Pop-up beer gardens to debut Downtown Friday night

Look for family-friendly beer gardens to possibly start popping up at parks around the city, thanks to an initiative from the City of Memphis, the Downtown Memphis Commission and the Riverside Development Corporation to add new life to underused Memphis parks.

This Friday, the new Fourth Bluff Fridays series gets underway with a kick-off event from 4:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The event is free to attend for all ages.

“We were inspired by things that some other cities are doing to activate underutilized public assets that have suffered from some disinvestment over time,” said Maria Fuhrmann, City of Memphis Grants Coordinator. “We are looking to reinvigorate those assets to draw people together from all backgrounds together.”

She cites Philadelphia’s “Parks on Tap” project, where a series of events with pop-up beer gardens and food trucks traveled throughout 14 city parks during the summer, as a particularly strong influence on the project.

“This type of project is low-cost, fun, and it draws people to places that maybe they have not visited before,” she said.” said Fuhrmann “It’s always important to draw people to the riverfront, and this particular area is a little sleepy and underused.”

On Friday, mobile beer vendor The TapBox will pour a craft beers from local outfits like Wiseacre Brewing, High Cotton Brewing Co., Memphis Made Brewing, and Ghost River Brewing., while food trucks Monkeytrain Grazing Co., Stick Em, and Say Cheese will be on hand with a variety of munchables.

The Mighty Souls Brass Band will play a free show from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., and there will be games for children and families with abundant seating to enjoy the music, watch the sunset, and enjoy the party.

Other partners on the project include Cossitt Library, the University of Memphis School of Law, and Memphis and Mississippi River Parks.  

The Fourth Bluff Fridays series is already lined up to take place at Memphis Park again on Sept. 9 and Oct. 14, and Fuhrmann says to expect different food vendors and bands for each event.

“We’re working on the riverfront now, and we’re doing research and making observations that we will use to replicate in neighborhood parks throughout the city,” said Fuhrmann. “The ultimate goal is for every neighborhood to have great public places.”