the big 5-0

Houston's biggest art festival returns to Memorial Park for its 50th bash

The Bayou City Art Festival is back for its 50th year.

In 1971, a fledgling arts group dubbed the Westheimer Colony Association launched a festival to showcase the talent in the Lower Westheimer/Montrose/Neartown neighborhoods. Now, 50 years later, that group — now the Art Colony Association — will bring a beloved arts tradition back to Memorial Park for its golden anniversary.

The Bayou City Art Festival returns for its 50th year to Memorial Park — along S. Picnic Loop — from 10 am–6 pm Friday through Sunday, March 25-27. Visitors are invited to stroll the park and check out some 300 artists from around the country and view original works, including world-class paintings, prints, jewelry, sculptures, and more at prices for every taste.

Tickets run $18 for adults, $5 for children 6-12; children under five are free. Importantly, tickets must be pre-purchased online and will not be sold at the gate. Find tickets here.

This year’s featured artist is Daryl Thetford, a mixed media artist from Chattanooga, Tennessee. As for the event, guests can catch the Stella Artois Main Stage, a KPRC 2 Hitch Stage, a food truck park, a craft beer garden, La Crema Experience Wine Tasting, and additional entertainers throughout the festival, per a release.

For some interactive fun, look for the Active Imagination Zone. Here, guests of all ages can play with oversized bubbles, visit with caricature artist Bonnie Blue, and create art. HCA Houston Healthcare will return with an interactive community art project that honors healthcare workers.

Young artists get the spotlight via an exhibition of student artwork crafted by the top 30 finalists from the 9th Annual Middle School Art Competition will also be featured. An award ceremony for the top-winning students, and their families, plus the winner of the 2022 "Dawn Clevenger Honorary People’s Choice Award" will take place at 1 pm on Sunday.

For the ultimate art lover, Bayou City Art Festival is offering a limited availability VIP Hospitality Lounge presented by Frost Bank, which will include complimentary light bites, beer, wine, and other refreshments. The relaxing setting will feature roaming musicians, artistic décor, a phone charging station, and more. VIPs receive access from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. to the VIP area, along with VIP parking. VIP tickets are available online for $65 and include a shuttle pass.

For an upscale experience, opt for the limited-availability VIP Hospitality Lounge presented by Frost Bank, boasting complimentary light bites, beer, wine, and other refreshments. The relaxed scene will feature roaming musicians, artsy décor, a phone charging station, and more. VIPs receive access from 11 am to 5 pm to the VIP area, along with VIP parking. These tickets can be purchased online for $65 and include a shuttle pass.

Speaking of shuttles: No on-site festival parking will be available. Ticket holders will receive free, secured parking at Northwest Mall (555 NW Mall). Guests can also purchase a parking shuttle pass for transportation to and from the festival site. A round-trip shuttle ride is $5 online and children 12 and under ride free. (Note: Masks are required while riding the shuttle bus.)

Always comprising a charitable element, the festival will donate a portion of the proceeds to its nonprofit partners including ArtReach, A Cause to Give Us Paws, Fresh Arts, Orange Show For Visionary Art, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and The Women’s Fund for Health Education and Resiliency.

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The Bayou City Arts Festival’s 50th anniversary; Memorial Park at S. Picnic Loop; Tickets range from $18-$65. For more information, visit the festival site, or stay up-to-date on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

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taking center stage

Stage adaptation of iconic Black movie Jason's Lyric to debut in Houston

Courtesy of Jason's Lyric

Most of the movie's cast will appear in the play.

Next year, Houston writer/producer/director/promoter Je’Caryous Johnson will be bringing another beloved Black movie to the live stage.

Jason’s Lyric will join New Jack City and Set It Off in the lineup of ‘90s Black-movie favorites that Johnson has adapted for the stage. The 1994 made-in-Houston drama stars Allen Payne and a pre-Will Smith Jada Pinkett as young lovers trying to maintain a relationship as conflicts and obstacles keep getting in the way.

Jason’s Lyric Live will go on a nationwide, 22-city tour, premiering right here in H-Town on Thursday, February 13 — just in time for Valentine’s Day.

“Houston is my home, and bringing Jason’s Lyric Live to life here first is my way of paying homage to the city and its people who inspired this story,” Johnson said in a statement. “This is more than a play; it’s a love letter to the community.”

Payne will reprise his role as Jason, with actress/model Eva Marcille stepping in Pinkett’s role as Lyric. Naughty by Nature rapper Treach, who played Lyric’s criminal big brother Alonzo in the movie, will also return to the role for the stage production. Tyrin Turner (Menace II Society), K. Michelle (Love & Hip Hop), and Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs (Welcome Back, Kotter) will round out the cast.

"Jason’s Lyric is one of the films that defined my career as an actor,” Payne said. “To bring it to life on stage for audiences who loved the movie — and a new generation experiencing it for the first time — is an incredible honor."

Marcille is also psyched for the show, taking on the role that Pinkett memorably brought to life. "Lyric is a character who embodies resilience and hope, and I’m honored to bring her story to life on stage,” Marcille said.

Tickets will go on sale this Friday, December 13, at 10 am. For a full list of dates and ticket information, visit the website.