Newsletter | July 27, 2021
Note: Sadly, our pilgrimage has now been postponed for one year due to the Covid crisis. Please follow us at BigTable.Network for news updates.
For those of us who are placemakers and people gatherers, we know our spaces have a life of their own. It’s an energy that changes from day to day, reflecting the ever-changing group of people as they arrive and depart.
We create a framework around those comings and goings with our daily rituals of coffee brewing, intentional programming, beautiful furnishings and cleaning, cleaning, cleaning. Hospitality is elevated to an art form and a relentless quest for excellence.
Our pilgrimage is designed to gather people who do that hard, thankless work for four days in a place that will inspire and rejuvenate.
But not just any place.
Like the great sites around the world, pilgrimages don’t happen just anywhere. The site is key to the experience. (There’s also usually a very long walk!) The places we will explore together tell their stories with no words. While we have tour guides, this is not a conference with panels of speakers. We will have a few experienced Listeners to moderate conversations and offer reflections.
Our primary venues, Crosstown Concourse and First Congo, are some of the finest examples of community engagement and historic adaptive reuse you are likely to ever see. It’s no accident that they are located within a short drive from each other. Learn more about our venues here – though they really defy written description.
Of course, Memphis isn’t just any city. For history, diversity, culture and creativity, it has no peer. Also food. Holy smokes, is there food! The pilgrimage builds in plenty of opportunity for you to discover this extraordinary city and meet its people.
Then there’s the neighborhood – the historic Cooper-Young district that features shops, galleries, bars and cafes, plus:
- A REAL book store and a REAL record store.
- And a cat sanctuary.
- And a restaurant located in Priscilla Presley’s old beauty salon. (I know, right?)
It’s a neighborhood that redefines “eclectic” and teaches real-time lessons in urban renewal from all perspectives.
On our Big Table Mighty Network, there is now a Group dedicated to connecting folks who are coming, and to those who want to learn more. Here’s your invitation to join the group.
See you there!
🍏 Daryn
“Pilgrimage starts with setting intention. This might be healing, marking a loss, asking forgiveness, exploring a life transition, or simply reconnecting with joy. It might even be simply the intention of adventure —creating space in which unexpected new thoughts, friendships, or experiences might emerge.”
casper ter Kuile, The Power of Ritual
All-Inclusive* Ticket $495
Tickets include: all tours, local transportation, five full meals from neighborhood sources plus a big BBQ with live band, and more. Sponsored tickets may be available at reduced cost. Need a one-day ticket? Worried about covid? So are we. All tickets are now fully refundable except for processing fees.
Accommodations FAQ
The most affordable option is the beautiful and very clean Hostel Memphis, starting at just $35 per night. Otherwise, we suggest booking in the Cooper-Young neighborhood, or treat yourself to the gorgeous Central Station hotel, another project from the Crosstown Concourse team. Please check the cancellation policies! Find a roomie here.
Meet Our Team
Ashley Proctor / Creative Blueprint Event Co-Producer
Daryn DeZengotita / Table Coworking Event Creator
Ken Crawford / Church21st Event Chaplain
Rachel Winstead / make*shift*muse Event Storyteller
Any Questions?
Every Friday, pull up a chair for our virtual Potluck Lunch. It’s a chance to ask me anything and connect with other community leaders from all over the world. R.S.V.P. and please share.
Get Connected.
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