Weekend events planner

Here are the top 8 things to do in Houston this weekend

Now that the work week is coming to an end, it’s time to start planning for the weekend. There's a ton of great stuff to do around town and we’re giving you a guide so that you can make the most your time. From some festivals galore to a Sunday market, here are the top seven things to do in Houston this weekend.

For more options, check out the full CultureMap Events Calendar.

Film fest
Thursday, September 28-Sunday, October 1
The multi-day Italian film festival Umbria in Sugar Land boasts screenings of seven award-winning, subtitled films from the 2016 international film festival in Spello, Italy, plus food, wine, and art from the region. (Various times; tickets: $8-$20 per person)
226 Lakeview Dr. Sugar Land; 281-275-2045

Innovative dance
Friday, September 29-Saturday, September 30
NobleMotion Dance presents Catapult: Dance meets Design, an evening of daring choreography at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts. The production features five custom-built interactive sets (think deconstructed tunnels and flipping doors) that shape the space and offer terrain challenges for the dancers. (7:15 pm; tickets: $25-$35 per person)
800 Bagby St.; 713-315-2525

First Lady of Song
Friday, September 29
The Jazz Houston Orchestra, with artistic director Vincent Gardner, perform tunes by Ella Fitzgerald including "I Ain’t Got Nothing But the Blues" and "A Tisket A Tasket” at Midtown Arts and Theatre Center Houston (MATCH). They’ll be joined by vocalists Belinda Munro and Yvonne Washington, and vocalist/saxophonist David Caceras. (7:30 pm; tickets: free)
3400 Main St.; 713-521-4533

Ren Fest
Saturday, September 30-Sunday, November 26
The Texas Renaissance Festival returns for its 43rd season with the addition of a ninth weekend. The festival transports patrons to the 16th century offering live entertainment, works by master artists and craftspeople, food and drink, hand-powered rides and games, and over 100 interactive characters. (Various themed weekends through November 26; tickets: $11.95-$23.95 per person per day; $40 for weekend pass per person)
21778 FM 1774, Todd Mission

Beer fest
Saturday, September 30
Oktoberfest at The Water Works at Buffalo Bayou Park features German and local craft beers, live music, Olympiad Games for prizes, and more. You can also show off your dirndls and lederhosen in the best dressed contest. (11 am; tickets: $25-$30 per person for general admission and $100-$125 per person for VIP)
105 Sabine St.

Black Heritage Fest
Saturday, September 30
Eric Benét, Tamia, and Elle Varner lead the group of performers at the Black Heritage Festival at Discovery Green. This year's festival pays homage to Houston’s legendary Black Heritage history makers who have made a profound impact in various industries. (Gates open at 4 pm; tickets: $25 per person for general admission and $125 per person per VIP pass)
1500 McKinney St.; 713-400-7336

Book talk
Saturday, September 30
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Michael Chabon will read from his latest book, Moonglow. It chronicles the life of Chabon's grandfather, a World War II soldier, engineer and rocket enthusiast who marries a troubled Jewish survivor from France and lives a challenging, wandering life in postwar America. The reading is presented by Brazos Bookstore at Christ Church Cathedral. (7:30 pm; tickets: $16.99 plus tax for one, $21.99 plus tax for two. Each ticket option comes with a paperback copy of Moonglow.)
1117 Texas Ave

Market time
Sunday, October 1
Saint Arnold Brewing Company and Urban Harvest host the Urban Harvest Farmers Market at the brewery. Expect vendors from Lira Rossa Artisan Cheese (Italian cheeses) to Sinfull Bakery (vegan baked goods) to Pain Train Salsa. Saint Arnold will also offer special brew, "Urban Harvest No.2," a blend of its popular Fancy Lawnmower beer and Java Pura’s Panamanian Hartmann Estate Geisha Coffee. (11 am-4 pm; tickets: free entry)
2000 Lyons Ave

The Texas Renaissance Festival returns for its 43rd season.

Photo by Steven David

The Texas Renaissance Festival returns for its 43rd season.

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Movie Review

Michelle Pfeiffer visits Houston in new Christmas movie Oh. What. Fun.

Photo courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios

Michelle Pfeiffer in Oh. What. Fun.

Of all the formulaic movie genres, Christmas/holiday movies are among the most predictable. No matter what the problem is that arises between family members, friends, or potential romantic partners, the stories in holiday movies are designed to give viewers a feel-good ending even if the majority of the movie makes you feel pretty bad.

That’s certainly the case in Oh. What. Fun., in which Michelle Pfeiffer plays Claire, an underappreciated mom living in Houston with her inattentive husband, Nick (Denis Leary). As the film begins, her three children are arriving back home for Christmas: The high-strung Channing (Felicity Jones) is married to the milquetoast Doug (Jason Schwartzman); the aloof Taylor (Chloë Grace Moretz) brings home yet another new girlfriend; and the perpetual child Sammy (Dominic Sessa) has just broken up with his girlfriend.

Each of the family members seems to be oblivious to everything Claire does for them, especially when it comes to what she really wants: For them to nominate her to win a trip to see a talk show in L.A. hosted by Zazzy Tims (Eva Longoria). When she accidentally gets left behind on a planned outing to see a show, Claire reaches her breaking point and — in a kind of Home Alone in reverse — she decides to drive across the country to get to the show herself.

Written and directed by Michael Showalter (The Idea of You), and co-written by Chandler Baker (who wrote the short story on which the film is based), the movie never establishes any kind of enjoyable rhythm. Each of the characters, including competitive neighbor Jeanne (Joan Chen), is assigned a character trait that becomes their entire personality, with none of them allowed to evolve into something deeper.

The filmmakers lean hard into the idea that Claire is a person who always puts her family first and receives very little in return, but the evidence presented in the story is sketchy at best. Every situation shown in the film is so superficial that tension barely exists, and the (over)reactions by Claire give her family members few opportunities to make up for their failings.

The most interesting part of the movie comes when Claire actually makes it to the Zazzy Sims show. Even though what happens there is just as unbelievable as anything else presented in the story, Showalter and Baker concoct a scene that allows Claire and others to fully express the central theme of the film, and for a few minutes the movie actually lives up to its title.

Pfeiffer, given her first leading role since 2020’s French Exit, is a somewhat manic presence, and her thick Texas accent and unnecessary voiceover don’t do her any favors. It seems weird to have such a strong supporting cast with almost nothing of substance to do, but almost all of them are wasted, including Danielle Brooks in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo. The lone exception is Longoria, who is a blast in the few scenes she gets.

Oh. What. Fun. is far from the first movie to try and fail at becoming a new holiday classic, but the pedigree of Showalter and the cast make this dismal viewing experience extra disappointing. Ironically, overworked and underappreciated moms deserve a much better story than the one this movie delivers.

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Oh. What. Fun. is now streaming on Prime Video.

movies film