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    Top Stories

    CultureMap's top stories of the year: Houston's hottest articles of 2015

    Elizabeth Rhodes
    Dec 31, 2015 | 12:51 pm

    Houston's certainly seen its fair share of excitement this year, and since it's our mission to keep you informed about all the city's happenings and hottest spots, we've rounded up CultureMap's most popular stories of 2015.

    Out of the nearly 1,300 articles we published this year, our most read story detailed exactly why Houston garnered the No. 1 spot on Forbes' annual list of America's Fastest-Growing Cities, indicating that it's an honor Houstonians don't take lightly.

    Seeing that Jeffrey Hildebrand, the CEO of Houston-based energy company Hilcorp, recently gave each of his 1,381 employees massive holiday bonuses of $100,000, it's no surprise that the article on his remarkable generosity shot to be our No. 2 story of the year, in spite of having been published only a few weeks before year's end.

    A number of articles by our food editor Eric Sandler also garnered top spots this year, including a run-down of the city's hottest restaurants and 10 Houston dishes to eat before you die.

    Whether we wrote about local celebrities like the Houston Texans' J.J. Watt or KHOU's Chita Johnson, gave you the scoop on hot concerts or told you about an upcoming reality Houston-based reality show, here are CultureMap's most popular stories for 2015:

    1. Houston named America's No. 1 city by top national magazine: Oil bust no matter

    2. Best boss ever: Houston billionaire gives $100,000 holiday bonus to every employee

    3. Houston's Best Restaurants: These 7 eateries lead city's dining scene to greatness

    4. Houston's 10 best sushi restaurants: One stands above the rest, but lots of fine choices abound

    5. Katy Perry completely charmed by J.J. Watt's humble Houston vibe: Sports' new power couple?

    6. 10 Houston dishes to eat before you die: Greatest culinary hits abound in H-Town

    7. Love is on the air: Surprise engagement has Houston TV star on cloud nine — even with no make-up

    8. Sexy cool John Legend embarrasses Houston at Rodeo: Undressed fools exposed, treated to old school class

    9. Olivia Munn helps Aaron Rodgers rob J.J. Watt of his rightful MVP: Hollywood fakery not QB bias decides things

    10. Houston's restaurant community mourns unexpected death of popular general manager

    11. Billionaire entrepreneur joins fight to end LGBT discrimination in Texas

    12. Reality series Married to Medicine is filming in H-Town, and we have our own ideas for the cast

    13. Houston's most intense private school rivalry rocked by new Smartest School rankings: Superiority established?

    BCN Taste & Tradition is just one of the city's hottest restaurants according to CultureMap's Food Editor Eric Sandler.

    BCN Taste & Tradition CROP
    BCN Taste & Tradition / Facebook
    BCN Taste & Tradition is just one of the city's hottest restaurants according to CultureMap's Food Editor Eric Sandler.
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    festive cities

    Houston dazzles among top 10 most festive cities in America for 2025

    Amber Heckler
    Nov 26, 2025 | 12:30 pm
    Pedestrian bridge to River Oaks
    River Oaks Christmas Lights in Houston TX/Facebook
    The River Oaks Christmas Lights are a fun place to take families.

    Houston has once again landed a coveted spot on Thumbtack's annual ranking of the most festive American cities in 2025.

    Home services platform Thumbtack analyzed holiday light installation requests from customers from October 2024 to 2025 to determine the most festive U.S. cities. Rankings were based on the "relative frequency" of requests after being adjusted for the population of each state and metro area.

    Houston ranked as the 6th most festive U.S. city this year, dropping two spots from its former No. 4 rank in 2024.

    Locals searching for inspiration for their homes can find it at the many twinkly displays illuminating Houston for the holidays, from the iconic City Lights to the rustic Dewberry Farm light show. And the holiday season is beginning earlier with every passing year, according to Thumbtack.

    "Homeowners are layering their look from October through December, swapping out pumpkins for pine boughs and adding sparkle as the season unfolds," the report said.

    Other festive holiday events happening around Houston include cheery pop-up bars, holiday markets, and much more. CultureMap readers can also keep up with all of Houston's holiday happenings in our special editorial series.

    Other big Texas cities like Austin, Dallas, and San Antonio also all landed top-10 spots in the report, proving the Lone Star State is much more festive than the rest of the country.

    "From Texas to Florida, the South is setting the standard for holiday spirit, and in true Texas fashion, bigger is definitely brighter," the report said. "Mild winters and a strong sense of community keep the Lone Star State shining at the top."

    Thumbtack's top 10 most festive U.S. cities in 2024 are:

    • No. 1 – Austin, Texas
    • No. 2 – Dallas, Texas
    • No. 3 – Seattle, Washington
    • No. 4 – Las Vegas, Nevada
    • No. 5 – Sacramento, California
    • No. 6 – Houston, Texas
    • No. 7 – San Francisco, California
    • No. 8 – Charlotte, North Carolina
    • No. 9 – San Antonio, Texas
    • No. 10 – Atlanta, Georgia
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