You work hard to keep your crew smiling, so finding leisure activities that bring everyone together matters. To help you plan an unforgettable spring and early summer schedule, your Saddle Creek Orthodontics did the digging for you and rounded up our top 5 family-friendly events and things to do in Memphis, TN, this May that blend fun, learning, and plenty of local flavor. From open‑air concerts to hands‑on science exhibits, each outing delivers a laid‑back way to enjoy the city while giving your teeth a break from movie‑night snacks. Grab your calendars!
1.) Food Truck Events
Memphis lives by the motto that great food tastes even better outdoors. Throughout spring and summer, caravans of local vendors turn green spaces into pop‑up dining rooms packed with live music, lawn games, and the mouth‑watering aroma of fresh barbecue. With so many delicious food options in a beautiful setting, it’s the perfect, recurrent, low‑stress outing for families of all ages and sizes, regardless of whether you have a braces or aligner patient in your family.
Food Truck Fridays at Dixon Gallery & Gardens drop onto the art museum’s lawns every Friday evening. Admission is free (but keep in mind that your food isn’t!), so budget‑minded families can feast without breaking the bank. Between bites, stroll the sculpture garden—or pop into the galleries after eating.
If Thursdays suit you better, head to the Food Truck Garden Party at Memphis Botanic Garden. Once a month, the garden becomes a culinary carnival, paired with games, live music, and a cash bar. Plus, you can bring your furry doggos, so no family member is left behind.
And these aren’t the only two food truck events. There are plenty around Memphis, and you’re guaranteed to have a great time at all the family-friendly food truck days.
2.) Symphony In The Gardens
The Symphony in the Gardens event may have come and gone this year, but its magic still lingers. Trade screen time for starlight at Symphony in the Gardens, a lush outdoor concert hosted by the Memphis Symphony Orchestra each May. Dixon Gardens’ manicured lawns become the city’s most relaxed amphitheater, where families spread quilts, unpack picnic baskets, and let the sunset paint the backdrop. If you missed it this year, be sure to mark your calendar for next spring—it’s a Memphis favorite for a reason.
Orchestra not your family’s thing? No worries! Check out the Free Concert Series at The Shell!
3.) The Cosmic Carnival: Community Arts Festival
Hosted by Off the Walls Arts, the Cosmic Carnival Community Arts Festival creates a free afternoon focused on creativity for all ages. The official listing highlights hands‑on craft stations where kids and adults can make small take‑home projects, along with live music sets from local performers. All supplies are provided at no cost, so families can drop in, create, and head out whenever it suits their schedule.
Some things you can look forward to are:
- Live music by the Memphis Youth Symphony
- An alien-inspired fashion show from students at Crosstown High School and Bellevue Middle School
- Acrobatic wonders of the High Expectations aerial performers
- & MORE!
Prefer to stay closer to Saddle Creek Orthodontics? Check the Germantown city events calendar, which lists family‑friendly activities like Cars and Coffee, Fireworks Extravaganza, and Germantown Charity Horse Show. All activities are posted online in advance, making it easy to map out a full weekend.
4.) Memphis Redbirds At Autozone Park
Catching a Redbirds game at downtown AutoZone Park is a Memphis rite of passage. The minor‑league affiliate serves up nine innings of family‑friendly baseball complete with mascot antics, between‑inning dance‑offs, and Friday‑night fireworks that light up the skyline. Snag berm seating so younger kids can sprawl on blankets, chase foul balls, or burn energy on the playground beyond left field.
AutoZone Park’s schedule stretches beyond baseball. The stadium also hosts pup‑friendly Bark in the Park nights, outdoor movie screenings on the jumbo screen, and Sunday Brunches.
5.) Earth Matters: Rethink the Future at the Pink Palace
Ready to look at our changing planet from a fresh angle? Earth Matters: Rethink the Future invites visitors to step inside ecosystems, tackle real‑world challenges, and see how even small choices ripple through nature. Open daily from 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Pink Palace Museum through May 18, the exhibition blends wow‑factor visuals with hands‑on discovery.
Kids can spin a mechanical pump to reveal how much water hides in everyday treats like a single chocolate bar, then watch a 3‑D projection map of a coral reef respond to their decisions about energy use and recycling. Peek inside the inner workings of a tree, listen to calls of endangered species, and trace large‑scale visualizations that show rising temperatures and shifting biodiversity. Every station links air, land, and water, driving home one message: small actions make a big difference.
Make The Most Of It: Hit this limited-time only exhibit first, and finish with a lap through the Pink Palace Mansion’s permanent displays for a day of fun and learning.
Keep Your Family Smiling All Season This May & Beyond
From food‑truck dinners under the oak trees to science exhibits that spark fresh curiosity, these outings prove you don’t have to leave town to load your calendar with family-friendly things to do. Memphis, TN has a lot of incredible activities, and each of the above events offers its own blend of learning, laughter, and laid‑back fun—exactly the mix that keeps smiles bright long after everyone heads home.
While you’re planning weekends around ballgames, concerts, and art projects, remember that great memories look even better with healthy teeth and functional bites. Saddle Creek Orthodontics is in Germantown and Collierville to keep every grin picture‑perfect, whether you need routine checkups, Invisalign clear aligners, or braces adjustments. Book your complimentary consultation with Dr. Kyle Fagala or Dr. John Boling today, and let’s make sure your whole crew is ready for the next round of Memphis adventures.