Houstonians who couldn’t get enough of outdoor art at the recent Bayou City Art Festival have another sunny option. Midtown Houston will host its annual Art in the Park outdoor festival on Saturday, April 2, the organization announced.
Art fans are invited to gather at Bagby Park (415 Gray St.) from 10 am to 6 pm to peruse art, nosh on choice bites, and catch live music. Fittingly, this year’s theme is “Bloom Where You’re Planted,” a nod to spring and individuality.
Visitors can artfully interact during one of the four free ArtJams, which are first-come-first-serve classes complete with supplies for creative types. (Classes include decorating/painting old jeans.) Another draw at the fest: chalk artists will make their return, sketching up colorful imagery.
Expect offerings from nearly 20 visual artists who will have their artwork on display, with items such as handmade jewelry, vibrant paintings, and more.
Featured artisans include April Murphy, who created an art installation on the iconic the Midtown letters; Kristen Kramlich, owner of FLuxe Jewelry, who fashions hand-sawed pieces from copper sheet metal; Gerald Tobola, an award-winning copper artist whose work has been displayed at the Smithsonian Institute Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage in Washington D.C.; and Latarsha Sterling, who will showcase her wall tile coasters.
Perfect for a park outing, the festival is dog-friendly; free “pupcakes” (a tasty version of a cupcake) are available for furry friends courtesy of Jackson’s Place-Midtown. Speaking of eats, two-legged art lovers can chow down on fare from La Calle Tacos.
For more information on the free, family-friendly event, visit the official site.
Legendary rockers Styx and Kevin Cronin, lead singer of REO Speedwagon, will team up to co-headline the “Brotherhood of Rock” tour in 2025, which will include a stop at The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in The Woodlands on Friday, June 6.
The large, 40-city tour will take place over three months, starting in Greenville, South Carolina on May 28, and wrapping up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on August 24.
In addition to Houston, the tour will go to Austin on June 4 and Dallas on August 1. It will include special guest Don Felder, former lead guitarist for the Eagles, at all dates.
Fans can expect some of the greatest rock anthems of all time, including “Renegade,” “Keep On Loving You,” “Come Sail Away,” “Can't Fight This Feeling,” and “Hotel California.”
Styx and Cronin (as part of REO Speedwagon) first toured together in 2000 and in 2001 after the 9/11 attacks, coming together to form the Rock to the Rescue 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. This will mark their sixth time joining forces on the road.
2022 was the 50th anniversary of Styx's self-titled debut album, but they have yet to slow down. The band released their 17th album, Crash of the Crown, in 2021. Of course, not everyone is a fan, as this classic clip from The Simpsons illustrates.
REO Speedwagon's recording days appear to be done, with their last album coming out in 2009, but the main group of five has been together since 1989. On this tour, Cronin will be joined by REO's lead guitarist Dave Amato and drummer Bryan Hitt.
General tickets for the tour will go on sale starting on Friday, December 13 at 10 am at LiveNation.com.
Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets in the U.S. beginning on December 9 at 10 am through the Citi Entertainment program.
Styx and Kevin Cronin will be offering VIP packages via their own exclusive pre-sales beginning on Tuesday, December 10 at 10 am, as well as at LiveNation.com.
