12-4 p.m. Sunday

Your cheat sheet to Theater District Open House

Backstage tours at The Alley Theatre
Photo by John Everett
Society for the Performing Arts brings The Flying Karamazov Brothers, minglingcomedy, acrobatics, juggling, dancing and music.
There's many sides to Da Camera. At the open house, they bring on the jazz.
At the Alley Theatre, guests can meet-and-greet with costumed performers, watcha stage combat demo and take a backstage tour.
Houston Ballet
Photo by Amitava Sarkar
End the day with a bang. At Jones Hall at 4 p.m. the Houston Symphony closes thefestivities.
Photo by Leah Polkowske
Dominic Walsh Dance
Houston Grand Opera
Photo by Felix Sanchez

How artsy is Houston? With 12,948 theater seats — plus 200 if you count the new $47-million Houston Center for Dance — the 17-block area home to the Bayou City's theater district is bustling.

As one of the handful of American cities that supports professional companies in all four classical performing arts disciplines — symphony, ballet, opera and theater — it's evident that Houston's identity goes beyond black gold, cowboy boots and steak and potatoes.

Do you take advantage of what all these companies have to offer? I have been guilty of experiencing a city's art scene only when on vacation. But that's about to end.

On Sunday from noon to 4 p.m., the 18th Capital One Bank Theater District Open House is an opportunity to be a tourist in the Bayou City and get a taste of this year's artsy happenings. Cultural speed dating perhaps, the affair opens the doors to four venues showcasing the opus of Houston Symphony, Da Camera of Houston, Gexa Energy Broadway at The Hobby Center, Houston Ballet, Houston Grand Opera, Houston Symphony, Society for the Performing Arts and Theater Under the Stars.

There's more.

Uniquely Houston aims to support small and mid-size nonprofits and local talent by giving them an in to perform at Hobby Center. That means that in addition to the Texas-sized arts powerhouses, groups like Masquerade Theatre, The Apollo Chamber Players, Dominic Walsh Dance Theater, Houston Ebony Opera, Karen Stokes Dance and Musiqa will make appearances at Theater District Open House.

That's a lot and you can experience as much as you like in one day, for free, and get exclusive opportunities to purchase the best ticket deals of the year — like buy-one-get-one free for Houston Ballet's upcoming production of Giselle, six Houston Symphony concerts for the price of three, $50 off a subscription package from Theater Under the Stars or a three-concert package for $70 from Da Camera.

There's more (click here for deals), though you have to be there on Sunday to get them.

With many simultaneous performances going on in five theaters (full schedule here) time is of the essence. Use the Theater District Open House's new website to peruse the day's complete schedule, sign in and create your own personal itinerary. It's easy, simple and helpful.

Find parking near one of the venues — Hobby Center for Performing Arts, Wortham Theater Center, Jones Hall or Alley Theatre — and hop on the free trolley between them.

Geo-savvy social techies don't forget to check-in on Gowalla. Be cyber-seen on Sunday in all four buildings and you'll be entered to win prizes for many of the 2011-12 season performances.

For families, there will be plenty of activities for the kiddos. At the Alley Theatre, bring your little ones to see a stage combat demo, take a backstage tour, partake in theater games with the Young Performers Studio, do face painting and dig through a costume trunk. At Jones Hall, interactive stations will host arts and crafts and an instrument petting zoo.

If you need to cool off a bit, your ticket into Capital One and Cadillac VIP Chill Zone in Wortham Theater's green room is to take a quick Cadillac test drive. You can lounge comfortably and nibble on light bites and beverages. Easy enough.

What should you not miss? Here's my schedule.

TUTS Season Musical Revue at 12:30 p.m. (also at 2:30 p.m.) at Hobby Center's Sarofim Hall. It's the whole year in 30 minutes, and everyone needs to feel jazz hands every now and then.
Apollo Chamber Players at 1:05 p.m. at Hobby Center's Zilkha Hall. They may not be a large ensemble, but they pack in a lot of energy with music that always makes people smile.
Dominic Walsh Dance Theater at 1:55 p.m. at Zilkha. Because the ensemble is Houston's definition of a contemporary ballet aesthetic.
Society for the Performing Arts' The Flying Karamazov Brothers at 2:30 p.m. (also at 12:15, 1 and 1:45 p.m.) at Jones Hall. It's not everyday that an act mixes comedy, music, acrobatics, dancing and juggling. Worth checking out.
Da Camera Jazz at 3:15 p.m. Wortham Theater Center. Da Camera always puts a skip in my step, and when it organizes jazz concerts, I can't help but finger snap.
Houston Symphony Concert at 4 p.m. at Jones Hall. End the day with a bang.

Will we see you at Theater District Open House?

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Mags Move In

Shuttered Houston magazine stand finds new home at Austin coffee shop

Tomo Mags bus outside of brick-and-mortar Austin store

Photo courtesy of the Downtown Austin Alliance

Tomo Mags is driving into a new era.

Austin's roaming newsstand Tomo Mags — which sells books out of a signature blue bus — is moving up in the world. Its new brick-and-mortar bookstore and partner coffee shop, Cielito Lindo, are celebrating their grand opening Thursday, January 22, at 411 Brazos Street, #101. A ribbon-cutting ceremony from 10-11 am with the Downtown Austin Alliance and the Austin Chamber of Commerce will mark the occasion.

Tomo Mags started in 2015 in Houston, on a decommissioned school bus. Founder Vico Puentes hit the ground running — or driving — visiting shopping centers, galleries, universities, cafés, and more. It toted artsy independent magazines about fashion, photography, design, erotica, and even some comparatively normie selections like The Economist and New York Magazine.

The journey so far has included an earlier stationary space that later closed (and another one that reopened), a pause for several years, and a "bittersweet" move to Austin in 2025.

Tomo Mags Austin interior The collection has a lot more room to expand in this new space.Photo courtesy of the Downtown Austin Alliance

The new shop offers more of the same: a wide selection of magazines and art books alongside studio tools like pens and notebooks, merch, and fashionable accessories. It's been in a soft-opening phase since mid-December. Cielito Lindo, which opened in a coffee pot-shaped trailer in Manor in spring 2025, also kicked off its soft opening in the space a few days. Both the Tomo bus and Cielito's trailer will continue operating.

Even though both businesses are relatively new to Austin, Puentes has deep personal connections with the city.

“Before opening TOMO mags, I worked in downtown Austin for the last six years, and I’ve seen such an incredible evolution in what it feels like for the people who work and live here, as well as the visitors passing through,” said Puentes in a press release.

Tomo Mags Austin interior Cafe tables are great for flipping through new finds with Cielito Lindo's signature horchata latte.Photo courtesy of the Downtown Austin Alliance

Driving around town to make sales may sound like a fast-paced existence, but Puentes hopes visitors to Tomo can slow down when they visit, enjoying the physical experience and maybe even creating a personal art archive over time. Part of that includes getting to know the artists filling the shelves.

"With TOMO mags, our goal is to create a place people can come back to regularly to slow down, find inspiration, and leave with something special, or a gift that actually feels thoughtful," he said. "We’re already meeting people from all over the world, and we’re proud to host them and share recommendations that help them experience Austin beyond just downtown, while also spotlighting the creative community and local businesses that make this city so special.”

magazines design openings bookstore