Leave the wallet at home

The free days of summer: Where to have fun from Houston to Galveston when youdon't want to pay

Sand castle-building time at the AIA Sandcastle Competition
Kemah Boardwalk "Rock the Dock" is a great event for the whole family
Live (and free) performances at Discovery Green
Photo by Jeff Fitlow
The soulful Yvonne Washington performs at Sugar Land Town Square

Memorial Day weekend is here and summer is kicking into high gear as people evaluate how they’re going to fill their vacation time — in town and out. Whether planning a trip abroad or a relaxing staycation it’s helpful to know what can be done around town that’s FREE. That helps with anyone's budget — whether you live in a River Oaks mansion or a EaDo studio.

To help guide you on this mission of gratis fun, here’s the definitive guide to the top free events around Houston for the summer:

Kemah Boardwalk “Rock the Dock” — Every Thursday night through August 26

Far enough from Houston to find the ocean, but close enough to make it an easy day trip, Kemah Boardwalk hosts live bands on Thursday nights throughout the summer. The bands come from around Texas and include Vertigo, Ezra Charles and the Texas Blues Band and Rat Ranch.

A complete schedule can be found here.

Steel Lounge at Contemporary Arts Museum Houston — Today, June 25, July 30 and August 27

Musical artists from a variety of genres perform at The CAMH while guests peruse exhibits on display. While there is no charge for entrance, there is a cash bar and the Fusion Taco Truck to add some relatively low-cost kick. The series kicks off today.

Discovery Green — June 1 through August 31

Discovery Green offers regular programs throughout the week from Pilates to Recycling Saturdays. They have a number of special events as well this summer as including:

June 17 — Sara Hickman concert

June 18 — Supers screening

July 2-4 — Dock Dogs (Big Air Dog Competition, think David Letterman's Stupid Pet Tricks with a lake)

Sugar Land Town Square — June 3-25

For the month of June, Sugar Land’s Town Square hosts a variety of concerts, performances and even dance lessons free to the public. The highlights include:

June 3 — 7-9 p.m.: Jazz singer Yvonne Washington

June 11 — 7:30-9 p.m: Free tango and rumba lessons

June 25 — 7-9 p.m.: The nine-piece band Fried Ice Cream

A complete schedule can be found here.

Miller Outdoor Theatre — June 4 – August 19

Miller is the king of free events in the city with the glorious hillside seating, perfect for summer nights. A complete listing of Miller events can be found on CultureMap's extensive Events Calendar but highlights include:

June 17, 18, 25, 26, 30 — Summer Symphony Nights

July 4 — Summer Symphony Nights: Independence Day (includes firework presentation)

July 20 — Colombian Bicentennial Celebration Concert

July 30-August 8 — Shakespeare Festival (Alternates between A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Much Ado About Nothing)

July 17-19 — Screening of the original Indiana Jones movies (you know before they got ridiculous with Shia LeBeouf)

AIA Sandcastle Competition — June 5, Galveston

Considered one of the world’s largest sandcastle competitions, over 80 teams compete to win the Golden Bucket Award. Teams begin months in advance generating ideas and developing designs. The event takes place on Galveston East Beach and starts at 10 a.m. with the Awards Ceremony at 4:30.

If you’re ever curious about free events around town in any season, search for "free" in our Events Calendar. Having fun on budget can be difficult, but in Houston, all it usually takes is a little research. There are plenty of places willing to give away fun.

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income analysis

Texas families need to make this much money for one parent to stay home

Photo by CDC on Unsplash

With costs to raise a child soaring over $20,000 a year in Texas, some households might decide to have one parent work while the other stays at home to raise their child.

As the cost of raising a child balloons in major cities like Houston, many families are weighing the choice between paying for child care or having one parent stay home full-time.

A recent analysis from SmartAsset determined the minimum income one parent needs to earn to support their partner staying at home to raise one child in all 50 states. In Texas — not just Houston — that amount is just under $75,000.

The study used the MIT Living Wage Calculator to compare the annual living wages needed for a household with two working adults and one child, and a household with one working adult, a stay-at-home parent, and one child. The study also calculated how much it would cost to raise a child with two working parents based on factors such as "food, housing, childcare, healthcare, transportation, incremental income taxes and other necessities."

A Texas household with one working parent would need to earn $74,734 a year to support a stay-at-home partner and a child, the report found. If two parents worked in the household, necessitating some additional costs like childcare and transportation, it would require an additional $10,504 in annual income to raise their child.

SmartAsset said the cost to raise a child in Texas in a two-working-parent household adds up to $23,587. Raising a child in Houston, however, is somewhat more affordable. A separate SmartAsset study from June 2025 determined it costs $21,868 to raise a child in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands metro.

In the report's ranking of states with the highest minimum income needed to support a family with one working adult, a stay-at-home parent, and one child, Texas ranked 32nd on the list.

In other states like Massachusetts, where raising a child can cost more than $40,000 a year, the report acknowledges ways families are working to reduce any financial burdens.

"This often includes considerations around who’s going to work in the household, and whether young children will require paid daycare services while parents are occupied," the report said. "With tradeoffs abound, many parents might seek to understand the minimum income needed to keep the family afloat while allowing the other parent to stay home to raise a young child."

The top 10 states with the lowest minimum income threshold to support a three-person family on one income are:

West Virginia – $68,099
Arkansas – $68,141
Mississippi – $70,242
Kentucky – $70,408
North Dakota – $70,949
Oklahoma – $71,718
Ohio – $72,114
South Dakota – $72,218
Alabama – $72,238
Nebraska – $72,966

texas income smartasset family