The Events Calendar
Choose your own weekend adventure: What to do in Houston, free vodka included
Get a glimpse into Afghanistan with "Restrepo."
An all day art affair — how could you miss it?
Tito's Vodka — one among many you will try at the Throwdown.
Four hours of classic movie viewing.
Hari Krishnan and Srividya Natarajan can really cut a rug — in a Bharatanatyamkind of way.
Baseball with the LGBT community — sure to be a blast.
Looking for something to do this weekend? If it's happening in Houston, CultureMap Listings Editor Rachel Hanley knows about it. Here are Rachel's picks for the weekend, pulled from our extensive events calendar
Remember "choose your own adventure" books — fiction where you decided the story's plot and the hero's outcome?
Welcome to "Choose Your Own Weekend Adventure," — where you're the hero, the decisions are real and the story is your life.
First decision: Do you want to spend another weekend watching reruns and Facebook stalking, or do you want to have some real fun?
If you chose the former — slap yourself a few times and go back to the beginning. If the latter, continue to Friday.
Friday
It's 5 p.m. and after a hard day in the office, you call it a day and head out the door (no options here, give yourself a break and head out the door).
Checking the time you realize you have a few minutes to grab a really quick bite at (Smashburger, Taco C, Freebirds ...) before heading to:
(In every scenario, pick one event)
- The Angelika for a showing Restrepo at 5:30 p.m. CultureMap's own film guru Joe Leydon is hosting a Q&A with one of the 15 soldiers followed in the film.
- The Lot on Washington for "Idol of the Heights", which starts at 6:30 p.m but runs for a while (there's still time to see the movie). It's a win-win situation — if the contestants are good, you enjoy a musical performance, if bad, it's comedic entertainment. You're kind of hoping for some of the bad — it's going to be months before next season's American Idol auditions air.
If not already with friends, you call them out and head out to your favorite bar.
Saturday
It's 9, maybe 10 a.m. and you've avoided a hangover (way to go). You call your friends and tell them to meet you at:
- The closest gallery to you participating in ArtHouston. It's an all-day affair, so you take your time floating from gallery to gallery, working-in your Art History 101 vocab. Your friends are impressed.
- Houston Center for Contemporary Craft for the "Naked" opening. You love porcelain and know more about it (thank you Wikipedia) than your know-it-all, Rice-graduate friend who's coming along. Pretty soon, everyone's marvelling at your expertise.
4:30 p.m. rolls around and you're ready for an early dinner (no, you're not 70 and you don't live in Del Boca Vista, you just built up an appetite). You choose a restaurant in the area and over dinner, discuss your next activity. As a group you decide:
- The Texas Vodka Throwdown at Caroline Collective is the place to be. It's free and starts at 6 p.m. (Free vodka!? This is a no-brainer.)
- You're in the mood for some baseball and head to Pride in the Park, the Houston Astros' first team-promoted Gay, Lesbian & Transgender community night, at 6:05 p.m. You take a seat at Minute Maid Park and look up in shock — is that Mayor Annise Parker on the pitcher's mound?
- To attend The Continental Club's 10th Anniversary party at 6 p.m. It's a free concert with a variety of musical artists, perfect for a group with varied musical taste.
It's been a long day. Knowing, however, that you're not needed the next day until 1:30 p.m., you hit your favorite (bar, clubs). You outlast your designated driver and taxi home.
Sunday
11:30 a.m. came awfully fast. You:
- Make coffee, eat breakfast. You may be tired, but the World Cup final starts at 1:30 p.m. and nothing will keep you from fighting crowds at Richmond Arms to see the game.
- Roll back over and sleep longer. America's long out of the World Cup — why do you care?
You eat a late lunch at home around 4 p.m. As you munch, you feel the work week getting closer. In a valiant effort to keep it at bay you:
- See a classical Indian dance, Bharatanatyam, at the Jewish Community Center at 5 p.m. Once you get the pronunciation down, you'll definitely let your friends know you went. Combined with the art shows the day before, you are looking pretty cultured.
- Head out to Alamo Drafthouse for Kill Bill 1 and 2 at 7 p.m. Four hours of Uma Thurman action is the perfect way to end your weekend.
You go home, brace for your work week — and dream about your next weekend adventure.
Want to come up with your own plan instead? Just go to CultureMap's comprehensive events calendar and pick from dozens of weekend happenings.
