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Your weekly guide to Houston: Five (plus) don't-miss events

Preservation Houston's Market Square Architectural Walking explores the area'shistory plus the 1861 Kennedy Bakery and the 1893 Kiam Building.
Preservation Houston
Tamarie Cooper's The Doomsday Review, The Greatest Musical Ever!, produced byCatastrophic Theatre, opens on Friday.
Photo by George Hixson
Spend a wholesome day of family-friendly activities at the Asia Society TexasCenter. Chinese Culture Family Day is Sunday.
Photo by Brian Yap
Steel Lounge Underground is CAMH's once-a-year rave, though I think of it as anindoors urban bash. If it seems like too cool for you, nah, it's definitely ineveryone's league.

If you are bored in Houston, blame yourself. It's true that some groups are on summer hibernation, if there's such a thing, but others are keeping us out and about with dirty puppet theater, a Texas-sized art show, an indoor street party, tours on foot and end-of-the-world musicals. Let's party.

Country Playhouse presents Avenue Q

If only Sesame Street would address masturbation, porn, mixed tapes, coming out of the closet, happiness at the misfortune of others and the uselessness of higher education. It doesn't, and that's why we have Avenue Q. With Gary Coleman as a janitor.

I've never seen the show, but have the soundtrack memorized. And I've yet to see a Country Playhouse production; this will be it because there's puppets, and puppets should be forced to be naughty.

Runs Thursday through July 28. Tickets are $28 for adults; $25 for students and seniors.

Lawndale Art Center's "The Big Show 2012" Opening Reception and Awards

When Lawndale says big, they mean it. From 915 submissions by 381 underground, emerging and under-represented artists, guest juror Marco Antonini had the big job of parsing through each piece and deciding what would be on display at this bricolage of an open call, anything goes exhibit. Experimental art is Antonini's métier as gallery director at Brooklyn's NURTUREart.

As such, expect the accepted 69 works by 61 artists to tickle your aesthetic fancy.

There's cash at stake for the top three winners. Moreover, cast a vote for your favorite, that would be the CultureMap People's Choice Award, by scanning caption QR codes adjacent to each work of art.

Friday, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m; on view through Aug. 11. Admission is free.

Steel Lounge Underground at Contemporary Arts Museum Houston

For those who remember the monthly metro-esque fete by the same name a few moons ago, don't — forget that. Steel Lounge Underground is CAMH's once-a-year rave, though I think of it as an indoor urban bash. If it seems like too cool for you, nah, it's definitely in everyone's league.

Derek Jones and Josh Zulu play hosts while Suraj K., Esteban Torres and DJ Baby Jae spin some grooves alongside a live performance by vocalist Omari Tau and projections by Pablo Gimenez-Zapiola. Buffalo Bayou Brewing Co. will have its Hibiscus Wit beer (it's pink) onsite, but bring loot for the cash bar and food trucks.

Friday, 8 p.m to midnight. Admission is free.

Bering Omega Young Professionals Board Toga Party at Craft Salon

Anyone else have love/loathe relations with costume parties? I do, because I am just not that creative when it comes to fashioning themed togs from duds hidden in my closet.

But a toga? Now, that's something everyone can do with just a flat sheet. A word of caution: Don't go commando.

Liz Gorman, Nick Espinosa, Jerry Guerrero and Paul Pettie are chairing this summer soiree for Bering Omega Community Services, a nonprofit that offers support services for those living with HIV/AIDS.

Though it's been a few years since I have volunteered at Omega House, the hospice care center, the humanity, compassion and strength of the staff left me with a permanent reminder that life can, and often does, change in an instant.

Saturday, 8 p.m. to midnight; $35 per person.

Asia Society Texas Center Family Day: Chinese Culture

Spend a wholesome day of family-friendly activities at the Asia Society Texas Center, including arts and crafts led by Houston Center for Contemporary Craft's smiths. Partake in Chinese block printing, try your detective smarts at a gallery scavenger hunt and participate in t'ai chi with martial arts master Henderson Smith.

End your cultural immersive experience by stuffing your face at your favorite dim-sum eatery. Try Fung's Kitchen, E Tao, or for a modern twist, Gigi's Asian Bistro & Dumpling Bar offers all-you-can-eat dumplings for $15 per person.

Sunday, 1 to 4 p.m. Admission is free for select Asia Society membership levels and children 5 and under; $5 for general public.

Preservation Houston: Market Square Architectural Walking Tour

Market Square Park clues in to the city's humble beginnings. What is now a lovely al fresco gathering place was the location of one of the first public markets and the site of City Hall from 1840 to 1939. Today, the park documents the area's history with art, displays, plaques and markers that delineate the perimeter of the former government building and Market House.

This Preservation Houston 90-minute exterior architecture walking tour explores all that plus the 1861 Kennedy Bakery and the 1893 Kiam Building.

Sunday, 6 p.m. Tickets are $10; $7 for students and Preservation Houston members; free for children 11 and under. Those who walk, bike or use public transportation receive $2 off.

Staff writer, arts and architecture savant and all around awesome guy Tyler Rudick's picks: Art opening all around town

Tyler says: "I'm pretty excited to finally see these James Turrell holograms this Saturday at Hiram Butler, which will host an opening reception from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at its space on Blossom Street. In conjunction with the ongoing PrintHouston fest, the gallery also will show a series of abstract prints by New York artist Bill Jensen. Armando's food truck will be on site for anyone looking to supplement their morning with tacos and a margarita.

"On the PrintHouston note, Box 13 is hosting an installation by Orna Feinstein, who appeared in the festival's recent juried show at 4411 Montrose. Feinstein will display pieces constructed entirely from discarded art invitations alongside new works by Joshua Goode and Julia Landios."

Arts smarty pants and funny gal Nancy Wozny's pick: Catastrophic Theatre presents Tamarie Cooper's The Doomsday Review, The Greatest Musical Ever! at DiverseWorks

Nancy says: "It's summer. For theater people, that means it's Tamarie time, as in her annual summer show, which usually sells out — so don't be a lazy one. So far, Tamarie Cooper has tackled love, her brain, domestic life, The United States of Tamarie. Really what's left? Welcome to The Doomsday Review, The Greatest Musical Ever!, opening on Friday, July 13 (how convenient is that?).

"With a tag line of 'It's the end of the world, bring on the dancing cupcakes,' this show is guaranteed to get you out of your nihilistic, post-apocalyptic summer funk. With music and lyrics by Cooper, Miriam Daly, John Duboise, Joe Folladori and Patrick Reynolds (who also wrote the book), a cast of 17 Catastrophic veterans, a band and a hefty dose of Tamarieness, what's not to like?

Also, since Cooper harks from my tribe, Doomsday features plenty of dancing.

Runs through Aug. 25 . Tickets are pay-what-you-can .

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Stretching the budget

A $100,000 salary in 2026 goes further in Houston than it did last year

Photo by Leo Yao on Unsplash

$100,000 stretches a little further in 2026.

A 2026 income study has good news for big earners in Houston: A six-figure salary goes further than it did last year.

A Houston resident's $100,000 salary is worth $84,840 after taxes and adjusted for the local cost of living, according to the new financial analysis from SmartAsset. That's about $1,500 more than Houstonians were bringing home last year.

The 2026 take-home pay is about eight percent higher than it was in 2024, when the same salary had an adjusted value of $78,089.

SmartAsset used its paycheck calculator to apply federal, state and local taxes to an annual salary of $100,000 in 69 of the largest American cities. The figure was then adjusted for the local cost of living (which included average costs for housing, groceries, utilities, transportation, and miscellaneous goods and services). Cities were then ranked based on where a six-figure salary is worth the least after applicable taxes and cost of living adjustments.

Houston ranked No. 60 in the overall ranking of U.S. cities where $100,000 is worth the least. If the rankings were flipped and the cities were ranked based on where $100,000 goes the furthest, that places Houston in the No. 10 spot nationwide.

Manhattan, New York remains the No. 1 city where a six-figure salary is worth the least. A Manhattan resident's take-home pay is only worth $29,420 after taxes and adjusted for the cost of living, which is 3.10 percent lower than it was in 2025.

SmartAsset determined Manhattan has a 29.7 percent effective tax rate on six-figure salaries. Meanwhile, the effective tax rate on a $100,000 salary in Texas (based on the eight cities examined in the report) is 21.1 percent. It's worth highlighting that New York implements a statewide graduated-rate income tax from 4-10.90 percent, whereas Texas is one of only eight states that don't tax residents' income.

Oklahoma City, No. 69, is the U.S. city in the report where a $100,000 salary stretches the furthest. A six-figure salary is worth $91,868 in 2026, up from $89,989 last year.

This is the post-tax value of a $100,000 salary in other Texas cities, and their ranking in the report:

Plano (No. 27): $72,653
Dallas (No. 47): $80,103
Austin (No. 53): $82,446
Lubbock (No. 59): $84,567
San Antonio (No. 62): $86,419
El Paso (No. 67): $90,276
Corpus Christi (No. 68): $91,110

According to the report, getting some "financial breathing room" by making six-figures really depends on where someone lives and what their lifestyle is. For residents living in the 42 states that levy some amount of income tax, their take-home pay dwindles further.

"And depending on how taxes are filed, reaching a $100,000 income may push a household from the 22 percent to 24 percent marginal tax bracket," the report's author wrote. "Meanwhile, locations with high costs across housing and everyday essentials may be less forgiving to a $100,000 income."

smartasset income finance six figures