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    independence day 2022

    Houston's best 4th of July celebrations, from carnivals and concerts to fireworks and flag-waving fun

    Craig Lindsey
    Jun 28, 2022 | 6:00 am
    Freedom Over Texas Houston fireworks
    Freedom Over Texas is a six-hour celebration.
    Photo courtesy of Freedom Over Texas

    Fourth of July in Houston this year sees classics such as the Shell Freedom Over Texas six-hour bash return, while Galveston launches new tech-centered celebrations with drones.

    Patriotic fans can expect fireworks, parades, carnivals, concerts, and more all over the Greater Houston area.

    Enjoy, and stay safe and hydrated as we celebrate the birth of our great nation.

    Forest Cove Community Center will have its 53rd Annual Fourth of July Celebration, and the theme is "Freedom, Fun and Family." The parade will start at 10 am, and BBQ will be served at noon. There will also be live music, a dessert contest, and a horseshoe tournament. 9 am.

    Kingwood Civic Club will have its annual 4th of July Parade. Float judging will serve as the opening act for the parade, which will kick off at 10 am from Creekwood Middle School on Sandy Forks. The parade will end when all participants reach Kingwood High School. 9 am.

    Riata Ranch Park in Cypress will bring back the annual 4th of July Bike Parade, as well as hosting a Cars & Coffee event for the Riata Ranch community. All years, makes and models welcome. No politics, drama, or burnouts. 9 am.

    The Woodlands will present a variety of events to celebrate Independence Day, including the South County Fourth of July Parade, Red, Hot & Pool events, and the 25th Annual Red, Hot & Blue Festival and Fireworks Extravaganza. It culminates with one of the largest fireworks displays in the area at 9:30 pm. 9 am.

    The City of Bellaire's Celebration of Independence Parade & Festival will feature the main parade, starting at South Rice Ave. and Valerie St., and the Children's Bike Parade, starting at South Rice Ave. and Evergreen St. The parades are followed by the festival at 10 am, featuring food, music from a live band and more. 9:30 am.

    Speaking of Bellaire, , the Southwest Management District invites the community to its free, family-friendly LibertyFest from 1 to 9 pm Sunday, July 3 at PlazAmericas mall (7500 Bellaire Blvd.). A fireworks display will be the final attraction of a day featuring on-stage entertainment by musicians, dancers, fashion models, and much more. Look for diverse bites, She Wolf (the Shakira cover act), HPD's mounted patrol, and more.

    B.B. Lemon will have a patriotic brunch featuring tunes by DJ Mohawk Steve. Guests can also attend dinner service starting at 3 pm. and enjoy a great view of downtown Houston’s fireworks display from the B&B Butchers parking lot across the street. 11 am.

    Lagoonfest Texas will be action-packed, Fourth of July Freedom Fest, with a wave of circus acts who have performed around the world and tribute-band concerts. The concerts will begin at 4 pm, featuring Motley Krue, Poison I.V. and Von Hindenburg. 11 am.

    The Rustic is partnering with local breweries to support veterans and collect donations for The Lone Survivor Foundation. Local breweries will donate beer to build the Rustic's "beer can flag." You pick a beer and make a donation. 11 am.

    Bobcat Teddy's Ice House will have its holiday Monday party again, with live music by Chris Goodwin and complimentary hot dogs and burgers for all customers (while supplies last). After the celebration, you're only a short Uber drive (or bike ride) to the fireworks display. Noon.

    B&B Butchers will be open for dinner service. Guests can enjoy the regular dinner menu plus the TX Wagyu Hot Dog Special – two quarter-pound pound dogs with steak fries and all the toppings for $18. End the evening with a view of the downtown Houston fireworks show from the parking lot. 4 pm.

    Missouri City’s Independence Day Festival offers plenty of fun and excitement for the whole family. Attendees can enjoy a variety of free entertainment, carnival games, live musical performances, tasty treats from local vendors, and close out the evening with an amazing fireworks display. 4 pm.

    Shell Freedom Over Texas will return to an in-person event filled with six hours of festivities, tradition and live concert stages. There will be performances by Sawyer Brown, Clay Walker, Blanco Brown and others. It will be capped off with a musically choreographed, “Texas-sized” fireworks finale. 4 pm.

    The City of Jersey Village will get its America on with its very own 4th of July Parade. Come out and cheer on the parade or stick around for the music (featuring Beatles cover band The Fab 5) and food at Clark Henry Park afterwards. 5:30 pm.

    The City of Sugar Land will celebrate Independence Day with patriotic family fun and activities for all ages. There will be a variety of food and beverages, live musical entertainment, community booths, activities, photo opportunities and a dazzling firework display to conclude the celebration. 6 pm.

    Over at Buffalo Bayou Brewing Company's Fourth of July party, each ticket secures third-floor rooftop access to watch the fireworks show and enjoy your brews or frozens in your very own color-changing, BuffBrew 4th of July stadium cup. All tasty food, good brews and frozens will be available to purchase a la carte. 7 pm.

    CITYCENTRE will have its Independence Day Fireworks Spectacular, where there will be plenty of food, fireworks, and freedom. A 10-minute fireworks display will illuminate the night sky at 9:30 pm. 7 pm.

    POST Houston will celebrate the Fourth with the Houston Brass Band on the largest rooftop park in America. The five-acre Skylawn rooftop is the perfect location to view the Downtown fireworks display and experience the band's patriotic sounds. 7:30 pm.

    Galveston Island will have a one-of-a-kind drone show. Hundreds of drones will launch right from the beach at the 37th Street Groin (the same location the July 4th celebrations have been hosted in years past.) 9 and 10:30 pm.

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    Movie Review

    Star TV producer James L. Brooks stumbles with meandering movie Ella McCay

    Alex Bentley
    Dec 12, 2025 | 2:30 pm
    Emma Mackey in Ella McCay
    Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios
    Emma Mackey in Ella McCay.

    The impact that writer/director/producer James L. Brooks has made on Hollywood cannot be understated. The 85-year-old created The Mary Tyler Moore Show, personally won three Oscars for Terms of Endearment, and was one of the driving forces behind The Simpsons, among many other credits. Now, 15 years after his last movie, he’s back in the directing chair with Ella McCay.

    The similarly-named Emma Mackey plays Ella, a 34-year-old lieutenant governor of an unnamed state in 2008 who’s on the verge of becoming governor when Governor Bill (Albert Brooks) gets picked to be a member of the president’s Cabinet. What should be a happy time is sullied by her needy husband, Ryan (Jack Lowden), her agoraphobic brother, Casey (Spike Fearn), and her perpetually-cheating father, Eddie (Woody Harrelson).

    Despite the trio of men competing to bring her down, Ella remains an unapologetic optimist, an attitude bolstered by her aunt Helen (Jamie Lee Curtis), her assistant Estelle (Julie Kavner), and her police escort, Trooper Nash (Kumail Nanjiani). The film follows her over a few days as she navigates the perils of governing, the distractions her family brings, and the expectations being thrust upon her by many different people.

    Brooks, who wrote and directed the film, is all over the place with his storytelling. What at first seems to be a straightforward story about Ella and her various issues soon starts meandering into areas that, while related to Ella, don’t make the film better. Prime among them are her brother and father, who are given a relatively small amount of screentime in comparison to the importance they have in her life. This is compounded by a confounding subplot in which Casey tries to win back his girlfriend, Susan (Ayo Edebiri).

    Then there’s the whole political side of the story, which never finds its focus and is stuck in the past. Though it’s never stated explicitly, Ella and Governor Bill appear to be Democrats, especially given a signature program Ella pushes to help mothers in need. But if Brooks was trying to provide an antidote to the current real world politics, he doesn’t succeed, as Ella’s full goals are never clear. He also inexplicably shows her boring her fellow lawmakers to tears, a strange trait to give the person for whom the audience is supposed to be rooting.

    What saves the movie from being an all-out train wreck is the performances of Mackey and Curtis. Mackey, best known for the Netflix show Sex Education, has an assured confidence to her that keeps the character interesting and likable even when the story goes downhill. Curtis, who has tended to go over-the-top with her roles in recent years, tones it down, offering a warm place of comfort for Ella to turn to when she needs it. The two complement each other very well and are the best parts of the movie by far.

    Brooks puts much more effort into his female actors, including Kavner, who, even though she serves as an unnecessary narrator, gets most of the best laugh lines in the film. Harrelson is capable of playing a great cad, but his character here isn’t fleshed out enough. Fearn is super annoying in his role, and Lowden isn’t much better, although that could be mostly due to what his character is called to do. Were it not for the always-great Brooks and Nanjiani, the movie might be devoid of good male performances.

    Brooks has made many great TV shows and movies in his 60+ year career, but Ella McCay is a far cry from his best. The only positive that comes out of it is the boosting of Mackey, who proves herself capable of not only leading a film, but also elevating one that would otherwise be a slog to get through.

    ---

    Ella McCay opens in theaters on December 12.

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