weekend event planner
Here are the top 10 things to do in Houston this weekend
Downtown Houston is piling on the fun this weekend with its Downtown District Ultimate Downtown Weekend. There will be many events popping off, including the July Road to River Revival concert featuring Greyhounds and Maggie Belle Band on Saturday. (Find more information here.)
Meanwhile, look for art openings, great live music, comic silliness, summer picnics, and more. Here are your best bets for the weekend.
Thursday, July 8
Sicardi | Ayers | Bacino presents "Subtext" opening day
Sicardi | Ayers | Bacino will present this group exhibition, their first since the pandemic. This exhibition will feature works by artists Gabriel de la Mora, León Ferrari, Oscar Muñoz, Marie Orensanz, Miguel Ángel Rojas, and Ana Maria Tavares. A text written by curator Ximena Gama will accompany the exhibition. It will be on display through Saturday, August 21. 6 pm.
Summerland Tour featuring Everclear
For all you middle-aged dads who tried (and failed) to start a band in the '90s and '00s, trying to get your boys to show up to practice on the weekends in your parents' garage, this tour is coming to take you back to your youth. This show has Everclear headlining, with performances from Hoobastank, Living Colour, and Wheatus. We're psyched about Living Colour, since we remember when that African-American quartet rocked the world with tunes like "Cult of Personality." 9 pm.
Friday, July 9
Houston Cinema Arts Society and MFAH Virtual Cinemas present The Story of a Three Day Pass
For those who can't wait until the Criterion Collection drops that box set of Melvin Van Peebles movies this fall, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and Houston Cinema Arts Society will give you a weeklong virtual run of his 1967 directorial debut. This edgy, angsty, romantic feature follows an African American soldier stationed in France, who is granted a promotion and a three-day leave and heads to Paris, where he finds a whirlwind romance with a white woman. 10 am.
The Music Box Theater presents 10th Year Anniversary Show
Every Friday and Saturday night, the Music Box Theater will open its Colquitt-based theater doors for its tenth-season, in-theater production, 10-year anniversary show. It will be a musical tribute to the very best songs and funny moments of the past decade that took place within the green, foamed walls. This show features the full cast & band at the height of their talents. Expect music from every genre and time period and lots of laughs. The show will run through Saturday, August 14. 7:30 pm.
The Riot Comedy Show presents Bryson Brown
Austin comedian Bryson Brown has toured the nation, opening for DeRay Davis, Bruce Bruce, Adele Givens, and Houston's own Ali Siddiq. His smooth and laid-back approach makes him a crowd favorite. His ability to pick through the smallest point of the subject — and always choosing material that hits close to home being a loving father, husband, and best friend to smoke with — enables him to write on stage and keep each performance unique as he reflects on what’s happening in his life. 10 pm.
Saturday, July 10
Monkey's Tail Two-Year Anniversary In honor of its two-year anniversary, Monkey’s Tail (aka a very Houston bar) will be hosting an all-day fiesta this weekend. Enjoy drink specials and double Chango Burgers for $7. Spin the wheel of fortune to "double your fun" for prizes and swag. Hey, they're having a fiesta full of food and booze — so why would you want to turn all this down? 11 am.
Good Vibes After Dark at the Water Works in Buffalo Bayou Park
Known for crafting soulful experiences for the city, this evening throwdown is where good energy meets passion, jam-packed with music and therapeutic libations. The show will feature singer Kaash Paige, along with headliner Lucky Daye who will take the stage for his first performance since the pandemic. Attendees are encouraged to enjoy yoga, stop by counseling stations, and shop with food and retail vendors. Soul Control, DJ Young Streetz, and DJ Shante will also serve R&B grooves. 5 pm.
Houston Arboretum presents Superfine Summer Picnics
Held on the Arboretum grounds, these all-inclusive picnics offer a curated experience, including picnic supplies, needed for a perfect date night or a group gathering, all while enjoying nature among the arboretum’s beautiful surroundings. Guests can choose between a charcuterie or sandwich basket from A Bayou City Picnic, with vegetarian options available. There is enough food for two to four people, and each basket holds a complimentary 12-pack of Saint Arnold’s Superfine Seltzers. 6:30 pm.
Sunday, July 11
Asia Society Texas Center presents "Shahidul Alam: Truth to Power" closing day
This exhibition presents the first comprehensive U.S. museum survey of Shahidul Alam, the renowned Bangladeshi photographer, writer, activist, institution builder, and a Time Person of the Year in 2018. Over 60 images and ephemera show the breadth of his practice and impact throughout his four-decade career. The exhibition includes portraits, landscapes and scenes of daily life, strife, and resistance in the "majority world" — a phrase Alam has used since the '90s to reframe the notion of the "third world" or "global south." 10 am.
Karina Nistal at the Blessings Gallery
Karina Nistal is one funky vocalist. A longtime Houston performer since her days singing and dancing at the long-gone Club Waxx in the late '90s/early '00s, she has dropped several solo albums full of tracks that are most suited for the dance floor. This weekend, she'll be over at the Blessings Gallery for an evening that's being called "a musical and botanical gathering of the mind and body." Longtime hip-hop gadfly Craig "BBoy Craig" Long will serve as the host. Admissions are limited; RSVP.s recommended 6 pm.
