spring break 2021

Swing into spring break with these family-friendly events in Houston

Swing by Blessington Farms for some kid-friendly fun.

Spring break is around the corner, and while that finds some Houstonians jetting to Mexico, Colorado, or other destinations, with the state open, folk and families are on the hunt for things to do.

From outdoorsy camps and farms to indoor treats such as museums, we've rounded up some diversions to enjoy during the week off. — all of which promise to practice some manner of social distancing. Also, don't forget to check out our event calendar here for what to do each day.

AsiaFest at Asia Society
Celebrate Asian and Asian American heritage with a “lite” version of AsiaFest running 4-7pm daily, March 15-18. The event takes place across Asia Society's front lawn. Enjoy performances, games and activities, shopping from local AAPI owned businesses, and tasting food from some of Houston’s favorite food trucks.

Blessington Farms
Get ready for a spring-break spectacular over at this Simonton-based farm. From March 13 to 21, families can take part in such fun activities as picking your own strawberries & blueberries, going on hay rides, riding pedal cars, digging for fossils and simply going fishing.

Camp for All
From March 12 through 19, the Burton campsite (also known as Camp for Y’all) will have fun, family activities such as hiking, canoeing, swimming, campfires, and more. They will also check temperatures, maintain distancing guidelines and enforce masks.

George Ranch Historical Park
The Richmond-based ranch will get in the spring-break swing of things March 16 through March 21. Travel back in time as all sites along the History Circle will be open for tours. Families are also encouraged to bring a picnic lunch to enjoy at our picnic area.

The Health Museum
From March 15 through 19, the museum will have a spring-break edition of its Make a Day of It: Passes, Pedals and a Picnic in the Park program. You will get general admission tickets, picnic baskets (vegetarian and non-vegetarian options) and BCycle vouchers.

Houston Zoo
Starting March 13, the zoo will be expanding its daytime operational hours by one hour, opening from 9 am to 6 pm, with last entry at 5 pm. And from March 13 through 21, it will also open one hour early at 8 am. for Zoo members.

Lago Mar Lagoon
This biggest lagoon in the state (in Texas City) will have spring break going from March 12 through 28. Families can enjoy all the various water activities, including kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding, as well as beach amenities like private cabanas and sofa lounges.

Lone Star Flight Museum
It’s gonna be a high-flying time as the aviation museum will have spring break events from March 13 through 21. Expect plane rides, hopping into simulators, checking out cool aviation artifacts and machinery, learning aviation history, talking with mechanics, etc.

The Orange Show and The Beer Can House
Weekend tours for these visionary art sites are now open, with safety precautions in place. The Orange Show will be open from 10 am to 2 pm, while the Beer Can House will be open from 1 to 5 pm. (Smither Park is still open daily from dawn until dusk.)

The Rink: Rolling at Discovery Green
From now through April 11, glide beneath the glittering lights of downtown in the center of Discovery Green’s beautiful 12-acre park. Safety precautions will be set: Masks are required and a reduced number of tickets will be sold to maintain social distancing.

Splashway
Beginning March 12, the Sheridan campground will have a whole week packed full of activities for the entire family, including cookoffs, family game tournaments, arts and crafts, a St. Patrick’s Day-themed scavenger hunt, and a Ray’s Express water-gun fight.

event-planner

Movie Review

Michelle Pfeiffer visits Houston in new Christmas movie Oh. What. Fun.

Photo courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios

Michelle Pfeiffer in Oh. What. Fun.

Of all the formulaic movie genres, Christmas/holiday movies are among the most predictable. No matter what the problem is that arises between family members, friends, or potential romantic partners, the stories in holiday movies are designed to give viewers a feel-good ending even if the majority of the movie makes you feel pretty bad.

That’s certainly the case in Oh. What. Fun., in which Michelle Pfeiffer plays Claire, an underappreciated mom living in Houston with her inattentive husband, Nick (Denis Leary). As the film begins, her three children are arriving back home for Christmas: The high-strung Channing (Felicity Jones) is married to the milquetoast Doug (Jason Schwartzman); the aloof Taylor (Chloë Grace Moretz) brings home yet another new girlfriend; and the perpetual child Sammy (Dominic Sessa) has just broken up with his girlfriend.

Each of the family members seems to be oblivious to everything Claire does for them, especially when it comes to what she really wants: For them to nominate her to win a trip to see a talk show in L.A. hosted by Zazzy Tims (Eva Longoria). When she accidentally gets left behind on a planned outing to see a show, Claire reaches her breaking point and — in a kind of Home Alone in reverse — she decides to drive across the country to get to the show herself.

Written and directed by Michael Showalter (The Idea of You), and co-written by Chandler Baker (who wrote the short story on which the film is based), the movie never establishes any kind of enjoyable rhythm. Each of the characters, including competitive neighbor Jeanne (Joan Chen), is assigned a character trait that becomes their entire personality, with none of them allowed to evolve into something deeper.

The filmmakers lean hard into the idea that Claire is a person who always puts her family first and receives very little in return, but the evidence presented in the story is sketchy at best. Every situation shown in the film is so superficial that tension barely exists, and the (over)reactions by Claire give her family members few opportunities to make up for their failings.

The most interesting part of the movie comes when Claire actually makes it to the Zazzy Sims show. Even though what happens there is just as unbelievable as anything else presented in the story, Showalter and Baker concoct a scene that allows Claire and others to fully express the central theme of the film, and for a few minutes the movie actually lives up to its title.

Pfeiffer, given her first leading role since 2020’s French Exit, is a somewhat manic presence, and her thick Texas accent and unnecessary voiceover don’t do her any favors. It seems weird to have such a strong supporting cast with almost nothing of substance to do, but almost all of them are wasted, including Danielle Brooks in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo. The lone exception is Longoria, who is a blast in the few scenes she gets.

Oh. What. Fun. is far from the first movie to try and fail at becoming a new holiday classic, but the pedigree of Showalter and the cast make this dismal viewing experience extra disappointing. Ironically, overworked and underappreciated moms deserve a much better story than the one this movie delivers.

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Oh. What. Fun. is now streaming on Prime Video.

movies film