Interactive wonderland

Lots of hoops hoopla in store at Bracket Town fan fest

The downtown Final Four party at George R. Brown. It's Bracket Town!
Photo by Michelle Watson/Catchlight Group
Anyone wanna shoot some hoops?
Photo by Michelle Watson/Catchlight Group
IMG's Shea Guinn and City of Houston's Sharon Adams discuss the details ofBracket Town.
Photo by Michelle Watson/Catchlight Group
Blocking. Very essential in basketball.
Photo by Michelle Watson/Catchlight Group
Where can you see Antonio Gates, Robert Horry, Clyde Drexler, and Desmond Howardplay a game of H-O-R-S-E? Right here on Buick Center Court, of course.
Photo by Michelle Watson/Catchlight Group
It's training day! Football is one of the many sports you'll get to play atBracket Town.
Photo by Michelle Watson/Catchlight Group
You, too, can kick a soccer ball in a dress at Bracket Town.
Photo by Michelle Watson/Catchlight Group
What goes up must be downtown.
Photo by Michelle Watson/Catchlight Group

Who needs a few silly ol' playoff games when you have Bracket Town?

OK, we'd never dream of telling you to skip the culmination of the NCAA basketball tournament if you actually have the option. In fact, it'd be amazing if we could all attend the Final Four madness and watch history in the making.

But it's simply not feasible for most. Tickets to the games have been sold out for months, and scalpers won't part with theirs for anything less than your rent payment.

But just because you want to keep a roof over your head doesn't mean you have to miss all the hoops hoopla.

Bracket Town — "the ultimate fan fest" — opens Thursday at the George R. Brown Convention Center, and runs through next Monday. And, after previewing the event, I can assure you that it's better than expected. Scout's honor.

While the rumbles may be at Reliant Stadium, the fan insanity is certainly taking up residence at the George R. Brown.

"It's a 400,000-square-foot Final Four fan fest. There's something for everybody at Bracket Town," said Shea Guinn, senior vice president of events and hospitality at IMG. "We want everyone to have the chance to experience all things Final Four."

We're going to let you finish, Mr. Guinn, but Bracket Town is so much more than that. With life-sized demo versions of a basketball court, football field, baseball stadium, soccer field, hockey floor, and lacrosse field, it's an interactive athletic experience that blows your Wii Fit out of the water.

From Q&A and autograph sessions with former NCAA players and coaches to demonstrations to contests and more — well, it seems there actually is something for everyone at Bracket Town.

Did we mention there's a complete basketball court — the Buick Center Court — with seating for 2,500? It will be the site of a celebrity game of H-O-R-S-E on Thursday at 6 p.m. Footballers Antonio Gates (who played basketball in college) and Desmond Howard face off against former Houston hoopsters Clyde Drexler and Robert Horry.

"We want to encourage families to come down to enjoy the festivities," said Sharon Adams, director of corporate affairs and marketing for the city's convention and entertainment facilities department. "We've even made it easy for them to take the rail and a shuttle over."

Admission is $10 (ages 12 and over); $6 (ages 3-11, college students, senior citizens (55 and older), and military). Children two and under are admitted free.

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Thanks, Queen Bey

Pop icon Beyoncé donates $100,000 to University of Houston Law School

Photo by Erza Shaw Getty Images

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Pop megastar Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has donated $100,000 to the University of Houston Law Center Criminal Justice Clinic through her BeyGOOD Foundation. The gift will allow the clinic to hire fill-time faculty to head it, benefiting the students who study there.

“I am delighted that the BeyGOOD Foundation has made this very generous gift to the UH Law Center,” said Leonard Baynes, dean of the UH Law Center. “Not only will this funding help establish a full-time criminal justice clinic that provides pro bono legal services in our community, but it will also supercharge our already excellent criminal law and justice programming.”

The clinic is one of nine at UHLC. It helps students learn to navigate the criminal justice system, especially on behalf of clients that are underserved by skilled attorneys. People of color are affected disproportionately by a lack of good, ethical representation.

Beyoncé, the most decorated artist in Grammy history and easily the biggest musical star native to Houston, has a long history of advocating for criminal justice reform. She was a staunch supporter of the police reform following the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, asking law enforcement to “stop killing us” in a web post. In 2020, she penned an open letter to the Kentucky attorney general asking for justice in the death of Breonna Taylor.

Through her BeyGOOD Foundation, established in 2013, Beyoncé has focused mostly on expanding the prospects of Black-owned business and offering education opportunities to students. Forwarding the cause of legal representation in Texas while also helping out marginalized communities compliments her other philanthropic work.

“At UH Law, we envision a legal profession where ‘everyone has the opportunity to prosper,’ as BeyGOOD envisions, and we will achieve this vision by providing access to strong and effective legal representation in criminal proceedings,” Baynes said. “And together, through this gift, the BeyGOOD Foundation and UHLC will shepherd the next generation of criminal justice attorneys in the city of Houston, the state of Texas and the nation.”