Throughout the month of May 2025, celebrate AAPI Heritage Month with events and activities across Memphis.
All events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted.
If you have an event that you’d like added to the calendar, please email details to aapiheritagemonthmemphis@gmail.com
More events will be announced soon!
AAPI Heritage Month Kickoff: Island Vibes & Happy Hour!
Thursday, May 1st | 5:00pm-7:30pm CST | Caption by Hyatt - Beer Garden & Talk Shop
Join us as we kick off Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month Memphis with a vibrant Happy Hour celebration filled with island flavors, tropical cocktails, and community spirit!
Indulge in a curated menu by Hyatt Executive Chef, Chef Pavy Keomaniboth, showcasing Pacific Island cuisine, featuring bold, authentic flavors that transport you straight to paradise. Sip on handcrafted Pacific Island-inspired cocktails, blending exotic fruits and island spices for the perfect toast to heritage and culture.
Enjoy an evening of great company, culinary excellence, and festive vibes as we honor the rich traditions and contributions of AAPI communities.
Don’t miss this chance to celebrate, taste, and toast to the beauty of our heritage! Bring your friends and let the spirit of the islands uplift your evening. We can't wait to celebrate with you!
Tickets are $40 and include:
Refreshing handcrafted Pacific Island inspired cocktails.
Curated menu showing Pacific Island cuisine, featuring a limited-edition menu just for our guests.
21 and up ticketed event. Purchase tickets via Tock.
Caption by Hyatt - Beer Garden & Talk Shop
245 S Front Street
Memphis, TN 38103
This event kicks off AAPI Heritage Month Memphis & The Hungry Tiger Food Tour with Edible Memphis.
This month the Hungry Tiger will take you on a tasty trek around town to restaurants showcasing some of our Memphis Asian ethnic communities. We’ll visit long-standing staples and more recent additions, and hopefully introduce you to a new-to-you favorite. If you’ve been looking for a reason to check out local eats or a way to connect with other folks in our community, this is for you!
Check out the full tour schedule at thehungrytigermemphis.com
Learn more about how this delicious initiative began in Edible Memphis’s story “Calling All Hungry Tigers.”
AAPI Heritage Month Student Art Competition - Opening Reception
Wednesday, May 7th | 6:00pm-7:30pm CST | Cossitt Library
Join us for the opening reception of the 2nd annual Student Art Competition celebrating Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month! This exhibit showcases the creativity of K-12 students from Memphis and Shelby County, who have crafted inspiring pieces honoring AAPI culture. Under the theme "Celebrate AAPI Stories, Traditions, and Identity," the artwork reflects the rich diversity and experiences of the AAPI community as well as AAPI cultural influence more broadly.
Top entries will not only receive prizes but will also be featured in this special community exhibit on view from April 28th through May 16th, allowing young artists to share their voices and perspectives. Don't miss this opportunity to support and celebrate our talented youth! The opening reception on May 7th will provide the opportunity to congratulate the student winners. Refreshments will be provided.
Free and open to the public.
Artwork will be on display at Cossitt Library from April 28th-May 17th before traveling to The Shops at Saddle Creek’s pop-up gallery (more info below)
Cossitt Library
33 Front Street
Memphis, Tennessee 38103
“Bluff City Chinese” A Documentary Film - Screening & Discussion
Thursday, May 8th | 6:00pm-8:15pm | National Civil Rights Museum
In celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Month, join the National Civil Rights Museum’s Unpacking Racism for Action Program for a special screening of BLUFF CITY CHINESE. "Bluff City Chinese" follows filmmaker Thandi Cai and elder Emerald Dunn as they uncover 150 years of Chinese immigrant history in Memphis, weaving personal stories, community voices, and archival research into a powerful exploration of identity, belonging, and resilience.
Following the screening, is a community discussion and Q&A with Thandi Cai, Director and Creator of BLUFF CITY CHINESE, A Documentary Film.
Registration is FREE. (Registration link coming soon)
More about the Unpacking Racism for Action program: Unpacking Racism for Action is a thought-provoking series of educational programs offered by the National Civil Rights Museum to deepen the awareness and understanding of the many manifestations of racism through an examination of how racism, implicit bias, and the ideology of whiteness impact human relationships in society.
National Civil Rights Museum
450 Mulberry Street
Memphis, TN 38103
Suchitra Mattai: with abundance we meet
Thursday, May 22nd | Memphis Brooks Museum of Art
with abundance we meet is an installation made of ‘fruit’ (phala in Hindi) sculptures by the artist Suchitra Mattai that are ripe with possibilities, conjuring wombs and fertility spirits. The phala are made with braided and woven vintage saris and are a nod to the artist’s South Asian ancestry and will hang in the museum’s rotunda. These ‘migrant bodies’ seems to simultaneously rise and fall, emerge and disappear. The saris are from all over the world, from India, the Caribbean (Guyana, specifically), and the United States, and are sometimes gifted to the artist by friends and family. When braided and woven in this scale, the sculptures become monuments to women. They also allude to domestic labor as they are made of ‘everyday’ saris (not the ‘fancy’ ones worn for ritual celebrations and other formal occasions). The work honors craft-based processes historically associated with women and the domestic, such as early American braided rug-making. With every strip of fabric, the artist connects women of the South Asian diaspora and beyond.
Exhibit opens May 22nd. For more information, visit: Memphis Brooks Museum of Art.
Memphis Brooks Museum of Art
1934 Poplar Avenue
Memphis, TN 38104
Super Saturday - Japanese Fans
Saturday, May 24th | 10:00am-12:00pm CST | Memphis Brooks Museum of Art
Learn about the art of sensu or Japanese folding fans by making your own! Experience the joy of creativity and the beauty of cultural heritage as you engage with this interactive workshop. Join us in celebrating AAPI Heritage Month through this delightful art-making experience!
Memphis Brooks Museum of Art
1934 Poplar Avenue
Memphis, Tennessee 38104
City of Memphis AAPI Heritage Month Celebration
Saturday, May 24th | Bert Ferguson Community Center
Explore the rich and diverse cultures of our local Asian ethnic communities. Enjoy live performances, cultural activities, and food. This event highlights the diversity of Memphis with representation from Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Indian, Indonesian, Malaysian, Filipino, Vietnamese, and Pakistani communities.
Bert Ferguson Community Center
8505 Trinity Road
Cordova, TN 38018
Memphis Dragon Boat Festival
Saturday, May 31st | All Day | Hyde Lake, Shelby Farms
The Memphis Dragon Boat Festival is an annual fundraising event hosted at Shelby Farms Park in Memphis, TN. The festival features boat racing, dance performances, live music, and lots of food. This event is hosted by the Memphis Chinese Community Center, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting cultural heritage, fostering cultural exchange, and strengthening community cohesion.
For more information and to register your team, visit MemphisDragonBoatFestival.com
Hyde Lake at Shelby Farms
6931 Great View Drive North
Memphis, TN 38134