This weekend promises to get a little crazy: Cinco de Mayo and the Kentucky Derby fall on the same day, which means the streets of Houston will be littered with people either imbibing cerveza, tequila, mint juleps or some combination of the three. (There are already bars and spots in the city angling to be the destination for people looking to celebrate Cinco and watch the Derby.)
If you’re not in the mood for either of those, may we direct you to this list of events that will be happening this weekend:
Thursday, May 3
Sean Astin’s candid talk
Sean Astin has found a way to pop up in many pop-culture touchstones in his career. He was one of The Goonies, played the title character in seminal sports tearjerker Rudy, memorably played a Hobbit in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and recently joined the cast of Netflix’s Stranger Things. Astin will be in town this week to speak at The Menninger Clinic’s Annual Signature Luncheon. With the luncheon’s mission to raise awareness about mental health, Astin will discuss his experiences living with a parent — the late actress Patty Duke — who had bipolar disorder and depression. It starts at noon. For more info, go here.
“The Whiskey Extravaganza” promises to go down smooth
Whiskey – the brownest of the brown liquors, a substance that will make you warm in the chest and tipsy as hell. If you’re the sort who enjoys sipping and savoring that alcoholic beverage, there is a whiskey extravaganza — aptly titled “The Whisky Extravaganza.” This event will feature more than 100 varieties of single malts, bourbons, premium Scotch whiskies, and other concoctions that’ll get you drunk faster than you can say, “That flask is not mine, officer!” All guests must be 21 and older (of course!) and will get a complimentary nosing glass. It starts at 6 pm.
Rock and ribs at The League City Music Festival & Bar-B-Q Cookoff
The League City Music Festival & Bar-B-Q Cookoff combines two things that are already very enticing on their own: live music and barbecue. This three-day shindig kicks off on Thursday, with a cookoff happening at the “BBQ Tent.” As for music, Friday will have performances from Southern Shanks Band, Bag of Donuts, and Sammy Kershaw, while Saturday will feature Sierra Bernal, Mike and the Moonpies, Shinyribs (we’re sure that was coincidental) and Maddie & Tae. All proceeds go to children’s activities and charities. It starts at 6 pm. (6 pm on Saturday, and 4 pm on Sunday.)
Friday, May 4
Sausage and brew rule at The Houston Polish Festival
Poland is a country that has given this world a lot — beer and sausage are two obvious examples. This is why the three-day, Houston Polish Festival is around: to remind people of the rich history and culture that comes from that charming country. It starts at 4 pm (10 am on Friday and Saturday.)
Kathleen Madigan gets cranky at Revention Music Center
Now that Roseanne Barr has completely lost it, maybe it’s time we all recognized Kathleen Madigan as a no-nonsense comedienne with a flair for making working-class audiences chuckle. Madigan would probably laugh in your face if you referred to her as a blue-collar comic (even though she and Blue Collar Tour vet Ron White are pals). But with two decades’ worth of jokes under her belt, Madigan has won over crowds with her common-sense approach to joking about everything, from her upbringing to what’s going on in the news. Show starts at 7 pm.
Saturday, May 5
Luxe boats and cars shine at Keels & Wheels
Aficionados of both fine automobiles and luxurious ocean-going vessels may want to head over to Seabrook this weekend. On Saturday and Sunday, Keels & Wheels will once again put on Keels & Wheels Concours d’Elegance, an event where approximately 200 cars and 100 boats are welcomed each year. (They’ll even have that Hudson sedan from Driving Miss Daisy for this event.) Proceeds will benefit Today’s Harbor for Children, an organization out to provide care and shelter for abandoned and abused children. It starts at 10 am. (9 am on Sunday.)
The grand re-opening of the Shop at Bayou Bend
The Shop at Bayou Bend will have a new home this weekend, moving from the Lora Jean Kilroy Visitor and Education Center to the cottage by late Bayou Bend founder’s Ima Hogg’s historic mansion. Don’t worry — you’ll still be able to get the one-of-a-kind and limited-edition items associated with the store. There will also be new merchandise, including garden accessories, jewelry, clothing, stationery, and other knickknacks. And visitors will have the chance to bid on objects associated with the Hogg family. It starts at 10 am. (1 pm on Sunday.)
Free Comic Book Day at Bedrock City Comic Co.
There will be many comic book stores in Houston and around the country that’ll take part in Free Comic Book Day, the annual day where these stores lure in possible customers with the promise of free comic art. Bedrock City Comic Co. is upping the ante and not only offering free comics. Several Houston-based artists will also be around to talk shop and sign stuff, like indie legend Terry Moore, the man behind the sprawling, Sapphic love story Strangers in Paradise, and Mostafa Moussa, an inker who has worked with both DC and Marvel. It starts at 10 a.m. For more info, go here.
Dive into Wet’n’Wild SplashTown
We all miss WaterWorld, don’t we? Remember when the water-park arm of AstroWorld was a godsend for people who wanted to have fun and cool down during those sweltering, summer days in H-Town? Even though both AstroWorld and WaterWorld are no longer with us, you can still have a good time getting wet at Wet’n’Wild SplashTown, which opens up for its 2018 season this weekend. This season will have some new additions for park visitors: Gold Pass options for Season Pass holders, more food and drink options and the chance to ride the “Alien Chaser,” which opened last June. It starts at 10 am.
The Palestine Film Festival at The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
There’s nothing like the Houston Palestine Film Festival to serve as a reminder that good art continues to come out of this part of the world. Now in its 12th year, this two-weekend fest will start off this weekend at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, with screenings of the documentary Ghost Hunting (on Saturday) and the father-son drama Wajib (on Sunday), which was nominated for a Best Foreign Film Oscar earlier this year. (A short film with accompany each screening.) The rest of the fest will go on next weekend at Rice Media Center. Both screenings are at 7 pm.
Sunday, May 6
Walk to End Bladder Cancer at Terry Hershey Park
The Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network is trying to make people more aware of bladder cancer, which they say is the sixth most diagnosed cancer in the U.S. One major thing the network is doing is hosting and organizing The Walk to End Bladder Cancer. This national event started in 2011 and has now expanded to more than 25 locations across the country, raising more than $3 million toward bladder cancer, awareness, and research. For the Houston walk, 200 walkers are expected to show, in the hopes of raising $75,000 for research and patient outreach initiatives. It starts at 9 am.
JMBLYA brings the hip-hop to Sam Houston Race Park
Now in its sixth year, JMBLYA (“Jambalaya” without the vowels) is a three-day, traveling hip-hop roadshow that hits three Texas cities: Dallas, Austin and, its final stop, Houston. This fest certainly has a top-tier lineup, with N.C. superstar J. Cole assuming headliner duties. Migos, Kevin Gates, on-the-rise rapper Playboy Carti, and Young Thug (who stepped in to replace a now-pregnant Cardi B) will also be turning in performances. But it’s not just out-of-state rappers that will be hitting the stage. H-Town’s Bun B and Trae the Truth are also scheduled to perform. It starts at 1 pm.
Maddie and Tae bring their pretty sounds to The League City Music Festival & Bar-B-Q Cookoff.
