901 Day inspires Memphians to show their city pride

By Anna Deason

Artwork by Catherine Ferguson

901 Day 2019 may have come and gone, but you can still celebrate Memphis spirit all season long!

September 1 is otherwise known as 901 Day and was created back in 2011 by Memphians Jen Clarke and Kerry Crawford to honor our beloved city. Whether it’s wearing a Grizzlies shirt, purchasing a Mempop during ALAPP, eating out at Gus’s Fried Chicken or going rock climbing at Memphis Rox, the St. Mary’s community knows how to show their M633emphis pride. 

While 901 Day is the perfect time to enjoy all that Memphis has to offer, there is no reason not to keep the Memphis love flowing year-round. No matter what part of Memphis culture you like best — be it the arts, the food, or the sports teams — Memphis has a spot for everyone. 

“My favorite place in Memphis is The Orpheum,” says Mia Soefker (9), “I love how beautiful and vintage it is.” Check out this link for the full upcoming event listing, but coming to the Orpheum before the end of this year are shows like “Dear Evan Hansen,” “The Book of Mormon” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” 

For Sadhika Ganguli (11), “The Mississippi Riverside [is] a place of freedom for me. The water grounds me in my Memphis roots and … shows me that I can leave and come back to my home.” Picnicking on the green or biking along the river is a great way to spend a day before it gets too cold. 

Although there are plenty of things to enjoy in Memphis all year long, there are some pretty exciting events happening in the coming weeks, so now is the time to start getting hyped!

Football season is now in full swing, and the Memphis Tigers are already off to a great start with two wins against Ole Miss and Southern University. If you’re interested in keeping up with University of Memphis football as the season continues, their 2019 game schedule can be found here. 

For all you Midtown-lovers, Cooper Young Festival is this coming Saturday, Sept. 14, and Midsouth Pride at Robert Church Park is scheduled for Sept. 28. And although it is still over a month away, people are already excited for Mempho Music Festival Oct. 19-20.

When Tatler reached out to the SMS community to ask them why they love Memphis, several students were eager to respond:

“Memphis has a rich history,” says Ellie Greenfield (11), “whether with blues/music, St. Jude, or the Civil Rights Movement. So much has happened in our city, both good and bad.” 

Similarly, Emily Rogers (11) remarks, “It’s important to be proud of where you come from, so having [city] spirit is like an extension of that.”

At its core, Memphis spirit is so much more than going to Grizzlies games at the FedEx Forum or hanging out at Muddy’s Grindhouse. Memphis spirit is giving back to the community, lifting each other up, and striving to do better, not for our own benefit but for the benefit of our fellow Memphians. Our city’s culture is something entirely unique and something worthy of being celebrated all year long.