weekend event planner
Here are the top 9 things to do in Houston this weekend
Fans of the Conjuring universe who can't wait for Annabelle Comes Home to hit theaters this weekend: there is a truck tour coming to town that's just for you.
The Annabelle Comes Home Artifact Tour, which has already made stops in Las Vegas, Phoenix, and San Antonio, will be at Jones Plaza on Thursday and Friday, 1-9 pm. This tour will have a whole bunch of stuff ready to creep you out, including the Annabelle doll, which we believe will be available for photos.
If you prefer to have a scare-free weekend, here are some other fun events:
Thursday, June 27
Broken Bone Bathtub at a mystery location
Broken Bone Bathtub sounds like the most unique, theater-going experience local audiences will have this year. This one-person play takes place around a woman's bathtub, at an actual local private residence. Written and performed by Siobhan O'Loughlin, this production has her soaking in her tub after a serious bike accident, sharing her story to her close friends (played by the audience). The actual location of the event (which will run through July 7) will be released to ticket holders the day of the event. 7 and 9 pm.
Gentle/Men at MATCH
For the next three days, independent dance-producer John Beasant III will make his choreographic Houston debut with Gentle/Men. The show, which consists of contemporary dance suites, dance-film, and prose (featuring 10 Houston male dance artists) celebrates men in dance, aims to advocate for acceptance of the American male dancer, and brings awareness of the art form from a male perspective. 7 pm (7:30 pm Friday and Saturday).
Friday, June 28
Sweet Sweet Summer at SLTX Studios
Yet another pop-up exhibit/photo-op destination with a sugary theme has arrived this summer. So, what's so special about this one? For starters, it's at Sugar Land Town Square. Guests can “tropic like it’s hot” as they take part in snapping their best selfie at the pool scene or in the “you are my sunshine” room, along with more than 20 other Instagrammable installations. This will run through July 21. 11 am (noon Sunday).
Closing parties at Gravity
Some places can't go on forever — and Gravity is one of those places. The midtown Houston nightspot will be closing down, and it's going out with not one, but two final parties. The first one on Friday will have underground DJs Mateusz, Geez, Chaz Evertt, and John Stewart spinning those sweet dance grooves. The Saturday party will be known as "Event Horizon," with DJs spinning inside the club as well as on the patio. 9 pm (8 pm Saturday).
Saturday, June 29
City Acre Brewing Co.'s 3rd Anniversary
We don't know how Meredith Borders does it. By day, she's the managing editor of the new-and-improved Fangoria Magazine, writing and editing pieces for the legendary horror-movie periodical. But by night (and also part of the day), she's the co-owner of City Acre Brewing Co., a brewery/tavern she runs with husband Matt Schlabach. This weekend, the couple will be celebrating their third year of business with — what else? — a third-anniversary party. Noon to 5 pm.
Mexstep at Cactus Music
His name is Marco Cervantes, but dude goes by several names: Mexstep, MSG and — our favorite — Mexican StepGrandfather. The San Antonio rapper/producer/scholar will be in Houston promoting his 2018 album Resistir, which breaks down histories of colonialism in Texas and beyond and pushes education and awareness in these current times of continued occupation and violence. Joining him will be DJs Chicken George and Flash Gordon Parks. 1 pm.
Texas Music Festival “Grand Finale” concert
Lovers of classical music won't want to miss this. Celebrating its 30th anniversary season, the Immanuel and Helen Olshan Texas Music Festival one-month international music residency features rising stars around the globe. The festival has been going on since June 1 and closes its 2019 TMF Orchestra Series today at the University of Houston's Moores Opera House. This “Grand Finale” concert will feature the epic Mahler: Symphony 6, also known as “Tragic.” Josep Caballé-Domenech will conduct the dramatic four-movement work. The concert will kick off with pre-concert musical performances by members of Virtuosi of Houston and pre-concert lecture at 6:30 p.m., followed by the concert at 7:30 p.m. $25; students and seniors tickets, $15.
Sunday, June 30
Anita Baker at Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land
Back in the good ol' 80s, Anita Baker was the queen of R&B. When she broke out with her 1986 sophomore album Rapture, which featured the Grammy-winning hit "Sweet Love," Baker became the go-to songstress for both urban-contemporary and adult-contemporary audiences. Even though she hasn't dropped a new album since Christmas Fantasy in 2005, she still continues to tour, always giving us the best that she's got. 8 pm.
Black Dynamite at Rooftop Cinema Club
A decade ago, director Scott Sanders and actor/occasional action star Michael Jai White teamed up to make the funniest movie spoof since Airplane! But instead of mocking '70s disaster movies, the pair did a blaxploitation salute/sendup with Black Dynamite. White plays the title character, an Afro-ed killer of both ladies and bad guys who is a better Shaft knockoff than the one Samuel L. Jackson is currently playing in theaters. 8:30 pm.
