Team iLuminate takes the stage tonight on Americ'as Got Talent.Photo via Team iLuminate/Facebook
Clear Lake's Miral Kotb is the computer whiz/dance enthusiast behind the team.Photo via Team iLuminate
Team iLuminate gets a standing ovation in Atlanta.Photo via Team iLuminate/Facebook
This week, millions across America will gather with friends and family to feast and give thanks. Here in Houston, that means starting the day with the popular annual H-E-B Thanksgiving Parade downtown, which stars 50 Cent, Bun B, and the esteemed Dr. Peter Hotez.
After Turkey Day, your weekend includes World Cup watch parties, art shows, plays ad performances, an appearance by Baby Shark (really), a cruelly intentioned '90s musical, and a visit by an internationally renowned food writer, journalist, and TV cook.
Enjoy, stay safe, and have a Happy Thanksgiving: Here are your best bets for the long weekend.
Thursday, November 24
73rd Annual H-E-B Thanksgiving Day Parade
Photo courtesy of H-E-B
H-E-B's Thanksgiving Day Parade features two rap superstars.
It looks like this year’s annual Thanksgiving Day Parade will be hip-hoppy as heck. The parade’s 2022 Grand Marshal is Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, and Mayor Turner, 2021 Grand Marshal Dr. Peter Hotez and H-E-B will lead the parade on the iconic Tom Turkey float. The parade will include a special performance by Houston rap icon Bun B, who made history at the 2021 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo with his H-Town Takeover.There will also be high-stepping marching bands, drill teams, musical performances, and more. 9 am.
The 2022 Blinksgiving Turkey Trot 5K
Before you get your turkey & stuffing on, you might want to head over to your nearby Blink Fitness for a morning run/jog/walk 5k with the Blink fam. This event is free and open to the public. Members can bring a friend for free, and non-members are welcome to join in on the fun too—no fee or membership required. For anyone who prefers to run on a treadmill, this event will be taking place indoors at all Blink locations. It is first come, first serve until the treadmills are at full capacity. 9 am.
Thanksgiving at the Post Oak Hotel
Kick off the holiday season with a Thanksgiving feast at Bloom & Bee. The three-course meal ($75 per person) includes traditional offerings with a five-star twist. Turkey Roulade with dried figs and cranberry sauté in calvados are the stars of the menu and paired with traditional cornbread stuffing and buttermilk mashed potatoes. Top it off with black truffle gravy and cranberry relish. Thanksgiving is never complete without desserts, and their award-winning pastry chef has included pies to cap off the meal. Noon.
Friday, November 25
Arabia Shriners presents Feztival of Trees
Arabia Shriners will present a new holiday tradition, featuring a forest of beautifully decorated Christmas trees sponsored by different Houston-area businesses or organizations. Each artificial will be raffled off to the public. Each tree winner will receive not only their own uniquely decorated tree, but also all the gifts contained on or under the tree. Children will have the opportunity to sit on Santa’s knee and have their photo taken with him. In addition, there will be a holiday market, Christmas cookies, and other Christmas-themed activities. 10 am.
2022 World Cup Watch Party at Drift
Drift, one of Houston’s biggest sports bars, is teaming up with Apollo Media for a special watch party for the USA vs. England 2022 World Cup match. Specials will include a red, white & blue cocktail, along with $15 Bud and Bud Light buckets, $18 Stella and Estrella Jalisco buckets and $4 Karbach drafts until 4 pm., plus Happy Hour until 8 pm. Apollo Media – the upstart content creators behind the popular “H-Town vs. Everyone” shirts and other merch, blogs and podcasts – is designating Drift as its official World Cup headquarters for the game. 1 pm.
Stages presents Panto Snow White and the Seven Dorks
The classic Brothers Grimm tale gets a Panto twist, as Snow White finds herself banished by the Evil Queen and her high-tech, virtual assistant mirror. As she fumbles through Silicon Valley in search of help, she finds a team of dorky hackers. Together, they overthrow and out-code the forces of tech tyranny using brains, algorithms, and some Panto magic. And did we mention Buttons gets a reboot as he is reinvented as head of tech support for the Evil Queen? Perhaps he’ll find redemption in the end … Through Saturday, December 24. 7 pm (2 pm Sunday).
Houston Symphony presents Disney’s Fantasia
This Thanksgiving weekend, the Houston Symphony will treat families to the classic that’s captivated generations - Walt Disney’s Fantasia (aka the 1940 classic that combined old-school animation with classical music). Stunning animation fills the giant screen while the Symphony brings the soundtrack to life, including favorites like Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, Pomp and Circumstance, Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite, and, of course, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. 8 pm (2:30 pm Sunday).
Saturday, November 26
BARC’s “Home for the Holidays” Campaign
BARC, the city’s animal shelter and adoption center is once again offering Houstonians a chance to help our furry friends find a home with the annual, holiday-themed adoption and wellness campaign. Special adoption pricing will be available on select days in November and December, thanks to the sponsorship of Proler Industries and the Bissell Pet Foundation. On Saturday and Sunday, over at 3300 Carr, there will be reduced adoption fees for all pets five months or older. There will also be an offsite adoption event at the Saint Arnold beer garden at noon. 11 am.
War’Hous “We So Houston” Art Show
War’Hous, Super Happy Incredible Toys, and White Cup Entertainment are giving thanks this year with a Houston-focused art show and vendor market. At this free, two-day, family-friendly event (held in Saint Arnold’s beer hall), Houstonians will have a chance to learn about the city’s rich history and culture through art, eat award-winning food and enjoy local craft beer. If you would like to exhibit your Houston-themed work, or sell your locally made wares, you can find more information here. 11 am.
Baby Shark Live!: The Christmas Show
Here’s something for the parents who want their kids to leave ‘em alone for a couple hours. This one-of-a-kind immersive experience will have fans of all ages dancing in the aisles as they join Baby Shark and friends for adventures into the jungle and under the sea to explore shapes, colors, numbers, and more. Songs in this kids spectacular include “Baby Shark” (of course!). “Five Little Monkeys,” “Wheels On The Bus,” and “Monkey Banana Dance,” as well as such holiday classics as “Jingle Bells” and more. 2 pm.
The Garden Theatre presents Cruel Intentions: The '90s Musical
The Garden Theatre will present the Houston premiere of this musical, based on the 1999 film starring Reese Witherspoon, Ryan Phillippe, and Sarah Michelle Gellar. The show pulls audiences into the manipulative world of Manhattan’s most dangerous liaisons: Sebastian Valmont and Kathryn Merteuil. Fueled by revenge and passion, the diabolically charming step-siblings place a bet on whether or not Sebastian can deflower their incoming headmaster’s daughter, Annette Hargrove. 2 and 8 pm (2 pm Sunday).
Sunday, November 27
Discovery Green presents Tejas Got Soul
Discovery Green will present the final night of this concert series, made possible by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance.
From the 1960s, when Houston’s Chicano musicians, inspired by the soul, blues, and zydeco traditions of Bayou City, crafted a “brown-eyed soul” sound that influenced the Conjunto and Tejano groups that followed, Houston’s Chicano music legacy is distinctive. AVIZO will be the band for this show. 5 pm.
Performing Arts Houston presents An Evening with Nigella Lawson
Internationally renowned food writer, journalist, and TV cook Nigella Lawson is the bestselling author of 12 books, which have sold over 12 million copies worldwide. Her latest book, Cook, Eat, Repeat: Ingredients, Recipes, and Stories, is a gratifying addition to her beloved collection. Performing Arts Houston presents this evening, as she shares the rhythms and rituals of life spent in the kitchen and reflects on how the process of cooking, eating, and repeating embodies the story of her life. 6:30 pm.
Raheem DeVaughn, Eric Roberson and Rahsaan Patterson in concert
Let’s end this Thanksgiving weekend on a sexy, soulful note. Three of the finest. sultriest male troubadours in contemporary R & B will be together for one night only, ready to make ladies swoon all over the place. First, we got Raheem DeVaughn, the love king himself. Then, we have Eric Roberson, who’s been dropping album after album independently for the past 20 years. Veteran crooner Rahsaan Patterson will be the special guest opener. 7 pm.
For over 40 years, director Steven Spielberg has been delivering some of the most popular blockbuster movies of all time as well as a bevy of Oscar-quality dramas, a combination that’s unique to him. For his latest, The Fabelmans, he’s decided to go more personal than ever, telling a thinly-veiled version of his own childhood.
Sammy (played mostly by Gabriel LaBelle) is one of four children – and the only son – of Mitzi (Michelle Williams), a concert pianist, and Burt Fabelman (Paul Dano), a computer engineer. From an early age, Sammy is enthralled by the art of filmmaking, first remaking a train crash sequence from The Greatest Show on Earth, and gradually moving on to more adventurous stories.
Burt’s advancing career, which moves the family from New Jersey to Arizona to California, causes stress for various members of the family, most notably Sammy and Mitzi. Sammy must deal with anti-Semitic bullies, while Mitzi falls deeper into a mental health crisis. Sammy’s movies continually offer a respite for the family, though, giving him a creative outlet and the rest of them a chance to forget their troubles for a while.
Written by Spielberg – his first writing effort since 2001’s A.I. Artificial Intelligence – and Tony Kushner, the film is heavy on emotions but presented in a way that those feelings don’t always translate. Spielberg is no stranger to depicting fraught family situations in his long career, but in showing ones from his own family, it feels like he pulled back, not wanting the scenes to be overwrought or schmaltzy.
The result is a story that isn’t as universal as some of his other films. As the film is told from Sammy’s perspective, it’s easy to get caught up in his pursuits and various discoveries as he gets older. The mindsets of the rest of the family are less clear, even though his parents and sisters are ever-present. Mitzi’s state of mind is a concern from the start, but it’s not always treated as such by other important characters.
Just as Sammy’s movies are an escape for his family, so too are they some of the best parts of the film. Sammy figuring out the process and secrets of filmmaking is informative and often thrilling, especially if you’re a cinephile. Spielberg has been considered a master for so long that watching him revisit the days when he was learning as he went is catnip for movie lovers.
In addition to being a dead ringer for a teenage Spielberg, LaBelle is a fantastic actor. It’s no easy feat to carry a movie on your shoulders, and LaBelle makes the assignment look easy. Williams’ performance will likely be more polarizing; she employs a very mannered speech pattern that works in some situations, but not all. The film also includes memorable short appearances by Seth Rogen, Judd Hirsch, and David Lynch.
Spielberg has provided the moviegoing public with such pleasure over the years that he deserves to have a movie that’s mostly for him. The initial viewing of The Fabelmans left this critic wanting, but perhaps it will gain more traction on a second screening.
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The Fabelmans is now playing in theaters.
Photo by Merie Weismuller Wallace/Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment
Gabriel LaBelle in The Fabelmans
