Hey, Memphis! Despite the cold snap, spring is just a week away. Get outside and celebrate at Cooper-Young’s St. Patrick’s Day parade, or do a little garden shopping at the Spring Fling Garden Show. Check out what else is on our to-do list in The Week Ahead…

Celebrate all things Irish and Memphis with the second annual St. Patrick’s Day parade in Cooper-Young on Friday. Co-hosted by the Memphis Irish Society and Celtic Crossing Irish Pub, the parade starts at 10:30 a.m. at York Avenue and follows Cooper Street to First Congregational Church, 1000 S. Cooper.
Organizers are promising “merriment and leprechauns” … as well as appearances by the Memphis Grizzlies’ Grizz Crew and Grizz Girls, Wolf River Pipes and Drums, the Memphis Police mounted patrol, Revolution Bike Youngsters and more. 

‘Scuse me, while I kiss the sky and get excited about this Jimi Hendrix celebration coming to The Orpheum this week. The Experience Hendrix Tour celebrating the guitar virtuoso includes tribute performances over 29 dates in February and March, including a Memphis stop Thursday from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. at The Orpheum.
Musicians performing as part of the celebration include Buddy Guy, Johnny Lang, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Keb’ Mo’, Ana Popovic and more, including Jimi Hendrix Experience bassist Billy Cox.

The University of Memphis’ new governing board meets for the first time Friday, marking the latest step in a historic transition for Tennessee higher education.
The independent boards at each of the state’s four-year colleges and universities replace the governing role of the Tennessee Board of Regents. The Regents are still around – governing state community colleges and Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology.

Did you know your furry friends can benefit from essential oils? Learn the do’s and don’ts at Memphis Animal Services’ Essential Oils with Pets class, taking place from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday at MAS, 2350 Appling City Cove.
Taught by doTERRA platinum leader Danielle Hardee, the class will share how essential oils can calm, relax and de-stress pets as well as provide physical health benefits. And if you buy any doTERRA oils after the class, the proceeds will go to help heartworm-positive dogs at MAS. It’s free, and no RSVP is needed. 

It seems like it wasn’t that long ago that candidates started surfacing for the open state House District 95 seat, and now here were are at a filing deadline for those candidates.
The dates for the special primaries and general election were set just last week. Candidates have until Thursday at noon to file for the April 27 Democratic and Republican primaries, with the winners and independent candidates advancing to the June 15 special general election.

His name is Alexander Hamilton... and if that line already started you humming the lyrics to the hot Broadway musical – well, you can at least feed your fandom this week with some Hamilton trivia in Memphis.
Cerrito Trivia is hosting Hamilton-themed showdowns for anyone who doesn’t want to wait for the musical to come to The Orpheum in the 2018-19 season. The trivia will be held Tuesday at Rec Room from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Thursday at Pimento’s Kitchen and Market from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Reserve a spot for Tuesday here and Thursday here. 

Learn some self-defense moves Saturday at a Krav Maga self-defense seminar benefiting Latino Memphis. Krav Maga Desoto, 644 S. Highland St., will be teaching the three-hour class, which starts at 2 p.m. and includes easy-to-remember defense techniques for men and women of all ages, no matter their size, strength or physical ability.
The cost is $69, and all proceeds benefit Latino Memphis. Get details and register here.

Shelby County Republicans get together Sunday at Houston High School in Germantown for a countywide party convention to determine who will lead the local party for the next two years. The convention does include hats and colorful political trappings – no balloon drop or confetti cannons though.
Republicans held caucuses at a similar gathering earlier this month to determine the delegates for Saturday’s convention. Those delegates are the center of attention as they elect party officers. County Republican Party chairman Lee Mills is seeking to remain chairman after leading the local party through the 2016 presidential elections. It’s not a re-election; Mills became chairman following the resignation of Mary Wagner. She left the post when Gov. Bill Haslam appointed her a Shelby County Circuit Court judge.

In sports, the Memphis Tigers baseball team will host Mississippi Valley State at FedExPark Tuesday following a three-game weekend home series against Southern Illinois. The first pitch is at 6:30 p.m.
The Tigers then travel for a weekend series at Missouri State before returning to face Ole Miss, a team it defeated 9-6 on Feb. 28 in Oxford, on March 21 at 6:30 p.m. at AutoZone Park.

The U of M women’s softball team, meanwhile, finishes the U of M Softball Tournament with games Monday against Western Illinois at 1 p.m. and Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. against Texas A&M at the Tigers Softball Complex. The team won its first five games in March and stands at 9-7 on the season through March 9.  

If your green thumb is itching, check out Memphis Area Master Gardeners’ 2017 Spring Fling Garden Show and Plant Sale Friday and Saturday in Agricenter’s Big Red Barn.
In addition to plant sales and other vendors, they’ll have speakers, demonstrations, an “Ask a Master Gardener” plant clinic and more. The show runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.

Randy Boyd is used to the art of the state fly-around. When he was the Tennessee commissioner of Economic and Community Development, the most visible part of his job was to fly to the site of the latest new or expanded workplace and announce its presence.
This week, a different kind of fly-around for Boyd, who left the position in the governor’s cabinet last year to weigh a possible gubernatorial bid. Boyd is traveling the state to formally announce his candidacy for governor on the 2018 ballot, and his Memphis stop is Wednesday morning. At least five other Republicans and a couple of Democrats are considering the same kind of fly-around, probably this spring.

Tennessee state parks are holding spring hikes this Saturday to welcome the season and showcase each park’s unique outdoor beauty. Here in Memphis, the T.O. Fuller State Park spring hike will take place along the 4.5-mile Discovery Trail, with scenic points such as the C.H. Nash Museum at Chucalissa. It starts at 8:45 a.m., and it’s free for all ages. 

The Daily News staff compiles The Week Ahead for you, our readers, every week. You'll receive it as part of our Monday online edition. Email associate editor Kate Simone at ksimone@memphisdailynews.com if you have items for consideration.