Pick Five (Plus)

Your weekly guide to Houston: Cinco de Mayo goes bingo, Spanish folk dances andDragon Boats roll

Photo by Eric Mueller
"Cinco de Bingo" Cinco de Mayo fiesta is hosted by SCRUBS, the Young Supportersof The Harris County Hospital District Foundation.
Buffalo Bayou history tours with Louis Aulbach reveal the rich history ofHouston's waterways. Bayou Bend Main St. 1904
Apollo Chamber Players present a fiery concert commingling classical music andfolk tunes of Spanish origin. Ole!
Domenico Luciano in Dominic’s "Clair de Lune"
Photo by Frank Atura
At the home of Lemonade Day Founder, Michael and Lisa Holthouse, littleentrepreneurs showed the 14 principles of the lemonade biz. It's not justlemonade. It's strategy. Here, Jalya
Photo by Brian Nutsch/Lemonade Day Houston
A leisurely stroll courtesy of Buffalo Bayou "Foodie Floats," guests enjoyedSpanish wine pairings courtesy of Block 7.
The Rothko Chapel is offering a series of free Tai Chi classes suitable for thebeginning and experienced practitioner.

What a historic last week it's been! We will be talking about where we were when we heard the news, sharing stories with our grandchildren and describing the events having lived through what the future generation will deem as history.

My own week started with a beautiful and historic boat ride on the Buffalo Bayou, sipping on Spanish vino courtesy of Block 7 while exploring the memoirs of Houston's urban waterways. Buffalo Bayou Partnership's "Foodie Floats" toured the bayou canals while historian Robbie Robinson talked about things past to a lively group, which included John Fanning, in town to play Music Teacher in Strauss' Ariadne auf Naxos.

The Orange Show Center for Visionary Art launched its Art Car Parade festivities with a casual get together at Continental Club's patio. My discovery? Black been burgers from Natachees. Where have I been?

Rienzi's Spring party was a stylish and elegant affair, allowing guests to stroll through the European decorative arts collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston with a glass of bubbly on hand. Carroll and Harris Masterson loved to entertain and this soiree made their legacy proud and this reporter, delighted.

Lemonade Day brought out more than 50,000 little entrepreneurs out to sell. A reception at the home of Lemonade Day's founder, Michael and Lisa Holthouse, displayed 14 lemonade stands with children explaining the principles of a successful strategy. This is not just about making lemonade out of lemons. It's about thoughtfulness, creativity and a well-thought-out action plan, providing valuable business experience.

There was also the TUTS gala, Latin Wave fiesta, iFest, a Houston Symphony concert, Houston Grand Opera's Ariadne auf Naxos, Shepherd School of Music's Mahler Symphony No. 3 and River Oaks Chamber Orchestra's clarinetist Maiko Sasaki at Tasting Room at Uptown.

On tap for this week ...

Tai Chi at the Rothko Chapel

Need to recharge and Zen out? Having attended some of Rothko Chapel's noon time meditations as part of the Twelve Moments of Spirituality and Healing series, I can attest that the folks here know how to put you back together physically, mentally and spiritually.

Wear comfy clothes and head over to the Chapel grounds, where you will practice near Newman's Broken Obelisk. New to Tai Chi? All are welcome. Thursdays in May at 5 p.m.

Musiqa's Annual Spring Benefit "MusiqaFiesta"

I love Musiqa because their concerts are engaging and fun, exposing the hardcore side of contemporary art music. Led by Houston's composition rock stars, this Cinco de Mayo bacchanal mingles awesome tunes by Latin American composers and a dash of jazz with tapas and libations courtesy of Molina's Cantina.

Try your luck at the iPad2 raffle, bid on silent auction items and partake in the live auction. You know you want to. Thursday at 6 p.m.

"Cinco de Bingo" at Last Concert Café

If you are searching for a Cinco de Mayo fiesta, morph your planned debauchery into a good cause. The folks at SCRUBS, aka Young Supporters of The Harris County Hospital District Foundation, are making Bingo hip, chic and fab in "Cinco de Bingo." You could win great prizes like more booze, tickets to cool events and lots of cool stuff.

Stuff yourself with a fajita buffet and wash it down with domestic and Mexican beers and margaritas. Thursday at 7 p.m.

Buffalo Bayou Partnership Looking Back History Tours with Louis Aulbach

Did you know that Allen's Landing used to be the Port of Houston? Many history buffs consider its strategic location the catalyst behind the growth of the city.

Travel back in time with local historian and author Louis Aulbach and explore the curiosities of yesteryear. Why is it called Buffalo Bayou? Who were the Allen Brothers? To answer these questions, meet at Allen's Landing on Saturday at 10 a.m.Update: meeting location has been changed to the Sabine Promenade.

Apollo Chamber Players "Gypsies and Toreadors: Folk Dances from Spain" Concert at the Shepherd School of Music

This string quartet is one of Houston's best kept secrets redefining what it means to be a bad ass in the genre of art music. Specializing in the convergence of folk and classical music traditions, Apollo writes its own arrangements exploiting its fiery, passionate and virtuosic abilities that emerge out of having mastery over the instruments.

This concert is all about Spain. The quartet will debut a brand spanking new arrangement of Malagueña. Wicked. Saturday at 8 p.m.

My colleagues picks:

Editor at large and society scribe Shelby Hodge's pick: Latin Women's Initiative Annual Spring Luncheon

Shelby says: "There is only one place to be for lunch this Friday — I will be there at the Latin Women's Initiative annual spring luncheon at the InterContinental Houston. It is the liveliest, most fun luncheon each year. Fab fashions in a runway presentation from Jl + Bertholdo, a Latin-inspired marketplace and loads of interesting women." Friday at 10:30 a.m.

Social media editor and sassy adventure racer Fayza Elmostehi's pick: Houston Dragon Boat Festival

Fayza says: "If you think paddling is perfect, you won't want to miss the brilliance of the Houston Dragon Boat Festival. You know those traditional Asian long boats, powered by synchronized human arms?

Those are the ones that'll take over the Buffalo Bayou this weekend, decorated with colorful and expressive regalia. You won't be sorry if you head down to the bayou's banks for a truly interesting cultural experience." Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Assistant editor and arts savant Steven Thomson's pick: The Future is Now: A SKYDIVE Fundraiser

Steven says: "This art collective's fundraiser brings together vanguard performances by artists curated by Nancy Douthey, along with the backing of Houston art world heavyweights like Ian Glennie, Fredericka Hunter, Gemma DeSantos and Judy Nyquist.

Robots will serve drinks and bites amid 20 performances, all while Metropolis screens on Skydive's exterior. Preview the auction (and start bidding) at theSkydive.org. Dress as your favorite future self." Saturday at 6 p.m.

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Genie Is Out of The Bottle

Texas cannabis industry fires back at Dan Patrick's push to ban THC

The THC limit in medical cannabis products is also increasing.

Photo courtesy of TOCC

A ban on THC would not be popular.

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is launching a quixotic quest to ban legal THC: According to a release, Patrick is pushing legislation that would ban all forms of consumable Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) from being sold in Texas.

He's promoting Senate Bill 3, which would be carried by Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, and would ban all forms of THC.

Patrick is unhappy with House Bill 1325, introduced by Rep. Tracy King, D-Uvalde, to bolster agriculture in Texas. It was passed by the Texas Legislature in 2019.

Part of that bill allowed for the commercialization of hemp, which included un-removable non-intoxicating trace amounts of Delta 9 THC.

“Dangerously, retailers exploited the agriculture law to sell life-threatening, unregulated forms of THC to the public and made them easily accessible," Patrick says in his release. "These stores not only sold to adults, but they targeted Texas children and exposed them to dangerous levels of THC."

"Since 2023, thousands of stores selling hazardous THC products have popped up in communities across the state, and many sell products, including beverages, that have three to four times the THC content which might be found in marijuana purchased from a drug dealer," he says.

It seems like the genie is out of the bottle: According to the Baker Institute, hemp in Texas is booming: From 2020 to 2023, sales of hemp-derived cannabinoids increased by 1283 percent, reaching a value of $2.78 billion last year.

And efforts to reel it back in are basically doomed, they say.

"While prohibition may seem like the simplest response, it is almost certain to fail — both in eliminating widespread access to hemp-derived cannabinoids and in protecting the public," they say.

"As of April 2024, Texas had over 7,000 registered hemp dispensaries," they note. "More than 50,000 Texans are estimated to be employed through the hemp sector. A state ban would ruin this industry, but it would not reduce consumer demand for hemp-derived cannabinoids. Instead, consumers would turn to the illicit hemp market that would inevitably form in the wake of state prohibition. Products sold today in state-registered shops would still be available through underground supply networks that would reap billions in tax-free profits."

They say that "a broad ban, even a poorly enforced one, would harm consumers more than the state’s current system."

Meanwhile voters are supporting marijuana decriminalization efforts such as the one recently approved by the city of Dallas, as well as Austin, Denton, Elgin, Killeen, and San Marcos.

Catina Voellinger, Executive Director of Ground Game Texas, a Texas group that has been advocating for decriminalization of marijuana, says in a statement that the legislation would turn back the clock to a more repressive time.

“Instead of banning THC, lawmakers should focus on legalizing marijuana statewide, which would allow for cannabis to be safely regulated, and would prevent countless residents from being harmed by unnecessary arrests and prosecutions for possessing something that is already legal in 24 states," Voellinger says. "We’ve seen repeatedly that this is what Texans want – our marijuana decriminalization ballot initiatives in Dallas, Lockhart, and Bastrop won overwhelmingly this November.”

Daryoush Austin Zamhariri, Executive Director of Texas Cannabis Collective, a group working to change cannabis laws, calls Patrick's endorsement of legislation that would ban all consumable THC products in Texas "tremendously out of step with the overwhelming majority of Texans."

"Poll after poll has shown the citizens of Texas support legalizing cannabis and ending the failed policy of cannabis prohibition," Zamhariri says. "These attitudes have manifested in several campaigns to progressively decriminalize marijuana possession in cities across the state with bipartisan super majority votes through local ballot initiatives. We oppose SB 3 and look forward to working with our coalition partners at the 89th Legislature to bring common sense cannabis reform to the entirety of Texas.”

marijuana politics dan patrick