Houston is 183 years old — but it doesn't look a day over 180, if you ask us.

To celebrate the happy occasion, The Heritage Society (THS) and Mister McKinney’s Historic Houston will be throwing a birthday party at Connally Plaza, behind the THS offices at 1100 Bagby St. on Saturday, August 31, from 4:30-8 pm.

Guests will enjoy complimentary food from Bollo Woodfired Pizza; beer donated by Saint Arnold Brewing Company; and soft drinks, water, and a large birthday cake compliments of Three Brothers Bakery.

Downtown’s District I Council Member Robert Gallegos will serve as honorary chair, and Mayor Sylvester Turner will cut the cake at around 5 pm.

There will be free tours of the homes at The Heritage Society, and its air-conditioned museum will be open and free to the public. Live music will be entertaining the crowd, and guests will have the opportunity to shoot the breeze with City of Houston founders the Allen Brothers and "mother of Houston" Charlotte Baldwin Allen (or, shall we say, the actors who will be playing them).

The C. Baldwin, THS’s new hotel neighbor, is also offering a special room rate of $99 per room (excluding tax) for the evening. (Call 713-759-0202 and reference HBD to redeem the offer.) And McKinney’s open-air Houston History Bus will also offer free, educational bus tours of historic downtown Houston spanning 183 years. (Tour times on Saturday will be 2 pm, 3 pm, and 7 pm, and will be on a first-come, first-served basis.)

“Houston is a can-do city with challenges we continue to overcome, and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate than to honor the legacy of those who made it possible,” says McKinney, who serves on The Heritage Society’s advisory board and is this year’s Happy Birthday Houston co-chair along with the board of THS.

“It’s time for all of Houston to discover or rediscover the hidden gem that is The Heritage Society at Sam Houston Park as we celebrate our 65th anniversary. We’ve made it easier than ever with free tours, free food, drinks, lots of live entertainment, and much more, in a fun and family-friendly atmosphere.”

Central Bank, Houston’s oldest independent bank, will serve as a lead sponsor and Taste of Texas is a bronze sponsor. Free parking is available in the THS parking lot between Allen Parkway and Dallas Street. Visitors are advised to RSVP online.