Weekend event planner

Here are the top 11 things to do in Houston this weekend

Looking for something to do this weekend? CultureMap has got you covered. Here’s to getting the most out of your free time with 11 can’t-miss events, from a home show to a culinary tour. For more options, check out the full CultureMap Events Calendar.

Art talk
Thursday, March 30: Prospect.4, the fourth iteration of recurring three-year contemporary art event Prospect New Orleans, is set to run in the Big Easy November 11 through February 2018. Get the scoop on the art triennial as Prospect.4 artistic director Trevor Schoonmaker, chief curator at the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, sits down for a conversation with Houston’s Rick Lowe, founder of Project Row Houses, at MATCH Rehearsal Room (6:30 pm; tickets: free). 3400 Main St.; 713-223-8346

Lebanese affair
Friday, March 31-Sunday, April 2: The third annual Houston Lebanese Festival returns for fun-filled three days of cultural exhibits, lively entertainment and delicious food from falafel to baba ghanoush (Friday at 5 pm, Saturday and Sunday 11 am; tickets: $10 per adult and $5 per child ages 2-12). 600 Louisiana St.; 832-991-8876

Funny French films
Friday, March 31-Sunday, April 2: In the seventh annual edition of Five Funny French Films, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, showcases comedies that have entertained audiences in France but haven't been show widely in the United States. (Friday at 7 pm and 9 pm, Saturday at 7 pm and 9:15 pm, Sunday at 5 pm; tickets $7-$9 per person). Museum of Fine Arts, Houston Brown Auditorium, 1001 Bissonnet St.; 713-639-7300

Double the fun
Friday, March 31-Saturday, April 1: River Oaks Chamber Orchestra closes out its season 12 concert series with a two-day affair, called Double Trouble, featuring the world premiere of the orchestra’s newest commission, ROCOmoji, a concerto grosso for double reeds written by composer Alexander Miller, Saverio Mercadante's Concerto for Flute in E-minor, Gustav Holst's Green Brook Suite, and Arnold Schoenberg's Verklärte Nacht (Friday at 7:30 pm and Saturday at 5 pm; tickets: $15-$35 per person). Friday: The Woodlands United Methodist Church, 2200 Lake Woodlands Dr.; Saturday: Church of St. John the Divine, 2450 River Oaks Blvd.

Home sweet home
Saturday, April 1-Sunday, April 2: The 36th Annual Houston Home Show provides experts on everything for home, from windows and doors to outdoor kitchens. You can also expect cooking demos and food samples, and a kid zone (Saturday: 10 am-7 pm; Sunday: 11 am-5 pm; tickets: $9.95 per person). 1001 Avenida de las Americas; 713-853-8000

Urban art
Saturday, April 1: Heartmade Art Market, with over 40 local artists and artisans, takes over downtown’s Main Street Square (11 am-6 pm; tickets: free entry). Shop for original artwork, jewelry, paper products, home goods, and more while you enjoy music by DJ Ill-Set, a kid zone with arts and crafts, food truck fare, and complimentary hand-spun cotton candy. 1100 Main St.; 713-650-3022

Street fest
Saturday, April 1-Sunday, April 2: The two-day Houston Whatever Fest (11:30 am; tickets: $55–$450 per person) presents an eclectic lineup of 80 acts on five stages in east downtown. The festival boasts live music (think AWOLnation, Cold War Kids, and tribute act, Kiss Alike), comedy (from T.J. Miller to Grace Thomas), and works from over 80 artists. 813 St. Emanuel St.; 713-225-5483

Outdoor dining
Saturday, April 1: Dine al fresco at the Spring Wine Event, which takes place on the patio between the Energy Corridor's Le Mistral restaurant and Rouge Wine Bar (1-4 pm; tickets: $15 per adult; $7 per child). Your ticket gets you two glasses of wine (Domaine de Souviou Rose Bandol and Pierre Bovis Chateauneuf du Pape), a traditional French chicken provencal entree (chicken cooked in a sauce made with tomatoes, garlic, and olive oil), wine tips from Le Mistral’s sommelier, Sylvain Denis, and entertainment by jazz group, The Chris Bitten Project. 1400 Eldridge Pkwy.

Panic attack
Saturday, April 1: Las Vegas pop/rock band Panic at the Disco heads to downtown’s Toyota Center (7 pm; tickets: $57-$428 per person) as part of the group’s Death Of A Bachelor Tour, named for their gold-certified studio album with the same moniker. Indie pop bands MisterWives and Saint Motel will also perform. Toyota Center, 1510 Polk; 866-446-8849.

Take a tour
Sunday, April 2: Join chef and restaurateur Lee Ellis of Cherry Pie Hospitality restaurant group (State Fare, Pi Pizza, Lee’s Fried Chicken & Donuts, Petite Sweets), along with his business partner Jim Mills, for tastings at some of the duo’s favorite Mexican and Asian eateries (12-4 pm; tickets: $190 per person). Catch a ride on a Houston Wave shuttle in the parking lot of Central Market, where exact restaurant locations, kept secret until event time, will be revealed. Central Market, 3815 Westheimer Rd.

Anniversary special
Sunday, April 2: Midtown bar and grill Wooster’s Garden celebrates two years of business with $3 fireball shots, snaps by Photobooth and performances by alternative/indie bands Wild Moccasins and Los Skarnales (4-8 pm; tickets: free entry). Sip and nosh on drinks and bites from the hotspot’s regularly priced menu. Luna Y Sol Mexican grill and The Arepa Grill will also serve up fare. 3315 Milam St.; 713-520-0015

Las Vegas pop/rock band Panic at the Disco heads to downtown’s Toyota Center.

Courtesy of Panic at the Disco/Facebook

Las Vegas pop/rock band Panic at the Disco heads to downtown’s Toyota Center.

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Hottest Headlines of 2025

Ren Fest drama tops Houston's hottest entertainment headlines of 2025

Texas Renaissance Festival/ Facebook

The Texas Renaissance Festival returns October 11.

Editor's note: This year was a busy one for CultureMap's Entertainment section. A lawsuit brought changes to the Texas Renaissance Festival, country star Post Malone left a life-changing tip, and one of Houston's most respected pitmasters came up a little short on the national stage. Houston’s entertainment news proves the diversity of our city.

Read on for the 10 top Houston entertainment headlines of 2025:

1. Winner of Ren Fest lawsuit plans to keep the event mostly unchanged. The Texas Renaissance Festival got a new owner this year, following a contentious court battle. But what would that mean for the beloved fall festival that generations have come to love? Surprisingly little for attendees. The new owner vowed to keep RenFest mostly the same. “...We're sticking with what works,” said Anthony Laporte, the attorney representing the new owner. “...Both the old owners and the new ones are planning to give visitors a great time.”

Texas Renaissance Festival/ Facebook

The Texas Renaissance Festival has a new owner.

2. Judge rules Texas Renaissance Festival owner must sell his kingdom. For more than half a century, George Coulam reigned as king of the Texas Renaissance Festival in Todd Mission. In 2023, he agreed to sell the beloved festival, then reneged on the deal. In May, a Grimes County judge ordered the sale to go through in the culmination of a long legal battle. The drama behind the festival was depicted in the HBO docuseries Ren Faire.

3. Star Houston pitmaster flames out on Food Network barbecue competition. On July 20, Houston pitmaster Greg Gatlin’s run on the Food Network show BBQ Brawl came to an end. Judges criticized his preparation of New York strip with grilled broccolini with Calabrian chili. The owner of Gatlin’s BBQ and Gatlin’s Fins & Feathers, took the disappointing news in stride. “It hurts, but I think I did my family’s name proud,” he said.

4. Premier Houston nightclub group reopening iconic strip club this month. This summer, the Colorado Club became part of The Clé Group’s portfolio. The strip club was a magnet for A-listers in the 1990s and early ‘00s. Following the death of founder Dallas Fontenot in September 2021, the venue passed to his son Dakota, who ultimately decided to sell the club. The new owners upgraded the food and implemented a host of other improvements like state-of-the-art lighting and sound, an updated design, and multiple stages.

5. Bun B, Ludacris, Keith Sweat, and more throw epic birthday bonanza at RodeoHouston. Houston hip-hop legend Bun B threw himself a birthday party on March 7, in his appearance at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo’s Black Heritage Day. TSU’s Ocean of Soul and Prairie View A&M’s Marching Storm bands performed sets, and video greetings from celebs were part of the pre-concert festivities. The concert had strong performances but some unfortunate technical glitches.

6. All the White Linen Night parties happening in the Heights and beyond. From its beginnings in the Heights, White Linen Night has spread across the Bayou City. This list gave readers a guide to 25 of the summer tradition’s parties and specials, from a build-your-own succulent bar to band performances.

7. Post Malone shocks Houston bartender with 'life-changing' $20,000 tip. When the music superstar stopped in to visit The Railyard on Christmas Eve 2024, bar regulars picked up his tab. But that didn’t stop him from leaving a $20,000 tip for bartender Renee Brown. "His generosity … blew me away,” she said. “This definitely wasn't the Christmas Eve I was expecting, but one I'm forever thankful to have had."

8. RodeoHouston taps Post Malone, Bun B, Reba McEntire, and more for 2025 concerts. One of Houston’s most anticipated lineups was announced in January, at a media event at NRG Center. Performers for the March 4-23 event represented a variety of genres, heavily focused on country, but also including pop, rock, hip-hop, R&B, regional Mexican, and Christian music.

9. Nine Inch Nails hammers Houston at career-spanning Toyota Center concert. Rock And Roll Hall of Fame inductees Nine Inch Nails returned to Houston and the Toyota Center on September 12, opening the show with the industrial ballad “Right Where It Belongs.” “NIN has always had a forward propulsion,” wrote our reviewer Craig Hlavaty. “There’s no concept of nostalgia, just raw nerves endlessly being rediscovered by fresh ears.”

10. Post Malone's road show lifts up RodeoHouston with heart and soul. Months after headlining the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, Post Malone was back in the Houston spotlight in a show that “was easily the hottest ticket of the season.” He used the evening to share his latest album F-1 Trillion, “a collection of expertly crafted pop-country.”

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