Summer

Carnival Memphis (901/458-2500, www.carnivalmemphis.org [1]), the renamed Cotton Carnival, is now racially integrated and takes place in June. The Carnival features a parade and fireworks.

The annual candlelight vigil at Graceland [2] on August 15, the anniversary of Elvis’s death, has grown into a whole week of activities throughout Memphis [3]. More than 30,000 people visit Graceland during Elvis Week (www.elvisweek.com [4]), and during the vigil his most adoring fans walk solemnly up the Graceland drive to pay their respects at his grave. Special concerts, tribute shows, and movies are shown during the week, as the city celebrates its most famous export even more than usual.