Happy 901 Day, y’all!
901 Day is Memphis’ unofficial holiday to celebrate everything that we love most about the Bluff City. Everyone who loves Memphis – from the born-and-bred, grit-and-grind Memphis native, to Memphis fans from across the world – is welcome to celebrate our unique city.
There’s so much to love about Memphis. We polled the Ray Rico Freelance team and asked them what they love most about the city. Check out their responses below!
Born and raised in Memphis, I’ve always loved it here. To me, it’s a family vibe. Where I grew up, folks on the block took on others as their “play” brother, sister, mother, daddy… on ‘n on. It even expands to being “cool with” and like family to many former schoolmates and co-workers. You also gotta give Memphis a high five for downhome cooking and being one of the homes of soul, gospel, rhythm and blues, rock ‘n’ roll. – Daphne Butler, Art Director
The food.
The trees.
The River. – Ray Rico, founder of Ray Rico Freelance
I love the people here. Unpretentious. Always keeping it real. I was born and raised here. I have many happy memories of growing up in Colonial Acres and then Fox Meadows. When I was in college, I marched in the Memphis State University band (yep, I’m that old). Still love those Tigers! I love barbecue and music, so the culture and cuisine are right up my alley. I formed strong friendships from the early years here that are still going strong today. Memphis to me is simply ‘home.’ – Joan Allison, Focus Magazines Editor/Producer
I love the grit of Memphis – the music, culture, the Mississippi, and the food. – Elizabeth McDonnell, Account Manager
Memphis has soul. The people. The music. The art. The food. We are all connected through three degrees of separation – so they say. I wasn’t born here, but this has always been home. Go Grizz! – Leila Hinkle, Finance & Operations Manager
I’ve always liked the size of this city. I don’t have any desire to live in a very small town and I only like larger cities in small doses. Memphis is a Goldilocks size for me. We’ve still got plenty of room and enough population for big-city amenities, but you can still get around town quickly and frequently bump into people you know. – Randall Sloan, Traffic Manager
I’m originally from a small town in north Mississippi, so Memphis was a big-city getaway for my family. It always felt big and overwhelming, but once I moved to the area, I realized that Memphis is truly a “big small town.” Everyone knows everyone, one way or another, and everyone has been so friendly and welcoming. There’s very much a “be yourself” vibe in Memphis that I really love. – Sheena Barnett, Digital Media Specialist
Get out and celebrate all things Memphis today (safely, of course – remember, there is a mask mandate in the city). Check out a list of all of the city’s goings-on at the I Love Memphis blog and Choose 901.