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Your weekly guide to Houston: Five (plus) don't-miss events — including a sacred tour and zombie sandwiches

On the itinerary this week is a pious tour, a food competition for the bold and the brave, a dance fest that reveals one of Houston's most important assets, a classical feast and a young professionals social that warms the heart.

Galveston Historical Foundation's 17th annual Sacred Places Tour

Houston is teeming with spectacular buildings of worship of just about every faith, a hallmark of a diverse megalopolis that always has something to discover, no matter if you are a newbie transplant or an adventurous longtime native. Don't know what I'm talking about? Check out this piece about an Architecture Center Houston photography exhibition.

Galveston is also peppered with stunning architecture that tells its own story of multiplicity and immigration. You can discover nine of these jewels, which dates back to the 19th century, during the Galveston Historical Foundation's 17th annual Sacred Places Tour. Proceeds from the event benefit the ongoing restoration of St. Joseph's Church on Avenue K. It's the oldest wooden church on the island and the oldest German Catholic church in the Lone Star State.

The skinny: Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Tour Headquarters at St. Joseph's Church; $15 per person.

Third Annual Zombie Sandwich Challenge

Do you like it hot? Among the many gutsy events organized by the Houston Zombie Walk is this mouth-scorching feud in which the bold and the brave have 30 minutes to ingest a 22-inch monster, nearly five-pound banh mi. Ouch. Open wide, baby.

Spicy jalapeno peppers, cilantro, eggs, pork meatballs, pate, steamed pork, bacon, char-grilled chicken, char-grilled pork and more accouterments smothered in a signature zombie sauce will surely burn any eater's taste buds to the ground. In three years, no foodie gladiator has managed to wipe the plate clean — not even former National Wrestling Alliance fighters. Although the contestants already have been chosen, watching the spicy binge is a blast.

The skinny: Saturday, 5:30-8:30 p.m.; Cafe TH; free admission.

12th Annual Dance Houston Festival

A cornucopia of dance troupes from all walks of life will take over the Wortham Theater Center for the 12th Annual Dance Houston Festival. In one groovy soiree, guests will sample Houston's mixed bag of cultural prowess with local groups that specialize in Bollywood, African, Chinese, swing, ballet, tap, tango and more styles, including 11 brand new works.

Rather than scouring every nook and cranny of the city to get your multicultural dance fix, Dance Houston makes it easy to relish in Houston's diversity in a one-stop-shop performance.

The skinny: Saturday, 8 p.m.; Wortham Theater Center; tickets start at $16.

Shepherd School Symphony Orchestra's Debut Tour Preview Concert

Prior to traveling to New York for a concert tour to show those darn Yankees that the South knows classical music, the Shepherd School of Music Symphony Orchestra presents the program for Houstonians to enjoy. Think of this fine Rice University ensemble as if it were a football team dressed in formal attire. The students exude an energy that's often unmatched by professionals. These emerging players have the balls to risk it all for the sake of artistry.

On the virtuosic program is Hector Berlioz's Le corsaire, Op. 21, Christopher Rouse's Violin Concerto with soloist Cho-Liang Lin and Bela Bartók's Concerto for Orchestra. From the repertoire chosen, maestro Larry Rachleff is offering an opportunity for everyone, faculty and pupils, to shine.

The skinny: Saturday, 8 p.m.; Shepherd School of Music; admission is free.

2014 American Heart Association's Young at Heart's Heart Ball After Party

With so many galas happening this weekend — including the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion's "Prom Night," St. Anne School Foundation's tango party, Junior League of Houston's "Imperial Dragon" ball, Friends of West University's Place Park's "Lovers Ball," Houston Eye Associates Foundation's "Eye Ball" and Inprint's "Poets and Writers" ball — choosing where to see and be seen is a conundrum.

Some fundraisers are wicked fun, others are more of the decorous type. But I say no matter what, young professionals should hit the Young at Heart's American Heart Association afterparty chaired by Lauren Baughman, Ali Gray and Elizabeth Suffield. The Jimmie Vaughan Band will play while the restless dance the night away. Cocktails and late bites courtesy of Artista are part of the merriment.

The skinny: Saturday, 9:30 p.m.; Hobby Center for the Performing Arts; $65 general public, $55 Young at Heart members.

People watching at the Young at Heart's American Heart Association afterparty is always in fashion.

News_Young at Heart_Jody Palmer_Jeff Ball

Photo by Gary Maltz Alexander's Fine Portrait Design

People watching at the Young at Heart's American Heart Association afterparty is always in fashion.

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doubling down

Shepherd School builds on 50 years with a 2026-27 season of discovery

Rice University Shepherd School of Music

Photo by Michael Stravato

The Shepherd School's 2026-27 season includes six world premieres.

The next generation of classical music doesn’t wait in the wings at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music.

It walks onto the stage, often with a world premiere in hand, and slaps listeners with music so energetically performed that they might need a glass of wine or a Xanax to come down from the thrill.

Fresh off its milestone 50th anniversary, the Shepherd School’s 2026–27 season doubles down on discovery. The lineup includes six world premieres, the Texas premiere of Matthew Aucoin and Sarah Ruhl’s opera Eurydice, celebrated guest artists, and a steady reminder that Houston audiences can hear rising talent before the rest of the world catches on.

For students, Shepherd continues to function as a foundation where rigorous conservatory training meets the resources of a major research university. For audiences, it’s an invitation to witness artists in the midst of becoming, tackling ambitious repertoire in halls whose acoustics reward every nuance.

The orchestral season, led primarily by Distinguished Resident Director of Orchestras Miguel Harth-Bedoya, embraces both pillars of the canon and brand-new voices. Opening night sets the tone with Ravel’s Alborada del gracioso, Richard Strauss’ Death and Transfiguration, the world premiere of Jake Berran’s Probabolophony, winner of the 2026 Cooper Prize, and Hindemith’s Symphonic Metamorphosis.

The season also launches what is planned as a multi-year exploration of Gustav Mahler with Symphony No. 1, “Titan,” while spotlighting Shepherd faculty members as soloists, including pianist Jon Kimura Parker and oboist Erin Hannigan. Along the way come additional premieres by alumni composers, concerto appearances from competition winners, and opportunities for conducting students to take the podium.

Shepherd will present a fully staged production of Richard Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos before mounting the Texas premiere — and first university performance — of Eurydice, with composer Aucoin visiting campus to work directly with students and audiences.

Guest artists add another layer, from Aleko Endowed Artist Julia Bullock collaborating with Shepherd opera students to alumna Kate Soper returning with the acclaimed Wet Ink Ensemble. Chamber concerts, faculty recitals, festivals, and family programming round out a calendar of more than 400 events, many offered for free or at low cost.

The season also includes the Adventurous Electric Guitar Festival at Wortham Theatre, where concerts, workshops, and presentations explore contemporary electric guitar and electroacoustic performance in collaboration with Rice Electroacoustic Music Labs (REMLABS).

Notably, the school will also inaugurate its undergraduate orchestral conducting degree, the only program of its kind in the nation.

This author recently caught Miguel Harth-Bedoya deep in score study before a concert, next to his visiting family, meticulously parsing Ravel’s Alborada del gracioso.

It was a fitting snapshot of the institution itself: Craftsmanship behind moments that can feel effortless once the lights dim and the music begins. That dedication has defined Shepherd for more than 50 years, and the 2026–27 season suggests the next movement is well underway.

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