weekend event planner
Here are the top 12 things to do in Houston this weekend
Be sure to get your rest Friday night, as it appears to be one of those weekends where a ton of events/parties/gatherings kick off on Saturday. We suggest some event-hopping that day and hitting up these other shindigs, as it's going to be a busy weekend.
Thursday, June 7
A hot Texas Country Summer Music Series at Goodnight Charlie’s
This season promises a summer of good-ol' Texas country music and that’s what you’ll find these next few months at Goodnight Charlie’s. The Vinyl Ranch and Jim Beam have joined forces in creating the Vinyl Ranch Hot Texas Country Summer Music Series, where people can take in free music as well as Jim Beam specials. The first artist out the gate is Lone Star honky-tonk legend Dale Watson, the singer/guitarist/songwriter/author who amazingly managed to merge western swing, honky-tonk, rockabilly, and outlaw country in his music. It starts at 10:30 pm.
Friday, June 8
Penn & Teller bring the madness to Jones Hall
It’s hard to believe that Penn & Teller has been doing their patented brand of irreverent, unconventional magic for 40 years. Some of you may remember back in the ’80s, when this odd-couple duo was doing anarchic stunts on Saturday Night Live and Late Night with David Letterman. (Remember when they unleashed a top hat full of cockroaches on Letterman’s desk?) But, over the years, they’ve done residencies in Vegas, making them just as traditional as David Copperfield or Siegfried & Roy. Still, they’ll forever be magic's bad boys. It starts at 7:30 pm.
Saturday, June 9
Sweat, stretch and sip for a good cause at Buffalo Bayou Park
Buffalo Bayou Park will be open to anyone who’s willing to get an open-air workout this Saturday morning. GoWorkout Houston will host an exercise shindig at the park, which is also a benefit where the funds go towards Buffalo Bayou Partnership’s revitalization efforts of Houston’s historic waterway. Some of the city’s hottest fitness trainers and studios (Bombshell Bootcamp, Sweat 1000, and BEYOGA) will be in attendance, as well as workout music from DJ Johnny Mac. There will also be healthy bites and complimentary mimosas. It starts at 9 am.
Celebrate Hug Your Cat Day at Children’s Museum of Houston
National Hug Your Cat Day — an actual, allegedly celebrated day we’re assuming is the work of a crew of vocal cat ladies — was on Monday. However, Children’s Museum of Houston is offering a celebration on Saturday, as part of the museum’s “Super Powered Summer.” There will also be cats around for adoptions, as well as arts and crafts and a special guest appearance by Perky, the “bear-hugging”cat. It starts at 9 am.
Dancing with the Stars' Valentin Chmerkovskiy reads at the River Oaks District
We already knew about former Dancing with the Stars brother-sister act Derek & Julianne Hough. But we didn’t know Ukranian-American heartthrob Maksim Chmerkoskiy had a younger brother, Valentin, who’s won twice on the show. Valentin will be at River Oaks District’s Summer Saturdays event this weekend, promoting and reading from his book, I’ll Never Change My Name: An Immigrant’s American Dream from Ukraine to the USA to Dancing with the Stars. It starts at 10:30 am.
Madness on Main at White Oak Music Hall & Raven Tower
Now in its fifth year, Madness on Main continues to stockpile a whole lot of creativity — music, art, whatever — into one day. Twenty bands will be playing on three stages throughout the fest, with Ron Jeremy-looking, blue-eyed soulster Har Mar Superstar headlining the main stage. There will also be a new mural revealed, by muralist Royal Sumikat, which will commemorate influential Houston musicians. Basically, the fest is all about the local music community coming together to create this event — and giving spectators a taste of this town's rich talent. It starts at 4 pm.
Support veterans with a fun poker/casino night at Royal Sonesta
The Lone Survivor Foundation (LSF) is an organization that helps out service members and their families who are going through post-traumatic stress, mild traumatic brain injuries, chronic pain, and/or military sexual trauma by providing therapeutic retreats. You can help out our military men and women by attending the first annual Poker Tournament and Casino Night, presented by the Palms Casino/Resort/Spa in Las Vegas. It starts at 6 pm.
Break bread with chef/author Zachary Golper at Central Market
Brooklyn-based chef Zachary Golper will be in town to satisfy all your doughy, yeasty bread cravings. A four-time, James Beard Award nominee and author of Bien Cuit: The Art of Bread, Golper will host a cooking class where he’ll be serving up recipes inspired by the moods and flavors of the seasons: biscuits & gravy, blackberry & lemon scones, bourbon bread – man, you’ll be definitely rolling in dough at this event. It starts at 6:30 pm.
Rec Room’s 3rd Annual Beer & Ice Cream Social
Who doesn’t like beer and ice cream? And we’re also enthusiastic about Rec Room Arts’ 3rd Annual Beer & Ice Cream Social, a benefit for the non-profit arts organization that will include live performances, all-you-can-eat hot dogs and — of course — beer and freakin’ ice cream. It starts at 7 pm.
Sunday, June 10
Celebrate Saint Arnold’s 24th anniversary
This is going to be a really great weekend for beer enthusiasts. The day after the Beer and Ice Cream Social, Saint Arnold Brewing Company will have a 24th-anniversary, special rare cellar tasting. Since we know Saint Arnold always comes with the goods — we're big fans of their IPAs, whether it's the campy Art Car IPA or the hardcore Endeavour double/imperial IPA — you know there won't be any cheap, weak ale served on this occasion. It starts at 2 pm.
Get jazzed at the MFAH with the “Jazz on Film” series
For the sixth year in a row, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston has assembled a series of films that both pays tribute to the unsung lives of influential jazz artists and has one hell of a jazzy soundtrack. For this year’s Jazz on Film program, documentaries on jazz greats Bill Frisell and Milford Graves will be screened, along with the Japanese film The Stormy Man and the iconic, Steve McQueen actioner Bullitt. This Sunday, there will be a showing of Roger Vadim’s 1959 adaptation of Dangerous Liaisons, featuring a score by Thelonious Monk. It starts at 7 pm.
Canned Acoustica’s rocking finale at Discovery Green
The final Canned Acoustica show of the season has a great lineup of local acts going acoustic and losing things out. First off, we have Only Beast, a hard-driving rock trio led by Danielle Renee and her mighty, screeching vocals. Next, we have frat-boy skacore legends The Suspects, a bunch of (usually) drunken hooligans who've been playing party jams for over two decades. And let's not forget indie-pop outfit The Tontons, mixed-gender funk collective Tightn' Up! and straight-faced soft rockers Vodi. It starts at 5 pm.
