Historically, MIM salutes a nation for the one-month festival, but next year, convention will be broken to celebrate the city's bicentennial, festival organizers announced Thursday. "Each year we celebrate the rich history and culture of another country here in Memphis, but this year we look forward to celebrating the culture and history of our hometown as just Memphis in May can."
Next year, rather than picking a local artist to make the official festival poster, Memphis artists will have the opportunity to submit design proposals. The finalists will be, determined by A panel, together with votes from the general public.
Finalists' posters will be on display in the festival's cultural displays and the winning design will be available for purchase as the commemorative poster.
A new event can be slated for the 2019 festival named Celebrate Memphis, which organizers say will be"among the Mid-South's most spectacular events." It is going to feature music, food, art, innovation, while showcasing organizations and individuals"from each corner of the community."
"It is an exciting time to be part of the next century, and also to witness in real time the sway Memphis has around the world," Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland said. "As we celebrate 200 years of creativity which has changed the world, Memphis in May picking Memphis as the subject of its annual salute is a excellent birthday present." That's a 12 percent increase from up 29 percent and 2017.
Much of this came in the Beale Street Music Festival, which offered 102,507 tickets, with $4.5 million entrance gross, according to organizers.
Based on MIM, the 2018 festival had a neighborhood economic effect of $137.7 million and donated more than $3.5 in local tax revenues, supporting 1,300 full-time equal jobs.
See the 2019 Memphis in May schedule below:
Beale Street Music Festival: May 3 - 5, 2019
World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest: May 15 - 18, 2019
Great American River Run: May 25, 2019
Celebrate Memphis: May 25, 2019
