weekend event planner

Here are the top 8 things to do in Houston this weekend

woman with candy lollipop selfie Houston

Have some candy, snap a selfie at the Candy Factory pop-up.

Photo by Getty Images

It's Memorial Day Weekend, which means summer has officially started. But while some may venture to your nearest waterpark, others may just wanna stay as dry as your favorite wine.

Luckily, Saturday is National Wine Day and The Union Kitchen is offering half-off all wine glasses and deep discounts on high-end bottles including Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon ($60), Prisoner Red Blend ($40) and Director’s Cut ($25), at all its locations.

Here's what else is happening this weekend:

Thursday, May 23

William Forsythe: Choreographic Objects at the MFAH
There are two famous William Forsythes: One is the popular character actor who has played heavies and bad guys in everything from Dick Tracy to The Devil's Rejects to Boardwalk Empire. The other is an acclaimed choreographer who has created this new exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Blurring the lines between performance, sculpture, video and installation, this exhibit invites you to connect to the organizing principles of choreography. It will run through September 15. 10 am.

Office Space at Greenway Plaza
There is one major reason why Houstonians should be proud of Office Space, Mike Judge's workplace satire/cult classic that is celebrating its twentieth anniversary this year (and will have an outdoor screening at Greenway Plaza). While it was mostly shot in Judge's Austin homebase, the movie has a gangsta-rap soundtrack that mostly features tracks from legendary H-Town rappers Scarface and The Geto Boys. So, props to Judge for giving local gangsta-rap icons some on-screen love. 5 pm.

Friday, May 24

A Trip to the Candy Factory at Calhoun RoofTop Bar & Grill
Who doesn't love candy? Sure, they're little pieces of sugar-filled temptation you feel guilty eating afterwards, but they're still fun, edible delights. The Pop Up Connoisseurs are hoping a lot of people with sweet teeth will attend this pop-up that runs through Monday. It's an interactive, Insta-worthy, Willy-Wonka-themed experience that will feature specialized drinks, small tapas, 3D photo booth, souvenirs, a candy wall, swag bags, and more. Noon.

Juvenile and Mystikal at Arena Theatre
Once upon a time, New Orleans MCs Juvenile and Mystikal were the toasts of Southern hip-hop. Back in the day, Juvenile was the star of the Cash Money Records crew (a crew that included a young Lil Wayne), turning out bangers like "Back That Azz Up." Meanwhile, the aggressively fast-talking Mystikal was one of No Limit's soldiers, dropping hits like "Shake Ya Ass." They now have joined forces for a tour, certain to make audiences do things with their posteriors. 8:30 pm.

Saturday, May 25

Kickin' Kombucha Taproom and Tea Shop Grand Opening
Locally based health-drink brewery Kickin' Kombucha will celebrate the grand opening of its recently redesigned taproom and tea shop. Eighth Wonder Brewery, Cruiser Coffee, and Highway Vodka will be there providing drinks, while Mr. Donut will have donuts and kolaches in the morning, and Food Music Life Food Truck will be there for lunch. There will also be a raffle where you can win free kombucha for a year, a case of your very own custom flavor, and other prizes. 9:30 am to 3 pm.

How Rednecks Saved Hollywood: An Evening with Joe Bob Briggs at Alamo Drafthouse LaCenterra
It's always fun when Joe Bob Briggs, America's foremost drive-in movie critic, shows up around these parts. The last time he was here, he hosted a holiday-themed, horror double feature. Now, he's back to show how much rednecks are a part of Hollywood history. He'll host a two-hour clip show that basically reviews the history of rednecks in America, as told through the classics of both grindhouse and mainstream movies. 7:30 pm.

Sunday, May 26

Ultimate Kolache Pop Up at Pearl Bar Houston
What is it about kolaches that Houstonians can't get enough of? If you're a kolache fiend, Sinfull Bakery, Yeti Sunshine Shaved Ice and Pearl Bar Houston are joined forces for a brunch-time, kolache feast that will benefit Hatch Montrose Center's Rapid Re-Housing program for LGBTQ homeless youth. 11 am to 4 pm.

Trippin tha Love Family Reunion at The Secret Group
Two decades ago, Trippin tha Love was a weekly dance party for grown-up rave kids who still crave some house grooves. It brought out the best DJs, both locally and nationally. But, after two years of business, the party unfortunately came to an end. This weekend, the party is returning for a special reunion extravaganza. All of the city's heaviest hitters — from Kung Fu Pimp to Brotha Jibril to dance vocalist Karina Nistal — will get back together to keep the party going all day long. 3 pm to 3 am.

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Movie Review

Heartfelt animal adventure Hoppers is another Pixar classic

Photo courtesy of Disney/Pixar

Mabel (Piper Kurda) and King George (Bobby Moynihan) in Hoppers.

For the first 15 years of their history, animation studio Pixar delivered one classic film after another, an astonishing streak that included their first 11 movies. Things got bumpy starting with Cars 2 in 2011, and even though the majority of their output has been good-to-great ever since, their releases are no longer considered slam dunks like they once were.

They’re back with an original film, Hoppers, trying to return to form by going back to the animal world. The film centers on Mabel (Piper Kurda), a 19-year-old environmentalist who’s trying to stop a new highway being built by Mayor Jerry (Jon Hamm) in the fictional city of Beaverton. Her activism has as much to do with helping displaced local animals as it does with being nostalgic for her youth, in which she spent years observing nature with her Grandma Tanaka (Karen Huie).

She finds an unlikely possible solution when she discovers that her college professors have created a system that allows them to transfer — or hop — their consciousness into animal-like robots. Hijacking a beaver robot, Mabel joins up with the local wildlife, including beaver King George (Bobby Moynihan) to try to convince them to help her execute her plan. But with the highway almost complete and Mayor Jerry willing to do anything to make it happen, Mabel might be too late.

Directed by Daniel Chong and written by Jesse Andrews from a story by Chong, the film cycles through a variety of genres in its 105-minute running time, including comedy, drama, thriller, and even a touch of Pixar-style horror. When Pixar has been at its best, it seamlessly goes back and forth between genres, trusting that audiences will go along with them for the ride, and Hoppers feels like a return to form in that respect.

Humor rules the day as Mabel adjusts to being part of the animal world while her professors desperately try to get her and their robot back. Mabel encounters not only wildly confusing things like “pond rules” (if a predator catches you, you don’t fight it), but also the existence of a hierarchy within the world that involves kings or queens from various animal classes like reptiles, birds, amphibians, fish, and insects. Her one-track mind and the way of the world she is invading clash in a variety of funny ways.

As the film goes along, Chong, Andrews, and the rest of the filmmaking team also find a way to burrow into the audience’s heart. There are many elements that threaten to tip into eye-rolling territory, but the filmmakers consistently pull back before that happens. The number of fun characters on both the human and animal side helps in that regard, as does the simple yet profound message they’re trying to convey.

Pixar has assembled one of the best voice casts in recent memory for this film, including such big names as Meryl Streep, Dave Franco, Melissa Villaseñor, Vanessa Bayer, and the late Isiah Whitlock, Jr. However, due to the sheer number of characters, only Kurda, Moynihan, and Hamm truly stand out. Still, they all fit together well and give the always-stellar animation even more life.

Since the pandemic, Pixar has only released one truly great film (Inside Out 2), but with Hoppers and the seemingly bulletproof Toy Story 5 coming within a few months of each other, they might go back-to-back on that front. Like the classic films from the studio, it has goofy, heartfelt, and exciting parts, mixing together for an enthralling time at the theater.

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Hoppers opens in theaters on March 6.

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Movie Review

Heartfelt animal adventure Hoppers is another Pixar classic