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Your weekly guide to Houston: Five (plus) don't-miss events, celestial celebration included

Let's fling into spring, shall we? On the itinerary this week is a learn-and-play scavenger hunt, a young professionals fundraising race, an art installation that looks directly to the source of light, the opening of a fresh market, a dinner with local love and a beer plus music party.

Heritage Society hosts "A Scavenger Hunt in Sam Houston Park"

Summon your inner sleuth and work your way through a series of clues to decipher the mysteries of the Heritage Society at Sam Houston Park. These historic buildings have fascinating stories, and this investigative adventure unlocks the secrets that render these storied structures worth preserving. Register in advance and bring a digital camera or smartphone and a flashlight. Those with quick detective skills will be rewarded with prizes.

The skinny: Thursday, 6 p.m.; Heritage Society at Sam Houston Park; $15 per person, $20 for two participants.

Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's 2014 Man and Woman of the Year Kick Off Party

Off they go on a quest to collect as much cash as they can for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. The group of young professionals who signed up for the 10-week philanthropic mission that concludes with crowning the Man and Woman of the Year will officially begin fundraising at this social gathering. Each participant, chosen by a special nominating committee, has to bring in $15,000 at least.

With last year's numbers tallying upward of $863,000, these 22 emerging good Samaritans are feeling the pressure. We'll be watching.

The skinny: Thursday, 6:30 p.m.; Saks Fifth Avenue; free event.

Rothko Chapel presents Moments from the Sun

Say hello to spring, brought to you by your fiery friend, the sun. The Rothko Chapel, which often celebrates equinoxes and solstices, bows to the center of the solar system with an artistic collaboration between avant garden composer Jeff Talman and researcher Daniel Huber of NASA. The resultant work, titled Moments from the Sun, is a multi-channel sound installation that blooms with recordings of the sun itself, set to a level appropriate for humans to hear.

The soundscape will play at Rothko at 7:26 a.m. for sunrise and then again at noon and at 5 p.m. This celestial celebration sunsets with the creatives chatting about their venture, plus a reception on the plaza.

The skinny: Thursday, 7 p.m.; Rothko Chapel; $10 suggested donation.

Watershed Market's Grand Opening Weekend "Urban Elements: Sights, Sounds & Flavors In East Houston"

Founder Audrey Marie Trotti means what she says when she and her cronies disclosed plans to establish a permanent destination where locally sourced goods and services rule. Four weekends this year will in time expand to an established fair in which residents can get a taste of Houston culture.

This big undertaker begins this weekend with a two-day affair. Prepared food vendors, a farmers market, merchants plus an entertainment area set the stage for good things to come to Houston's East End.

The skinny: Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; 2322 Polk St.; free admission.

Off the Wall Dinner Series at Underbelly

Chef Chris Shepherd sure gets props for sharing his success with others. Those who have dined at Underbelly no doubt have noticed a collage of photos that lauds the local vendors with whom Houston's prince of pork does business.

The monthly Off the Wall dinner series features some of these folks in family-style dinners in which Shepherd cooks alongside his foodie friends. On tap for the first repast are Richard Knight (Hunky Dory), Antonio Gianola (Houston Wine Merchant) in addition to the Patel brothers from London Sizzler. Don't wait until the last minute to make reservations. You snooze, you lose. I hear tickets are in high demand.

The skinny: Sunday, 7 p.m.; Underbelly; $100 per person.

Staff writer and resident gourmand Eric Sandler's pick: First Anniversary Party at 8th Wonder Brewery

Eric says: "Over the past year, this project from the Eatsie Boys and brewer Aaron Corsi has become one of my favorite local breweries. I know I'm in good hands whenever I see an 8th Wonder tap handle, particularly the Feight red ale and Vietnamese coffee porter.

"To celebrate its first year, 8th Wonder is throwing a block party. For $25, attendees will get a commemorative glass and five beer tokens. Food trucks will be on hand to feed the crowd, and local bands such as Ishi and Young Mammals will keep the party going."

The skinny: Friday, 6-10 p.m.; 8th Wonder Brewery; $25.

Rothko Chapel presents Moments from the Sun, a collaboration between avant garden composer Jeff Talman and researcher Daniel Huber of NASA.

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a high note for Houston

New international partnership brings fresh talent to Houston Grand Opera

Courtesy of Houston Grand Opera/Instagram

Houston Grand Opera's new partnership with Gran Teatre del Liceu means new collaborations between the two internationally renowned companies.

Houstonians know that Houston Grand Opera is among the city’s finest arts organizations. What they may not know is that it is also among the leading opera companies in the world, garnering awards like a Grammy and being praised as an innovator in the arts.

Now, the company is pushing its innovation and arts leadership reputation even further by launching a partnership with another internationally renowned opera company. This week, HGO announced its new alliance with Barcelona’s Gran Teatre del Liceu to foster cultural exchange and collaboration.

The partnership officially launches January 26, 2025 at the Liceu’s 62nd Tenor Viñas International Singing Competition, where HGO will present the Torras Family Foundation Prize of $25,000. The prize will be awarded to a finalist whose voice and artistry demonstrate potential for an international opera career. It is underwritten by the Torras Foundation and Ignacio and Isabel Torras. Ignacio “Nacho” Torras, who founded Tricon Energy in 1996 — now a leading multinational commodities trading platform — also owns Houston restaurants MAD, Rocambolesc, and BCN Taste & Tradition, which was recently awarded a Michelin star.

The Tenor Viñas International Singing Competition is one of Europe’s most prestigious contests for new voices in opera. HGO’s Colin Michael Brush, director of the Sarah and Ernest Butler Houston Grand Opera Studio, the company’s elite training program for young artists, will travel to Barcelona to select the first winner of the annual prize.

“We are honored to be part of this partnership between two great houses, Houston Grand Opera and the Gran Teatre del Liceu, from two cities that are so close to our hearts,” said Ignacio Torras. “By creating and underwriting this new prize to be awarded at the Tenor Viñas International Singing Competition, we expect to build a strong bridge that allows art to transcend borders and cultures through the sublime form of opera.”

HGO General Director and CEO Khori Dastoor expressed gratitude for the underwriting support of the partnership and her excitement at working with Gran Teatre del Liceu.

“HGO is an international company serving a vast, diverse metropolis where people from across the world live and do business,” she said. “With this new partnership, we seek to build upon Houston’s emerging identity as a global hub, attracting the finest young artists from around the world to Houston while welcoming international audiences from throughout our city to the Wortham Theater Center to experience our art form. We are thrilled to join forces with our close colleagues at the Gran Teatre del Liceu.”

The winner of the Torras Family Foundation Prize also receives automatic entry as a semifinalist to Houston Grand Opera’s 38th annual Eleanor McCollum Competition for Young Singers Concert of Arias in 2026. The annual event recognizes the most talented emerging artists in opera while helping the company to identify candidates for its highly competitive Butler Studio program. Tickets for the 2025 Concert of Arias, which takes place on January 17, are available now.