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    weekend event planner

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

    Craig Lindsey
    Feb 21, 2019 | 7:55 am
    Mamma Mia! Theatre Under the Stars
    Mamma Mia! promises feel-good, date night fun — set to ABBA.
    Photo by Melissa Taylor

    Expect a busy weekend: The rodeo kicks off this week and The Oscars will take place on Sunday. Seeing how the Academy has been making boneheaded decisions to make the show more appealing as of late, expect the whole thing to be a trainwreck. (If you want to see that trainwreck in a social setting, a'Bouzy will be having an Oscar viewing party.)

    Last week, we incorrectly declared that National Margarita Day was last Friday. It is, in fact, this Friday. We know this because we are still getting emails about places that are having margarita specials on Friday, like Pistolero's and El Patio. There is also a National Margarita Day/Go Texan Day celebration that'll be at Eight Row Flint.

    We apologize to those who went looking for margarita deals last week and couldn't find any — but still ordered a margarita anyway. With that, here's what's shaking up your weekend.

    Thursday, February 21

    Paint Your Pet Night at Great Heights Brewing Co.
    Have you ever thought about painting your pet — and, by painting, we mean capturing his/her essence on canvas? Well, over at Great Heights, you'll have the chance to get an authentic pet portrait of your four-legged bestie. Send in your favorite photo of your pet and arrive to a pre-sketched, color-by-number-style canvas and a personalized color pallete ready for painting. While you're there, get your sip on and enjoy Great Heights's delightful selection of craft brews. 6:30 pm.

    Friday, February 22

    Kaleidoscope Houston Presents Houstonary 2019: Cyber Punk City
    Houstonary, Kaleidoscope Houston's marquee annual event, returns for a fourth year of art, film, music, fashion, and just a general sense of fabulousness. The ticketed event will provide access to multi-sensory exhibits centered around the creative industry and will benefit a local, creative non-profit. And with this year's party being titled Cyber Punk City, expect some funky-but-futuristic stuff to pop off inside the Harrisburg Art Museum on this night. 7 pm.

    Reel Forces at The MATCH
    As part of the MUSIQA collective's "Traces" 2018-19 season, this evening of experimental film and live music examines the traces of humanity, memory, and conflict with Beyond Zero: 1914-1918, a film of rare WWI archival footage by auteur-director Bill Morrison, and scored for string quartet by Aleksandra Vrebalov. There will also be works by Marcus K. Maroney, Florent Ghys and the Texas premiere of the short Falling, curated by Houston Cinema Arts Society. 7:30 pm.

    Theatre Under the Stars presents Mamma Mia!
    It's been jokingly referred to as "your aunt's favorite Broadway musical (which has already spawned a summer-movie franchise)." The feel-good, funny tale unfolds on a Greek island paradise. On the eve of her wedding, a daughter’s quest to discover the identity of her father brings three men from her mother’s past back to the island they visited 20 years ago. The whole show is set to ABBA, which makes for singalong, date night fun. 8pm.

    Saturday, February 23

    B&B Butchers Restaurant Presents Mardi Gras Brunch
    B&B Butchers and Restaurant is having a Mardi Gras extravaganza of their own on Saturday. It's a brunch, to be exact, in the upstairs dining room and rooftop patio. We're talking New Orleans-inspired brunch dishes (crawfish etouffee omelet, cajun boudin with poached eggs, biscuits and gravy, duck and andouille gumbo, etc.) a king cake by Rao's Bakery and specialty cocktails by Beam Suntory. And let's not forget about live music by Howl2GO Dueling Pianos, face painting and festive swag. 11 am-3 pm.

    The West African Film Festival presents Mr. Gele: The Man. The Story. The Craft
    The 2019 West African Film Festival started on Tuesday and is still going on at venues across the city. The fest wraps up on Saturday afternoon with a screening of Mr. Gele: The Man. The Story. The Craft. This documentary focuses on Hakeem Oluwasegun Olaleye, the celebrated, Houston-based, Nigerian Gele (African headwear) artist -- also known as Mr. Segun Gele. Mr. Gele himself will be in attendance and will do an Q & A and a head-wrap presentation. Noon-2 pm.

    The Jones Family Singers at Cactus Music
    There are eight people in The Jones Family Singers (five sisters, two brothers and their father), the Markham, Texas-based group that has been making a joyful noise in churches and venues for almost three decades. They've played in such hallowed halls as Lincoln Center (where they received a standing ovation) and Kennedy Center, as well as festivals like the Newport Folk Festival, the Playboy Jazz Festival and others. So, for all you heathens who dig gospel music but don't like going to church, they'll be bringing church to Cactus. 3 pm.

    Da Camera Presents Stop, Look Listen!
    Stop, Look and Listen! is a series of free chamber music and jazz concerts presented in the world-renowned Menil Collection, featuring unconventional, interactive concert formats and fun, adventurous musical selections. On Saturday, Da Camera Young Artists and special guest percussionist Joe Desotelle will present the organization's annual family concert, which celebrates the season's theme: Time Future Time Past. They will be performing compositions from Mozart, Bartok and Chopin, among others. 3 pm.

    Sunday, February 24

    Filipino Food and Sparkling Wine Pop-Up at Camerata
    Camerata is once again coming with that pop-up action! This time around, the team behind Aqui Restaurant will come with a Filipino meal featuring a modern take on Filipino classics, as well as a range of different sparkling wines from around the world. Guests will have the opportunity to try a range of different dishes, from tangy adobo to sweet Halo-Halo, created by James Beard semifinalist for Outstanding Pastry Chef/first-generation Filipino American Jill Bartolome. 4-7 pm.

    Fred Armisen at White Oak Music Hall
    Most people know Fred Armisen as the former SNL cast member who poked fun at hipster culture for several years with Sleater-Kinney guitarist Carrie Brownstein on the IFC sketch show Portlandia. These days, Armisen has been doing stand-up for a very niche crowd: musicians. Armisen, who is also a veteran drummer and guitarist, dropped a Netflix special last year titled Comedy for Drummers. Now, he's been on tour doing his latest, more inclusive show, Comedy for Musicians but Everyone is Welcome. 8 pm.

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    In the spotlight

    Houston reels in new rank among 10 best cities for filmmakers in 2026

    Amber Heckler
    Feb 27, 2026 | 4:00 pm
    Filmmaking, best cities for filmmakers
    Photo by Kyle Loftus on Unsplash
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    Houston has just snapped up new recognition as the No. 10 best place to live and work as a filmmaker in North America, according to MovieMaker Magazine's annual report, "The Best Places to Live and Work as a Moviemaker in 2026."

    The Bayou City has made improvements after ranking 12th in the magazine's 2025 list.

    The annual list ranks the best cities in the U.S. and Canada for individuals to live while working in the film industry, based on production spending, tax incentives, cost of living, the prevalence of "local film scenes," and additional factors. The list is divided into two categories: 25 big cities and 10 smaller cities or towns.

    The spotlighted cities are the places where the publication believes filmmakers "have the best chance of both succeeding in the famously difficult entertainment industry, and making [their] own art."

    For up-and-coming filmmakers that want to live in Texas, MovieMaker says doing it in Houston is "more sustainable than ever" thanks to incentives like the Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program, which increased its production grant rebate from 22.5 percent to up to 31 percent for qualified in-state spending. The report also said Houston has an "arms-wide-open" approach for filmmakers.

    "As the biggest city in Texas, and fourth biggest city in America, Houston has nearly every type of location, from cityscapes to piney woods to rolling hills to nearby farmland," the report said. "It’s close to Galveston Island and the Gulf of Mexico, and car commercials love the absence of billboard advertising."

    MovieMaker also highlighted Houston's diversity, its low cost of living compared to the national average, and its local festivals like the Houston Cinema Arts Festival and Houston Latino Film Festival.

    "The city has enough film crew for two to three sizable features, and recent shoots have included the thrillers Eleven Days, with Taylor Kitsch, and A Love, from director Courtney Glaude, Tyler Perry Studios’ executive creator of Scripted and Unscripted," the report said. "Houston is also notable for a strong contingent of films with budgets under $1 million."

    Elsewhere in Texas, Austin ranked as the No. 5 best place to live and work as a filmmaker in North America. Dallas ranked seventh, while neighboring Fort Worth ranked 12th. San Antonio appeared as No. 14, and El Paso landed 25th on the list.

    filmmakingmoviemaker magazinerankingscity lifeentertainmenthouston
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