and he did it a little too much. When he was singing though he was great! I would def see either band again.

I've gone consecutively for eight years. It is amazing every year! Four stages at the same time with over 70 bands. Beale Street is always packed, day and night. It is quite an experience!

The symphony itself was ok, I am not really into the type of music being played. The air show was great. We left immediately after that. The tickets said the shows was from 2:00-7:00 but really we should have arrived at 5pm and then we would have stayed for the fireworks so that was super disappointing. Free popsicles were given out and free wine samples. No activities for kids were there. The typical fair food was offered. It was very, very hot and there was just about no shade anywhere so bring your umbrellas. You can bring in beer/soda in coolers but they would not let us bring in tennis balls, frisbees, baseballs, mitts.. so we had nothing to do besides just sit there.

We arrived at 1030,and were informed we couldn't enteruntil 1100. We presented our tickets and were told between 1100-1300,entry was free. Money wasted! Then we saw all the contestants,who told us they couldn't serve us due to "health code" regulations. Of all tje regular vendors,one had bbq beef brisket on a bun with a side. Barbeque at a barbeque festival? We didn't see it! The savibg grace to the day was Beale Street that night.

Always proud to see our city displayed in such a positive way! We always recommend out of towners to come and visit our city this week of the year.

Was a TON of fun...just too bad we couldn't go into booths.

Drove from ATL...good now that I-22 is open between B'ham & Tupelo. Weather in Memphis could not been any better...overcast w/ temps in upper 60's to lower 70/s. Parked 1 block from park entrance...hosts were very friendly and informative. Observed judging of several BBQ teams...serious, I mean VERY serious. Wish I could have sampled some of the BBQ the teams had prepared. Went to a very good local BBQ joint recommended by a hotel worker...seedy neighborhood but the food was "off the planet", the proprietor was the bom...bought the first beer, along with a sample of BBQ. Ordered a big dinner and ordered some take-out before leaving!! The city: As with any large metro area, the condition of city streets were terrible...potholes that could hide a car. I'm sure my Caddy needs a front end alignment. Dined in several local restaurants...service as well as the food was outstanding. Hotel staff was friendly and helpful. Looking forward to a 2-3 day visit during a non-event. The Civil Rights Museum was also awesome...will schedule more time to spend there on next visit.

We went to the bbqfest on Friday after noon about four. The weather was amazing. The aroma in the air was mouthwatering. And the fun fun fun that we encountered during the next SIX hours was epic. I have never had such a good time. My son and his wife and I traversed through most of the park to see many friends and people we hadn't seen in years. We did the Kingsford tour and learned quite a bit about different teams processes and the history of the events themselves. Would recommend to most anyone. The key is to have people that you know so you can hang out in someones tent.

I really had a good time at the cookoff. They only thing I would improve is that the general public should be able to taste test the meat if there is left overs. Also there need to be more vendors selling. But all in all it is a great experience. I will do it again!!!!!

One of the greatest events in the USA. BBQ, music and great people. Definitely recommend Memphis in May!

My wife and I were excited to visit our first MIM BBQ challenge weekend. After reading up on the website and other blogs it appeared to be a great event with lots of bbq and music. We arrived early and were impressed with the number of tents. Our intention was to walk around and visit, go home for a nap, and then return at night for more food and music. While walking around we heard that you could not re-enter once you left. We were shocked. We also discovered that there was very little bbq available as everyone was putting theirs into contest. We bought a small sample from a vendor and walked the length of the tents. As we left in the early afternoon I asked at the gate how we get back in...the reply was that we have to buy another ticket. So, I went to the ticket booth and asked if they sold all-day passes. Nope. Hugely disappointed that a "single day entry" actually means "single entry, no reentry" Poorly communicated on a very important point! There could also be a lot more information on the website about the contest for visitors, food available, etc. We won't be back.

Great event. Extremely well run. Weather is the only facotr to your fun.

Great food and fun! I would recommend to anyone!!!!

Great location (except muddy when it rains) down on the river in Memphis. Loved how the air was filled by the smell of barbeque! We understand that this is a competition but with so many BBQ lovers out there who want to participate here's a few items: have more BBQ vendors selling at the event- there were only 2; and have the ability to see more of the prep and smoking activities by the competitors. Loved all the vendors like Home Depot (great to see & hear Chris Liliy), green egg, Weber, Ford, Cattleman's BBQ, etc. Everyone was very friendly and happy. Thanks for a great weekend! Memphis was a great city to visit.

The show was amazing! To have an opportunity to see authentic Panamanian dancers in their beautiful attire was great! And the jazz artists were so in tune with one another, one would have thought they all were from Panama instead of several cities in the USA. The cuisine sample from the chef was also very tasty. Overall, the evening was quite enjoyable!

I thoroughly enjoyed the folkloric dancing and Danilo Perez. I was moved throughout the entire evening by the experience and amazing talent that makes Panama a beautiful place. The Berklee Jazz Institute students were incredible and seemed to enjoy their time playing alongside Danilo. I could not have asked for a better experience!

ACT 1, the Panamanian dance routines were beautiful and well done. 5 stars for them. Intermission was too crowded to really enjoy, but the Panamanian cuisine was interesting. ACT 2, the attempt to communicate 500 years of Panamas history through music fell well short of enjoyable entertainment. The only thing I could identify as Panamanian was the composer. The music sounded like a contemporary jazz session, so jazz fans probably enjoyed it.

Viva Panama was a nice event, but I think it could have been better. The "Ballet Folclorico" with typical dances of Panama was my favorite part, and was most representative of Panamanian culture. However, no one announced what the name of each dance was, nor what part of Panama it represented. The "Taste of Panama" was a big disappointment to me. I looked forward to seeing Chef Charlie Collins, and to having a taste of a variety of Panamanian foods, but instead he stayed at the Peabody, and the portions served were in tiny cups of much less than an ounce each one. They were served in a disorganized fashion, and the only one I was able to sample was the ceviche. The small cups that the portions were served in, were brought out on trays to a central table, and each time a tray was set down, all the portions disappeared quickly, therefore not everyone had a chance to taste all of the different foods. The second part of the program featured Jazz musician Danilo Perez, who had his name mispronounced when he was being introduced. His style of modern jazz is not one of my favorites, but nonetheless he performed the tunes very well. Although he is Panamanian, I don't think that any of his musicians were. They were from Oregon, St. Louis, Israel, etc. I don't feel that he was a very good choice to represent the music of Panama, and that perhaps a live band that played a variety of tropical music may have been a better choice, but I guess that Danilo was available for the date of this event. Anyway, thank you Memphis for hosting Panama this month.

1st half of program was a display of traditional Panamenian dancing. I thought I was watching a grade school production. Individual dances were too lengthy, large gaps of time between numbers,,no scenic backsets, overall lame. Jazz portion with Danilo was great.

It was lovely and funny. Being that much close to river and listening the symphont was really good. Glad to be there.

Great outdoor event! Good entertainment! Great way to support the Grizzlies (outdoor big screen). I only found out about the time change by seeing/hearing it in the news..a little disappointed and I missed the all time favorite Bar Kays show.

I booked 2 tickets for the Sunset Symphony performance because my friend and I were coming for the Paul McCartney concert the next evening. The Sunset event was an added bonus. We enjoyed it very much. The sunset over the river accompanied by passing towboats was a spectacular backdrop for the wonderful music. Fireworks were a nice touch.

The weather was nice and so was the entertainment. I would go again.

We thoroughly enjoyed Sunset Symphony this year. It was awesome to see the inclusion of our communities' youth. The children from Stax Academy did a great job. They were such a talented group of young people. I was also impressed by the brass section from Overton High School who participated in the Symphony's finale. I rated this a four instead of five, because it was hard to find a spot that wasn't a patch of dirt, and when we found a spot that wasn't a dirt patch, the wind blew dirt into our eyes a few times. Either way, I can't wait until we go again next year.

Excellent selections and probably the best fireworks

Traveled all the way from FL to the Memphis in May BBQ Festival looking forward to sampling delicious BBQ. Wrong! This is nothing but a scam. We purchased tickets to get in and basically walk around for an hour. There is absolutely nothing going on here except competitors feeding their friends and the judges, the general public does not get to sample or even purchase the bbq. My advice is to go to one of the nice BBQ restaurants in Memphis and skip this joke of a festival.

My husband and I went on Saturday thinking this would be the best day to sample award winning BBQ. The BBQ was pretty much done and NO BBQ!!

Wanted to watch the cooking and taste the B BQ. To settle for "FAIR" food at an event like that was totally disappointing at best. It was only a show for sponsorship. Good luck in the future

brought my brother and sister-in-law all the way from Ohio to the barbecue contest and was so disappointed that you can't even sample any of the contestants food. i will never go back there ever again! The only people enjoying are the ones who knows anybody that have a booth there. And to think that we have to pay to get in. Thanks for nothing! Please don't waste your time and money. There is absolutely nothing for the family there. Kids will be bored.

It was my first time attending. There wasn't enough early, good quality entertainment. They need to bring back the tradition of singing the famous song (Ol' Man River) that used to to be sung every year before the death of James Hyter. I like the planes flying by doing tricks and the 2nd half of the fireworks at the end was lovely. The Bar-Kays were good as well.

Good music, great crowd! Really liked that I could bring food, snacks, etc. Need an easy access entrance for those with small children and wagons, coolers, etc.

Came back with family and out of town guest and had great time. Weather had a great deal to do with it. Two elements lessened our enjoyment: Had my elderly Mom who has difficulty walking, and even though we were able to find out about HC parking on Riverside, we had a very long walk to get toward the stage area. We asked sever staff people before, during and after if she could utilize their carts that they were just sitting on and they all refused to provide assistance. VERY BAD! The preconcert music was so loud through the speakerss that we could not carry on a normal conversation and was a distraction, rather than a plus.

This trip was one the most exciting trips of all. The people in Memphis were very friendly and of course the food was to die for..I would recommend this trip to anyone that loves good people and great food. I'll be back next year..

We had a great time at MIM! Jeff Beck and Blues Travelers were AWESOME! The food was great, the people were very nice and interesting, the booths were fun and we loved everything about it! The weather held out for Friday night, but still I like all the cute rainboots which were worn...so cute! Looking forward to next year already!!!

Great show, saw most all gigs I wanted to see this year.

The whole weekend was great. I finally got to stay the full three days and it is worth it. Even thou the weather wasnt the greatest we still had a blast. We have just as much fun on the street as we do the festival :)

Everyone I saw was great. I thought Elmwood and Rock Sugar were great breakout performances, and have led to me purchasing thier music.. I personally really enjoyed Jeff Beck, Blues Traveller, Micheal Mcdonald, and Earth, Wind, and fire. I hope A in C comes back in 2011. Same for Hall & Oates.

This was our first visit to "Memphis in May," we purchased a one day pass (mainly to see Daryl Hall and John Oates), it just happened to be one of the worst days ever for an outdoor concert. We got to see Michael McDonald's entire concert, (he was great), but I'd waited over thirty years to see Daryl Hall and John Oates and into their third song, we were ushered out of the park because of a tornado alert. Although it was a let-down, I will try and attend the event again, and recommend this event to others.

The Beale Street Music festival is the first weekend in May every year. It rains, HARD, every year. There are always awesome bands there, though, and that makes it worth it. Mud boots are a fashion statement in Memphis! There were tornadoes and flooding added to the mix this year and we didn't think we would make it. Got there later in the evening and missed a few bands that I really wanted to see, but it never rains on Jerry Lee Lewis! He was awesomely rockin'. Listened to Puddle of Mudd and Seether. They were great as well. The Soco Blues Shack was nice. Very sorry to say a tornado warning came up and they kicked everybody out of the park and nobody got to see Hall and Oates or Alice in Chains. The band I really wanted to see, The Flaming Lips, cancelled early in the week because of illness. A great time by the river all in all! Be there next year!

I went to the Memphis in May Beale Street Music Festival this past weekend, it was amazing! I got to see almost everyone I went to see, had to leave a little early for the weather...which almost never happens. The food is a little expensive, but it is still good.

amazingly well run event. very professional. b52's were awesome

The shows went great except for the Tornado cuasing an evacuation and not being able to see Alice and Chains then the failing to show of 3 Doors Down. Other then that it was good, Typical Mud Fest year with great people and good times and memories.

The whole weekend was unbelievable! I dont know if it was the threat of tornadic storms that got the energy flowing or if it was all the cold Bud Light, but there was a feel of excitement ringing in the air like Warren Haynes screaming guitar solo during Soulshine. The only thing that could have made it one of the greatest weekends of my music listening career was having alice n chains come out for the final set rather than having the uninvited voice of the show manager saying "Please seek shelter, for the safety of all involved, Please remove yourselves from the park!" All in all, the shows were great. But a cancelled Alice N Chains show just leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

Didn't get to see everyone I wanted to because of the weather. Hall & Oates, Alice in Chains, Derek Trucks, John Hiatt, Allison Krauss either had shortened sets or had to cancel. Got to see Kim Simmonds and Savoy Brown for a couple of songs before the event was called off Saturday night. On a positive note, Jeff Beck and Sonny Landreth were worth the trip for me. Sonny is a bad ass on the slide and I highly recommend him to everyone. Really, Sonny should have been headlining out on the big stage but it was great to see him up close in the tent.

The whole concert was amazing. Since there were tornado warnings all day saturday, a bunch of the smaller bands got booted so that just meant we got to see puddle of mudd, seether, and alice in chains sooner. Well all of those except alice in chains. They were canceled because of a damn tornado "warning." The whole night there wasn't even a tornado. It was sooo stupid. I gave it 4 stars because we need to get something in return for alice in chains being canceled. The whole thing was absolutely awesome but waiting all that time to see alice in chains then they don't even play sucks.

Front row to any concert you want! limp bizkit, 30 secs to mars, b52's, seether, puddle of mudd, and blues traveler.. all amazing!

What is going on with announcing the dates for Memphis in May 2016? How is someone from out of town supposed to plan a trip if there is no date?

I don't know why we've never gone before but so glad we were able to go before the sunset symphony rides off into the sunset. The afternoon bands were perfectly chosen, the air show was exciting and educational, the symphony was exquisite, the lady and gentlemen doing special vocal performances were delightfully engaging and the fireworks show just left us enthralled at the entire event.

MIM did a wonderful job on the final Sunset Symphony event. Weather was beautiful, with a record turnout. Lots of fun for a crowd of all ages. We enjoyed the music, airshow was exciting and the fireworks were spectacular! One thing that was not mentioned anywhere was that cameras with removable lenses were prohibited in the park. I didn't see it on the MIM website nor was it mentioned in the announcements at the event. Several attendees, including myself, had to make the trip back to our cars (an extra 45 minutes) after being turned away at the gates. If this is the policy, let the public know beforehand!

The Sunset Symphony was very nice. The weather was ideal and the music was great.

An unforgettable, and bittersweet night! It's unfortunate that this was the last time that Memphis will have the Sunset Symphony.

This was my fiancé and I very first time attending the Sunset Symphony, and we hate that this was it's last time. We had a fantastic time listening to the orchestra, watching the air show, and observing the fireworks display! We can't believe we went so long without attending the event. We've been telling everyone we come in contact with about it since Saturday. We hope it comes back because we had the time of our lives!

I can't say enough good things about this event. The air show was amazing!! These pilots are so generous in sharing their time to provide this amazing show for Memphians. The fireworks display was excellent! It was a beautiful display in the night sky. The symphony was wonderful as always. We also enjoyed the ukulele band. They were quite entertaining. It was a great event for family and friends.

Memphis in May Sunset Symphony was incredible! Everything about it was perfect ! I hope the upcoming events that replace it can be as family friendly and great quality.

Just one of the best events of the year in Memphis. They need to re-evaluate and continue this excellent tradition.

It was a great night!! I'm sad this was the last one - I think this should be reconsidered!!

We will miss this event! It's the best family friendly event in May!

This event is strictly for BBQ contenders and their exclusive invited guests. It made no sense to walk around and watch private bbq party booths whooping it up and nothing there to entertain passersby. Sure there are food vendors but why purchase and eat there when you can do that at a nice restaurant for bbq. Plus pay $20 to park at surrounding lots is ridiculous to be a public ticket holder. So you're out $30 now and still have to purchase food and drink. Forget about tasting contenders food, not allowed. It is an unorganized event and a waste of time.

First time a the event. Wanted to eat barbecue but was imposible. If you don't have an invitation or are friend with any tent you don't eat barbecue. I asked all over and they send me to the festival area, yes, Gyros, Fries, Sausage, Ice Cream, Corn Dogs, etc but not barbecue. What kind of event is this where you paid $10 to get in and you can't eat. I don't recommend this event unless you a have a friend on a tent!

This is nothing but a private party for business on the river. When going as the open public there is nothing for you to do but walk around without anything to experience. No booths to teach you anything, no booths for demonstrations, no booths to compare commercial products etc. This is nothing but a private party for companies who paid to put on a BBQ for their business associates and maybe family. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with that. However, that is not how this event was advertised. Again, Absolutely a wated weekend and money. From a Kansas City visitor, it sucked.

Nice event \u2026. very specialized \u2026 but not much good food to buy \u2026...

Everything was great. Nice outing for family and friends.

Beale St Music Festival was an adventure - 18 hr drive there. Tornado warning & rain during most of my visit. Because of the bad weather they started an hour late. When the first group Constellation (?) went on stage the skies suddenly brighten up & we were in a pocket of sunshine as the band played beautifully (I'd never heard of this band before, but really enjoyed their show). Then Yo Gotti come on & it was pure torchure - If I heard his say his name one more freakin time I was gonna scream - I'm not a violent person but I would have loved to smack yo gotti, his crew & his fans in the head. Then FINALLY Puddle of Mudd came on & put on a good & somewhat comical show - Wes was throwing his mike around & into the drums...he then decide to climb the stage scafolding - he went up pretty high & he looked like he wanted help getting down as he was singing, but the crew were all kind of laughing to hard ... Then Seether came on & totally ROCKED THE HOUSE - they sounded GREAT - AWESOME Show! Then about 10 mins after they left the stage & Alice in Chains (the headliner) was getting ready to go on stage - all hell broke out - they closed down the fair due to tornado warnings!!! Bummer! The police cleared the street & we were stuck in bars (what a shame...). I left Memphis at 11am Sunday, got stuck on I-40 for 8 hrs because of flooding, when they finally let us off everything around was flooded - the flood water ripped off part of my front bumper as I drove thru a water covered road,,,finally Tues morning at 12:30am i arrived home. Note: always bring rubber boots to the Beale St festival - U will need them. Always have food, water, blankets & entertainment in your car in case you get trapped for hours... PS met a lot of really nice people there.

We travelled from Calif. to see, and try some southern BBQ! Unfortunately the People's Choice tent was so small, and the line SOOOOOOOOO long there is no way we were going to wait that long. They are really missing an opportunity to promote some good BBQ. A bigger tent and allowing more people to sample - sorry, Judge! the BBQ that there is so much of. I would easily pay more than $4 to "Judge" the BBQ! For the positive however, there were a lot of great teams and the backdrop of the Mississippi River was amazing!!!

We have made a long trip from Florida, spent a lot off money, Especially to be, involved in the the whole even. There were no clear guide lines as to when things were happening, NO schedule available to the public. No Relief from the heat, (meaning no mist stations, or shade tents). Worst off all NO RE-ENTRY once you left, this is not acceptable, the people paid for all day, and if it got too hot, they have to leave for cooling off, and return. We did not know when the judging was gong to take place. You people tend to forget it is the loyal followers that foot the bill, and put money in your pocket, as well as the contestants. Worst off all not one off the workers, knew anything, when you asked them a question. Not to mention there were NO T-SHIRTS to be found, anywhere, therefore I only have bad memories. Rest assured We WILL NOT BE RETURNING

My boyfriend and I went to see Alice in Chains-all the way from St. Louis for ONE band. All of the other bands were great for the most part which makes me really want to go back again. HOWEVER!!! Due to the weather, Alice In Chains was canceled TWO minutes before they were to come on stage and they wouldn't let us in to see them the next day since we bought a one day ticket. I think they couldv'e handled that better. We don't really even know if they played Sunday. The line-ups were awesome, the size of the place and set-up was great, but it was mud, mud, mud. Now we see what the rainboot deal was all about and if you go, WEAR RAINBOOTS! Beale Street was awesome also, so go have fun next year. You'll love it.

We just moved to Memphis and had a ball! lots of BBQ plenty of vendors selling ribs and other tasty food items. Its cool to just stroll and check out the teams tents and smokers!

We drove from FL for this festival. Lots of food, but no flies. Maybe next year there could be more vendors selling actual Festival souveniers and more food vednors. I wasnt happy with the vendor selling smoothies. He wasnt friendly and didn't give my mother what she asked for. It was amazing to see people from the Food Network and this guy we saw on Diners Drive-Ins and Dives from The Shed.

Arrived 11:00am Friday. Saw only one vendor selling ribs. Found the tasting booth didn't open till 2:00pm. Decided not to wait. Canceled my motel resv.and drove back to Detroit where I smoked my own ribs. Best part of the trip... Patti's 1880 Settlement in Western Kentucky I-24 at the Land between the Lakes Donnie2

Wonderful atmosphere + fabulous food + friendly people = an amazing time at the Memphis BBQ Festival!!! The Miss Piggy Idol competition was hilarious and is a must see if you never have!

The smell of BBQ is the first thing we were aware of as we parked our car and approached Tom Lee Park on foot. Next we were amused by the pit crew names and the booth decorations. The noises, the vendor booths, the lemonade and beer all made for a fun outing. We went on Friday in the early afternoon when it was very hot and sunny. We bought tickets to the people's choice tent (a no-brainer ) and enjoyed tasting and voting for the best of the selections provided. Our friends from California came to Memphis for a visit because of the BBQ contest. We have been sampling various BBQ places this week as part of the theme of their visit. We all still like the Commissary in Germantown best so far, but we are going to Neely's Interstate this evening. We had planned to join the caravan tour but all the walking was too difficult for us retirees and handicapped people. Our only complaint is that some sort of people conveyance system would have been very welcome and would have allowed us to enjoy more of the event. Luckily we left just as the rain started so we didn't need to deal with that. But this is Memphis, and it will rain here often! We would recommend this event for all ages and will go again.

This is 3rd year my husband & I have gone. Bought 3 day passes each year. 1st year had to leave before Sheryl Crow cuz of downpour of rain. Last year we only went 1 night & wasted 2 days of tickets because of horrible weather. This year, they evacuated on Saturday night after Hall & Oates' 2nd song. Why on earth would Memphis hold this event during Tornado season???Crazy! One of these years they will have a tornado hit & it will be catastrophic!!!! Especially with all the natural disasters that have happened in the last couple of years!! We actually came to Memphis for the 1st time ever 3 yrs. ago in 1st week of October, the weather was beautiful...Why not hold it in October & call it a Beale St. October Fest??? If a tornado hits during Memphis in May again, it will be catastrophic with all the stages set up & equipment etc. & I'm sure the death of hundreds of people! Does Memphis want to be remembered in this way? Also, maybe they can get Ana Popovic one year!!! She's Serbian blues artist living in Amsterdam, saw her at Buddy Guys Legends bar in Chicago a couple of years ago!!! She's fabulous!

Some very good acts, and some rather unusual acts. No reschedule for Alice and Chians made me upset.

the festival was only okay this year, due to circumstances that were beyond the control of festival organizers. a lot of the bands i wanted to see most cancelled because of the weather. we were all really upset that alice in chains didnt get to play, and that a lot of bands didnt make it out on sunday due to the flooding. the other years have been better.

This year was the worst! Every year we buy a 3 day pass. The weather made the concert impossible. We had company from Washington, DC. They would never attend again, to far to travel for rain and what ever else happens. John Hiatt was stranded in Nashville, I know you can not control weather-----change week---couldn't hurt.

Many of the shows we wanted to see were cancelled. and the tornado evacuation was awful. This was the worst line up I have ever seen anyway. I have been attending every year for at least 12 years. I have never had a bad experience like this year. It will have to be an amazing line up next year for me to go or I am going to Bonneroo. The majority of the headliners if not all this year did Not show.

Got to see Micheal McDonald. His set was awesome. Played alot of favorites. Funny story.. I had to pee so bad right when he started, but i didn't want to leave without hearing What a Fool Believes so after he played it i ran to the portapody. I obviously looked for the one that was green ( an indication that the stall was vacant) but when i pulled the door open there was a lady, hovering with her panties at her ankles. She screamed , i screamed and jumped so high. It scared the crap out of me. I felt so embarrased for her and myself. So info to all that use the port a pody LOCK THE DOOR!!! Was getting ready for Hall and Oates, they got two songs in and the park was evacuated due to a tornado warning. What a jip!!! I was pretty pissed off. Atleast the first song was Maneater. I know the weather is unpredictable, but its the same every year. They have to do something different. This is bound to happen again.

It was exciting the morning of the show, had to go to the hotel basement twice because of tornados. It was muddy, RAIN BOOTS, will be worn next time. It sucked that Alice In Chains didn't play because the tornado sirens started going off again.

Had a great time, to many good bands to see all at once.

Friday nite was awesome. We never made it to the Saturday or Sunday show because of the weather.

Memphis in May is always a good time. This year was the low end of a good time. Went prepared for rain and got really bad weather. Flooding and thunderstorms made many of the big names cancel and not play. The venue is rain or shine but some allowance should be made for bands that don't even show up. I understand that they are they to make money, but when people pay and don't get anything for their money, they are less likely to come back. I will go again next year, just like I have done for the last five, but will have a tough time getting others to go with.

This was year 4 of my Beale Street experience and it was probably the best yet. The only problem was Alice In Chains and 3 Doors Down had to cancel because of the tornadoes! Still the other bands went on nearly without a hitch and the street itself was as lively as always! Keep coming as for 74 dollars you can't go to 3 days of anthing!

I realy enjoyed the festival except for the weather whitch was a little more severe than normal. Rain can be expected at Memphis in May. I am glad I was able to watch Savoy Brown before the event was canceled on Saterday night. I was very disapointed to miss Walter Trout. Overall the festival was satisfactory.

Began the drive at 10:30 with the promise of rain and lots of mud. This was a birthday present for my 14 year old girls. Excited for them mostly...this was their first live concert experience. We chose sunday specifically to see BOYs LIKE GIRLs and Band of Wild Horses. So we get there an hour early to get in line to enter. The girls have planned this out and know which pavillions are going to be first. They say they want to be within "sweat slinging distance!" Well, we were. It was increadible. I have never been to a concert where I was so close to the performers...right against the bars, two feet from the stage. The bands began to set up, and they bring out the drum sets and sound equiptment. The girls begin to take pictures already. I tell them to stop. We don't know this band. "Let's wait till the more famous bands come out." The Bill Street pormotions announcement come over the speaker and the band begins to pile onto the stage. The security gets still and becomes attentive. We are about to begin. I say "we" because this was the best opening band I have ever heard. They engaged the audience the minute they stepped on the stage. The band was made up of the basic singer, drummer, bass and guitar player, but each muscian exhibited so much character when playing. There was enthusiasm and energy that we did not see from the other more seasoned bands that night. I loved how they made eye contact with the audience throughout and with eachother. I only wish we had known the words to the songs. By the end of the performance the girls were screaming at the tops of their lungs and we had used most of the picture space up on the phones. We loved them! I hope that we will get a chance to hear more from SoreEyes! BuhWah for local band showcase at Memphis in May! Good Luck guys, and thank Lance for taking a picture with the girls after the show:)

The music, singing, food and dancing was unique and very entertaining. My husband enjoyed our evening at the Orpheum and experiencing the beautiful sounds, tastes and movement from Tunisia. I can't wait for next years event and featured country. Thank you for a wonderful evening Memphis in May Festival.

The show was awesome...the shows I wanted to see luckily fell between all the bad weather so I stayed high and dry all weekend. Loved the shows!