Looking for something to do this weekend? CultureMap has got you covered. Here’s to getting the most out of your free time with 11 can’t-miss events, from a home show to a culinary tour. For more options, check out the full CultureMap Events Calendar.
Art talk
Thursday, March 30: Prospect.4, the fourth iteration of recurring three-year contemporary art event Prospect New Orleans, is set to run in the Big Easy November 11 through February 2018. Get the scoop on the art triennial as Prospect.4 artistic director Trevor Schoonmaker, chief curator at the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, sits down for a conversation with Houston’s Rick Lowe, founder of Project Row Houses, at MATCH Rehearsal Room (6:30 pm; tickets: free). 3400 Main St.; 713-223-8346
Lebanese affair
Friday, March 31-Sunday, April 2: The third annual Houston Lebanese Festival returns for fun-filled three days of cultural exhibits, lively entertainment and delicious food from falafel to baba ghanoush (Friday at 5 pm, Saturday and Sunday 11 am; tickets: $10 per adult and $5 per child ages 2-12). 600 Louisiana St.; 832-991-8876
Funny French films
Friday, March 31-Sunday, April 2: In the seventh annual edition of Five Funny French Films, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, showcases comedies that have entertained audiences in France but haven't been show widely in the United States. (Friday at 7 pm and 9 pm, Saturday at 7 pm and 9:15 pm, Sunday at 5 pm; tickets $7-$9 per person). Museum of Fine Arts, Houston Brown Auditorium, 1001 Bissonnet St.; 713-639-7300
Double the fun
Friday, March 31-Saturday, April 1: River Oaks Chamber Orchestra closes out its season 12 concert series with a two-day affair, called Double Trouble, featuring the world premiere of the orchestra’s newest commission, ROCOmoji, a concerto grosso for double reeds written by composer Alexander Miller, Saverio Mercadante's Concerto for Flute in E-minor, Gustav Holst's Green Brook Suite, and Arnold Schoenberg's Verklärte Nacht (Friday at 7:30 pm and Saturday at 5 pm; tickets: $15-$35 per person). Friday: The Woodlands United Methodist Church, 2200 Lake Woodlands Dr.; Saturday: Church of St. John the Divine, 2450 River Oaks Blvd.
Home sweet home
Saturday, April 1-Sunday, April 2: The 36th Annual Houston Home Show provides experts on everything for home, from windows and doors to outdoor kitchens. You can also expect cooking demos and food samples, and a kid zone (Saturday: 10 am-7 pm; Sunday: 11 am-5 pm; tickets: $9.95 per person). 1001 Avenida de las Americas; 713-853-8000
Urban art
Saturday, April 1: Heartmade Art Market, with over 40 local artists and artisans, takes over downtown’s Main Street Square (11 am-6 pm; tickets: free entry). Shop for original artwork, jewelry, paper products, home goods, and more while you enjoy music by DJ Ill-Set, a kid zone with arts and crafts, food truck fare, and complimentary hand-spun cotton candy. 1100 Main St.; 713-650-3022
Street fest
Saturday, April 1-Sunday, April 2: The two-day Houston Whatever Fest (11:30 am; tickets: $55–$450 per person) presents an eclectic lineup of 80 acts on five stages in east downtown. The festival boasts live music (think AWOLnation, Cold War Kids, and tribute act, Kiss Alike), comedy (from T.J. Miller to Grace Thomas), and works from over 80 artists. 813 St. Emanuel St.; 713-225-5483
Outdoor dining
Saturday, April 1: Dine al fresco at the Spring Wine Event, which takes place on the patio between the Energy Corridor's Le Mistral restaurant and Rouge Wine Bar (1-4 pm; tickets: $15 per adult; $7 per child). Your ticket gets you two glasses of wine (Domaine de Souviou Rose Bandol and Pierre Bovis Chateauneuf du Pape), a traditional French chicken provencal entree (chicken cooked in a sauce made with tomatoes, garlic, and olive oil), wine tips from Le Mistral’s sommelier, Sylvain Denis, and entertainment by jazz group, The Chris Bitten Project. 1400 Eldridge Pkwy.
Panic attack
Saturday, April 1: Las Vegas pop/rock band Panic at the Disco heads to downtown’s Toyota Center (7 pm; tickets: $57-$428 per person) as part of the group’s Death Of A Bachelor Tour, named for their gold-certified studio album with the same moniker. Indie pop bands MisterWives and Saint Motel will also perform. Toyota Center, 1510 Polk; 866-446-8849.
Take a tour
Sunday, April 2: Join chef and restaurateur Lee Ellis of Cherry Pie Hospitality restaurant group (State Fare, Pi Pizza, Lee’s Fried Chicken & Donuts, Petite Sweets), along with his business partner Jim Mills, for tastings at some of the duo’s favorite Mexican and Asian eateries (12-4 pm; tickets: $190 per person). Catch a ride on a Houston Wave shuttle in the parking lot of Central Market, where exact restaurant locations, kept secret until event time, will be revealed. Central Market, 3815 Westheimer Rd.
Anniversary special
Sunday, April 2: Midtown bar and grill Wooster’s Garden celebrates two years of business with $3 fireball shots, snaps by Photobooth and performances by alternative/indie bands Wild Moccasins and Los Skarnales (4-8 pm; tickets: free entry). Sip and nosh on drinks and bites from the hotspot’s regularly priced menu. Luna Y Sol Mexican grill and The Arepa Grill will also serve up fare. 3315 Milam St.; 713-520-0015
River Oaks Chamber Orchestra closes out its season 12 concert series with a two-day affair, called Double Trouble.
