Weekend events planner

Here are the top 10 things to do in Houston this weekend

UPDATE: The Houston Astros World Championship Parade and Celebration will take place on Friday, November 3, at 2 pm in downtown Houston. The parade will begin on Smith at Lamar, proceed north on Smith, east on Walker, south on Milam, west on Pease, north on Smith, and ending at Lamar Street.

The parade staging area between Smith and Taft on Lamar will close to traffic at noon. The route will close to traffic beginning at 1pm for the parade honoring the players, coaches, staff and their families, culminating in a celebration at Houston City Hall.

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Break out your calendars and start planning for the weekend. From fun-filled festivals to a Broadway-bound musical from a beloved beach paradise singer and a book signing event with a Pulitzer Prize Award-winning novelist, we've got your guide to the city's top events. Here are the top nine things to do in Houston this Thursday through Sunday.

For more options, check out the full CultureMap Events Calendar.

Get inspired
Thursday, November 2
Join members of Houston's startup and creative community at The Founders Festival presented by The Cannon. Lawson Gow, owner and CEO of The Cannon, a new 17-acre coworking campus, hosts the evening, which boasts tunes from DJ Indo, bites by Aces of Taste, Dolce Neve, Peli Peli, Ramen Tatsu-Ya, and The Tasting Room, and sips by Cinco Vodka, No Label Brewery, Seersucker Southern Style Gin, and 9th Hour Coffee. Proceeds benefit the Hurricane Harvey relief fund at nonprofit, Casa de Esperanza. (6-9 pm; tickets: $25 per person)
1336 Brittmoore Rd.

Gear up
Thursday, November 2 and Saturday, November 4
Don your cocktail attire and head to The Dunlavy for an evening of drinks, hors d’oeuvres, and dancing to tunes by Austin-based band The Nightowls hosted by indoor cycling studio RYDE-River Oaks. From fancy duds to spinning gear, on Saturday, take it from the dance floor to the bike at RYDE’s studio for “RYDE for a Reason.” Book a cycle, select your level of charitable donation, and break a sweat for the cause during any of five spin classes. Proceeds from both events benefit the Alzheimer's Association.
(7 pm on Thursday, November 2, tickets: $75 per person; 8 am on Saturday, November 4, tickets: cost of a class and a charitable donation in the amount of your choice)
3422 Allen Pkwy.
2005 W Gray St.

Set the stage
Thursday, November 2-Saturday, November 4
Six of the city’s mid-sized and small theaters join together to present Read Fest, a series of free staged or concert readings of new plays, or plays new to Houston at the midtown destination, the MATCH. (various times; tickets: admission is free)
3400 Main St.; 713-521-4533

Broadway preview
Thursday, November 2-Sunday, November 5
Escape to Margaritaville, a musical comedy featuring both original songs and beloved Jimmy Buffett classics, makes an eight-day stop at Houston’s The Hobby Center before heading to the Marquis Theatre on Broadway in 2018. (various times; tickets: $35-$175 per person)
800 Bagby St.; 713-315-2525

Hit parade
Thursday, November 2
Ringo Starr hits the stage at Smart Financial Centre. The former Beatles drummer is joined by members of His All Starr Band, including Todd Rundgren, Gregg Rolie (Santana, Journey), Steve Lukather (Toto), Richard Page (Mr. Mister), Warren Ham, and Gregg Bissonette. The group will cover songs from the Beatles as well as Toto, Santana, and more. (8 pm; tickets: $49.50 - $199.50 per person)
18111 Lexington Blvd, Sugar Land; 281-207-6278

Meet and greet
Friday, November 3
Jeffrey Eugenides, author of the acclaimed Pulitzer-Prize novel Middlesex, talks about his first short story collection, Fresh Complaint, signs books, and hosts a brief question-and-answer session with the audience at Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church. The event is presented by Brazos Bookstore. (7:30 pm; tickets: $27 per person; each ticket comes with a hardcover copy of Fresh Complaint).
6221 Main St.; 713-523-0701

Brews and ‘cue
Saturday, November 4
The Woodlands area eatery Hubbell & Hudson presents its second craft beer and barbecue festival. Sip rare, vintage and one-off specialty beers from five craft breweries. Dig into barbecue, from pork spare ribs to sausage to Akaushi Wagyu brisket and 45-day dry-aged beef ribs from chef Austin Simmons and chef Anthony Compofelice. Proceeds go to proceeds Casa Child Advocates of Montgomery County. (12-4 pm; tickets: $45 per person)
24 Waterway Ave.; 281-203-5641

Song bird
Saturday, November 4
Four-time Grammy winner Renée Fleming performs at Jones Hall. The star soprano has sung at such notable events as the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize ceremony and the 2008 Olympic Games in in Beijing. She will be accompanied by Richard Bado, a chorus master in the Houston Grand Opera. (7:30 pm; tickets: $34-$104 per person)
615 Louisiana St.; 713-227-3974

Art fest
Saturday, November 4-Sunday, November 5
Don’t miss the second annual Art at Discovery Green, a fine art and contemporary craft festival featuring more than 75 artists from across the U.S. There will also be a beer garden, live music, craft activities, and multiple vendors selling jewelry, furniture, painting and sculptures. The auctioning of a Houston Strong weaving created by Texas-based artist duo Sunny Sliger and Marianne Newsom of The Color Condition will benefit the Harvey Arts Recovery Fund. (10 am; tickets: admission is free)
1500 McKinney St.; 713-400-7336

Star soprano Renée Fleming performs at Jones Hall.

Photo by © Andrew Eccles/Decca

Star soprano Renée Fleming performs at Jones Hall.

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Texas shocks as the No. 3 least safe state in America, new report says

Photo by Lukas Souza on Unsplash

Texas ranks as the 48th "safest" state — out of 50.

While no state is invulnerable, some do more to protect their residents than others. And a new study has declared Texas one of the five least safe states in America.

WalletHub's "Safest States in America (2026)" report examined all 50 states for their emergency preparedness and for residents' personal and residential, financial, workplace, and road safety. Factors that weighed into the rankings include specific crime rates per capita, the share of the population that is uninsured, road quality ratings, workplace injury statistics, and more.

Texas ranked at the bottom of the list as the 48th "safest" state — or the third least safe state. It's joined by several other Southern states, like Mississippi (No. 50), Louisiana (No. 49), Florida (No. 47), and Arkansas (No. 46).

According to WalletHub, Texas specifically ranks third to last in the nationwide "emergency preparedness" category, which was determined based on the prevalence of climate disasters causing $1 billion or more in damages from 1980-2024, and the loss amount resulting from those disasters.

The Lone Star State also ranked 40th (or 10th worst) across three safety categories: personal and residential safety, financial safety, and road safety. The report additionally found that Texas has the highest rate of uninsured residents nationally.

Texas' "workplace safety" was the state's highest-ranking category, landing 30th nationally.

Additional rankings that determined Texas' overall safety include:

No. 30 – Assaults per capita
No. 32 – Fatal occupational injuries per 100,000 full-time workers
No. 32 – Sex offenders per capita
No. 35 – Murders and non-negligent manslaughters per capita
No. 36 – Fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles of travel
No. 41 – Loss amounts from climate disasters per capita

According to the report, the five safest states in America are all located in the Northeast. Vermont leads as the country's safest state in 2026, followed by Massachusetts (No. 2), Maine (No. 3), New Hampshire (No. 4), and Connecticut (No. 5).

Though every state has varying levels of safety, WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo asserted that the safest places in the U.S. categorically invest in protecting their residents. Top-ranking states have low crime rates and diligently maintain their road infrastructure, and other states that prioritize their residents' safety have "strong economies and job markets that prevent people from falling into dangerous financial situations."

"[The safest states in America] have high levels of occupational safety and disaster preparedness, too," Lupo said. "In addition, states are made safer by efforts that individual residents take, such as forming a neighborhood watch or working in firefighting and EMT jobs at high rates."

safety texas wallethub reports