The Cooper Young Festival 2020

Saturday September 16, 2023 9AM to 7PM

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2023 Cooper Young Festival will be celebrated on Saturday, September 16 from 9 am to 7 pm. See you then!

Click here to see 2015 Cooper Young Festival Poster Art

The Cooper-Young Festival, hosted by the Cooper-Young Business Association (CYBA), is Memphis' most anticipated outdoor celebration. Held in Memphis' largest historic district, the Cooper-Young Festival is scheduled for September 16, 2023.

In its 35th year, this event has grown tremendously and is one of Memphis' most highly attended Festivals. This year, over 130,000 guests will enjoy an appealing mix of art, music and crafts presented by over 435 artisans from around the country. The Cooper Young Festival is a true celebration of the arts, people, culture and Memphis heritage.

Cooper Young was named one of the "Top 10 Great Neighborhoods in America" by the American Planning Association in 2012. Come join us for the party and get to know why Cooper Young is Midtown!

*No Pets Please

Events

Festival Friday 4 – Miler

CYFEST Poster Artist 2023

Jeanne Reynolds

Jeanne's formative years were spent in Baltimore, MD where she began her formal art training at the age of twelve, studying at the Schuler School of Fine Arts. Always encouraged by her family, she began exhibiting and winning awards at an early age. Moving to Memphis in 1968, she continued her training with Bettie Pittman at White Station High School, Paul Penzner at his studio and with Ted Faiers at Memphis College of Art. In 1974, she received her B.F.A. from University of Tennessee at Knoxville and a M.F.A. from University of Memphis in 1983. Frequent visits to museums in the United States and abroad, contributed to the development of Jeanne's style.

In 1988, she opened Jeanne Reynolds' Studio teaching art lessons to all ages and skill sets. Teaching is a gift, in Jeanne, who taught at many schools in Memphis i.e. University of Memphis, Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic School, workshops at the Botanic Gardens and after school programs at Grace Saint Luke's, Saint Mary's, Bornblum Solomon Schechter and presently at Richland Elementary.

Her art achievements include but aren’t limited to, “Most Promising Artist of 1979” by the Commercial Appeal, Memphis in May poster honoring Russia in 1993, several prize winning portraits of our own Elvis, highly collectible Blues Ball guitars, Cooper Young Festival Poster in 2002, Best Female Artist 2004, much sought after portraits of people and pets as well as her commissioned florals and garden scenes. She creates art about what she loves and she loves working and residing in Cooper Young!

View the 2023 Festival Poster

Volunteer

Our Festival is one of the biggest events in Memphis annually – HUGE. We can use alot of volunteers! Please call our CYBA offices at 901-276-7222 or email us at [email protected] if you would like to join in the fun as a volunteer this year!

Tamara Cook

Executive Director
Cooper Young Business Association

Office: 901-276-7222
Fax: 901-276-2043

www.cooperyoung.com
www.cooperyoungfestival.com

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Music Lineup

Doug MacLeod

5:15 – 6:30 PM

Doug is a multiple Blues Music Award winner, including the 2020 Blues Music Award for Acoustic Artist of the Year and the 2018 Blues Music Award for Acoustic Album of the Year ‘Break the Chain.’ In 2023, he won the Blues Music Award for Acoustic Artist of the Year. He has been nominated for the 2023 Blues Blast Music Awards for Acoustic Guitarist of the Year and Acoustic Album of the Year-Raw Blues 1.

As a youth, Doug overcame abuse and a crippling stutter by turning to music. After picking up a guitar, and singing - he found his voice.

MacLeod's playing landed him sideman gigs with George 'Harmonica' Smith, Big Joe Turner, Pee Wee Crayton, Eddie 'Cleanhead' Vinson, Lowell Fulson, and Big Mama Thornton. Over 30 years, 27 studio albums, several live records, compilations, two blues guitar instructional DVDs, and a live performance DVD, MacLeod has consistently earned raves. His songs have been covered by many artists including Albert King, Albert Collins, Joe Louis Walker and Eva Cassidy. MacLeod's songs have been featured in many TV movies and the hit show In the Heat of the Night. August Wilson requested his soulful slide guitar playing in the Los Angeles opening of "Gem of the Ocean”.

Doug says the most important lessons he learned as a young musician came from Ernest Banks a one-eyed country bluesman from Toano, VA. Ernest said, “Never play a note, you don't believe” and "Never write or sing about what you don't know about.”

Guaranty Bank Stage

located in front of Young Avenue Deli

First Congo Stage

located in the First Congregational Church parking lot- Congo Stage for 2023 cancelled

Memphis Grizzlies Stage

located at intersection of Young & Meda

Guidelines

  • Bands must be from Memphis, TN and play original music.
  • Regional touring schedule will be looked on favorably.
  • Having music to sell digitally and/or physically will be looked on favorably.
  • No physical press kits required. Please only send links or digital press kits. List of previous press encouraged.
Submissions to Cooper Young Festival: Please send your links to Tamara at [email protected] for our Music Selection Committee to review. Bands can submit at any time of the year. Selected bands will be notified at least two months before the festival play date.

Vendors

Booths on sale starting June 15th

The CY Festival Artist Vendor Application is turned on June 15 every year at 12 am (that’s midnight on June 14th). The cost for a 10' x 15' booth space is $265.00 credit cards only (we pay the required Code Enforcement permit fee). Only 10 x 10 tents allowed on festival site per Code, bigger tents do not fit our site setup and cause problems with neighboring vendors. We do not take early applications. All vendor artist booths are processed through this website application feature. Please look at the Festival Site Maps to pick your top three booth requests for the application. We will try to place you as close as possible to your requests. No live animals may be sold from your booth.

The International Bazaar has been indefinitely cancelled. We are looking for HANDMADE art by the artist. We will not be offering artist vendor booths to vendors that sell imported, manufactured or non-vintage collectibles. We are getting a lot of artist designed but mass-produced clothing, t-shirts, hats etc. which we will limit to only 5 booths this year. Booths can be bought by credit cards only.

Booths may not be sub-leased by the artist vendor under any circumstances. If you cannot make the Festival, you must return your booth to us so that we can allow an approved artist on the waiting list have a chance to display their art. We reserve the right to shut down any unapproved vendor on the Festival grounds. All booth fees are non-refundable.

This application process is only for vendor ARTISTS (people who hand-make their form of art) – all retail shops, commercial businesses, corporations and food vendors seeking a booth for the Festival, please call Tamara Cook, Director of the CYBA at 901-276-7222 for commercial and sponsorship opportunities that are available.

PLEASE BE ADVISED, IF YOU HAVE MANUFACTURED MERCHANDISE, YOU WILL BE ASSIGNED BOOTH SPACE ON THE FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH LOT IN THE INTERNATIONAL BAZAAR. WE WILL NOT MAKE ACCEPTIONS TO THIS RULE.

Please make note that Generators are NOT allowed and that electricity is not supplied with booth space.

Click here for Table/Chairs Delivery Pricing

See list of this year's Featured Artists

Booths will go on sale June 15, 2023 at 12 am.

Cooper -Young Festival 2023 - Vendor Application, September 16th – Rain Date September 17th

*If you do not see the application link at 12 am CST, refresh your browser.

To fill out the 2023 application CLICK HERE

Thank you everyone - we are sold out. See you in September!

Check Back here on June 15th

Food Vendors

We have approximately 25 food vendors each year at the CY Festival. Food vendors must have the following:
  1. Comply with all Health Department permit requirements
  2. Comply with all City of Memphis / Shelby County Code Enforcement requirements
  3. Comply with all Food Truck and Food Concession requirements
  4. $1,000,000 in Commercial General Liability Insurance, $2,000,000 in General Aggregate Insurance
  5. Must provide a Certificate of Insurance naming the Cooper Young Festival as an additional insured Certificate Holder

Food Vendors are added on a need basis when a space becomes available. Food Vendors that were with us the previous year and had satisfactory performance are invited back the next year. The usual size of the food vendor spaces are from 10" x 10" to 10" x 20."

Since we are a street festival, electricity is not available in all locations. A set up fee is charged depending on how much space is needed and area of the festival.

If you would like to be added to the waiting list, please send a email to [email protected] with the following:

  1. Picture of setup
  2. List of items and prices to be sold
  3. A list of equipment to be used in setup
  4. The size of your setup
  5. Whether or not you need electricity or if you have a generator
  6. Name of business, phone and contact information

You will be notified if a place has been found for you by July 1.

Commercial Vendors

A limited amount of small business commercial spaces are available annually that are spread throughout the festival site. The majority of our festival vendors are handmade artists showing and selling their wares that they made themselves at their home.

If you have a retail or store front where you sell your items or you manufacture your items with the help of others, you would be considered a Commercial Vendor. Please contact [email protected] for available space and costs.

Section A

Full Festival Layout

Click to Download

Section A Continued

Cooper St, from Nelson Ave to Trestle

Click to Download

Section E

Parking lot at corner of Young Ave and Cooper St.

Click to Download

Sponsors

2022 Sponsors

2022 Sponsors

Guaranty Bank

Memphis Flyer

WMC Action News 5

Memphis Grizzlies

Hattie B’s

Southland Casino Hotel

Ounce of Hope

Toof

ProShow

Delta Ice

Mid-South Lions

Kix 106

98.1 the Max

WRBO FM

98.9 the Bridge

Become a Sponsor

The Cooper Young Festival has over $300,000 in radio, television and print media with a reach to just under 2 million people the three months before the festival date. If you would like to sponsor the Cooper Young Festival, please contact Tamara Cook for opportunities available at this time. She can be reached at 901-276-7222 and [email protected]

Local Business Love

Local Business Love

901 Toys

Aldo’s Pizza Pies

Arrow Creative

Burke’s Book Store

Café Ole

Celtic Crossing

Central BBQ

Coco & Lola’s

Comm-Trans

Crone Construction

Ferren Family Counseling

Glo Medical

Halford Loudspeakers

Inked Memphis

Kismet Properties

McLemore & Co., Realty

Memphis Drum Shop

Memphis Fitness Kickboxing

Memphis Tabernacle

Mo’ Bay

Mulan Bistro

National Economy Plumbers

New Ballet Ensemble

Palladio Group

Pavo Salon

State Farm Insurance

TLC Closing

Tsunami

Young Avenue Deli

ZenHouse Memphis