weekend event planner

Here are the top 17 things to do in Houston this weekend

Rapper/entertainer/ magazine model Kid Cudi heads to Toyota Center this weekend.

Photo by Jason Goldwatch (@goldwatch); via Kid Cudi/Facebook

This weekend is packed with events ranging from a new fall market, intriguing art openings, cool concerts, and a tailgate event.

Meanwhile, a booming 'burb celebrates the Caribbean, a Montrose bar toasts a birthday, and a local rapper hosts a weekend picnic. Another red-hot rapper/entertainer hits town, locals can scale a building for a good cause, and a golf tourney channels the epic Catalina Wine Mixer (!).

Enjoy; here are your best bets for the weekend.

Thursday, September 1

The Ion Fall Market
Come out for the brand new, night market series at the Ion property— aka the 266,000-square-foot structure that’s designed to bring Houston’s entrepreneurial, corporate, and academic communities together into collaborative spaces and programs. Sip, eat, stroll, and shop every first Thursday this fall, with night markets also going down in October and November. Bring your family, your friends, your pets and relax, shop, and jam to live music. 5 pm.

Fall Tasting Series at Hotel ZaZa Museum District/Memorial City
Hotel ZaZa Museum District and Memorial City are kicking off their fall tasting series this weekend at Monarch and Tipping Point, running through December on select Thursday evenings. The season-long soiree features four beverage samplings curated by ZaZa’s f&b team, accompanied by hors d’oeuvres and tasting notes. Each evening follows a different theme, where guests can relax, savor and enjoy fine wine, bubbles or spirits while getting inspiration for the upcoming holiday season. First up: white wine. 6 pm.

Sicardi Ayers Bacino presents Oscar Muñoz: "Intentos / Attempts" opening reception and Reynier Leyva Novo: "Solid Void" opening reception
"Intentos" features a selection of works from Oscar Muñoz's Intentos [Attempts] series, video works that Blanton Museum of Art curator Vanessa K. Davidson says "make visible the customarily invisible experiments that precede finished works." Through Thursday, November 3. "Void," Reynier Leyva Novo's first solo, U.S. exhibition, features an installation of 500 plaster-cast interiors of vessels and a coordinating wall installation comprised of embossed prints made from metal casts of the plaster sculptures. Through Thursday, October 20. 6 pm.

Old Quarter Acoustic Cafe presents Adam Hood
For more than two decades, Adam Hood has left his mark onstage and in the writing room, carving out a southern sound that mixes soul, country, and American roots music into the same package. He'll be making a couple of Texas stops this weekend, in support of his latest album, Bad Days Better, recorded at Capricorn Studios in Macon, Ga. with the help of members of Blackberry Smoke. (He'll also be at Billy's Ice at New Braunfels on Friday.) 8 pm.

Friday, September 2

Peter Hook & The Light in concert
Peter Hook & The Light will present Joy Division: A Celebration, in which the group will perform Joy Division’s seminal two albums, Unknown Pleasures and Closer. In addition to the albums, the concerts span the entirety of Joy Division’s rich but short career, including early Warsaw material, tracks from the compilation LP Still to the final songs “Ceremony” and “In a Lonely Place,” which were merged to later become the first single for spinoff group New Order. 7 pm.

Improv Houston presents Desi Banks
Apart from being the creator of one of our favorite pieces of stand-up anti-comedy, Desi Terrell Banks, Jr. is an actor, comedian, and digital genius on the path to becoming one of his generation’s top rising stars. His quick rise to fame has solidified him as one of the most influential influencers of his time. Desi’s innate ability to relate to audiences has contributed to his fan base exceeding more than 4 million followers on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter combined. 7:30 and 9:45 pm (7 and 9:30 pm Saturday; 7:30 pm Sunday).

Arooj Aftab in concert
Asia Society Texas presents a concert featuring this Grammy-winning singer and songwriter. Aftab’s hauntingly beautiful music has been rapturously praised across the globe. A Brooklyn-based Pakistani vocalist, music composer, and producer, Aftab works in various musical styles and idioms including jazz, minimalism, and neo-Sufi. She is the first-ever Grammy-winning Pakistani female artist, winning Best World Music Performance for her song “Mohabbat.” 8 pm.

The Garden Theatre presents While Childhood Slept
This heart-wrenching original musical follows the true story of the boys of Home Number One in Terezin, a Nazi concentration camp. Originally announced as a full production, The Garden Theatre and the writers have decided that they will instead produce a staged reading/public workshop of the show. The reading will be performed this weekend at MATCH, and will conclude performances with a special free performance at Holocaust Museum Houston on Wednesday, September 7. 8 pm (2 and 8 pm Saturday; 2 pm Sunday).

Saturday, September 3

The Moran CityCentre presents Over The Edge
Houstonians are invited to be fearless leaders by taking the first step Over The Edge of The Moran CityCentre. This year’s event will allow 76 community members the fun and unique chance to rappel down the side of the hotel. The annual event benefits Impact A Hero, which strives to make a positive impact in the lives of veterans, active service members and their families through advancing leadership and personal development, strengthening community and encouraging esprit de corps. 9 am.

Petco Love presents Houston’s Second Mega Adoption Event
Mega-adoption events have saved thousands of lives in other cities across the country. The first Houston event in 2019 placed 1,450 homeless pets with families in two days. More 1,000 furry companions will be looking for their forever home – big dogs, small dogs, senior pets, puppies, and kittens. The adoption fee is just $35, and visitors can take their new family member home the same day. All animals will be spayed/neutered, microchipped, and up-to-date on vaccinations. 10 am.

City of Dickinson presents Red, White & Bayou Texas Music Festival & Tailgate
This two-day, city-sponsored country music festival returns after a five-year break brought on by Hurricane Harvey. It will feature performances by Jake Worthington (star of The Voice) on Saturday and Muscadine Bloodline on Sunday. The music festival features local bands throughout the day, a tailgate and cookoff competition, a vendor market, and family activities, including kids' crafts and a kid zone. 11 am (2 pm Sunday).

Drink of Ages presents Paul Wall's Labor Day Weekend Picnic
Paul Wall — aka The People's Champ — will be over at SpindleTap Brewery, headlining a Labor Day show that'll most likely have a lot of slabs in the parking lot. Along with Wall, there will also be performances by Termanology, Bad Child and Friends, cobishinobi, and more. And, for those who are fans of this tasty beverage, Wall will also show off the latest beer collab he's doing with SpindleTap. 5 pm.

G Spot Gallery presents Garland Fielder: "Bunker Melodies" opening reception
Bunkers represent several architectural types simultaneously. These images and sculptures, coming to us courtesy of Houston-born artist Garland Fielder, depict one of mankind’s most striking architectural forms, suggesting an unfortunate relationship between the current zeitgeist and a building strategy necessitated by a total war economy. Improvisational quartet Phil Spectral will be performing. Through Saturday, October 15. 6 pm.

Kid Cudi and Strick at Toyota Center
Rapper/singer/performer Kid Cudi is blowing up these days, with an Ariana Grande collab on the song “Just Look Up” for Netflix’s Don’t Look Up and a starring role in the horror film X. He will also debut Entergalactic, an animated music series he created with Netflix in September, which accompanies the new Entergalactic album. Get there early for opener Strick, a veteran and corporate executive turned hip-hop artist who is also making big moves. 7 pm.

Sunday, September 4

Catalina Wine Mixer at Cypresswood Golf Club
It appears the folks at Cypresswood Golf Club must be big Step Brothers fans, since a Catalina Wine Mixer will be going down there this weekend. This four-person scramble offers a round of golf with friends at $95 per person, plus everything players need for a great day out on the links. Entry includes your green fee, golf cart, range balls, ice cold drinks, lunch, and the Prestige Worldwide Challenge! 8 am.

5th Annual Taste of the Caribbean Festival
Head over to Crown Regal Park in Sugar Land for an all-day celebration of the food, the music, the arts, the entertainment, and the overall culture of the Caribbean, presented by event website mysoulrebel.com. Enjoy the succulent, spicy, and savory flavors along with live reggae, soca, salsa, reggaeton, and other musical styles at this one-of-a-kind party. General admission is $20, but $30 will get you admission along with vouchers to be redeemed at select food vendors. 2 pm.

Poison Girl 18th Anniversary Party
It's been more than a minute since the Montrose area's most beloved dive bar threw an anniversary bash. For the newest, Alien Eyelid and Body Fat will be in the back (next to the big Kool-Aid pitcher, most likely), providing live music. There will also be country music spun by the Hard Times DJ Crew, drink specials courtesy of Jim Beam, snow-cones from Yeti Sunshine, and more. 5 pm.

event-planner

Hottest Headlines of 2025

Ren Fest drama tops Houston's hottest entertainment headlines of 2025

Texas Renaissance Festival/ Facebook

The Texas Renaissance Festival returns October 11.

Editor's note: This year was a busy one for CultureMap's Entertainment section. A lawsuit brought changes to the Texas Renaissance Festival, country star Post Malone left a life-changing tip, and one of Houston's most respected pitmasters came up a little short on the national stage. Houston’s entertainment news proves the diversity of our city.

Read on for the 10 top Houston entertainment headlines of 2025:

1. Winner of Ren Fest lawsuit plans to keep the event mostly unchanged. The Texas Renaissance Festival got a new owner this year, following a contentious court battle. But what would that mean for the beloved fall festival that generations have come to love? Surprisingly little for attendees. The new owner vowed to keep RenFest mostly the same. “...We're sticking with what works,” said Anthony Laporte, the attorney representing the new owner. “...Both the old owners and the new ones are planning to give visitors a great time.”

Texas Renaissance Festival/ Facebook

The Texas Renaissance Festival has a new owner.

2. Judge rules Texas Renaissance Festival owner must sell his kingdom. For more than half a century, George Coulam reigned as king of the Texas Renaissance Festival in Todd Mission. In 2023, he agreed to sell the beloved festival, then reneged on the deal. In May, a Grimes County judge ordered the sale to go through in the culmination of a long legal battle. The drama behind the festival was depicted in the HBO docuseries Ren Faire.

3. Star Houston pitmaster flames out on Food Network barbecue competition. On July 20, Houston pitmaster Greg Gatlin’s run on the Food Network show BBQ Brawl came to an end. Judges criticized his preparation of New York strip with grilled broccolini with Calabrian chili. The owner of Gatlin’s BBQ and Gatlin’s Fins & Feathers, took the disappointing news in stride. “It hurts, but I think I did my family’s name proud,” he said.

4. Premier Houston nightclub group reopening iconic strip club this month. This summer, the Colorado Club became part of The Clé Group’s portfolio. The strip club was a magnet for A-listers in the 1990s and early ‘00s. Following the death of founder Dallas Fontenot in September 2021, the venue passed to his son Dakota, who ultimately decided to sell the club. The new owners upgraded the food and implemented a host of other improvements like state-of-the-art lighting and sound, an updated design, and multiple stages.

5. Bun B, Ludacris, Keith Sweat, and more throw epic birthday bonanza at RodeoHouston. Houston hip-hop legend Bun B threw himself a birthday party on March 7, in his appearance at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo’s Black Heritage Day. TSU’s Ocean of Soul and Prairie View A&M’s Marching Storm bands performed sets, and video greetings from celebs were part of the pre-concert festivities. The concert had strong performances but some unfortunate technical glitches.

6. All the White Linen Night parties happening in the Heights and beyond. From its beginnings in the Heights, White Linen Night has spread across the Bayou City. This list gave readers a guide to 25 of the summer tradition’s parties and specials, from a build-your-own succulent bar to band performances.

7. Post Malone shocks Houston bartender with 'life-changing' $20,000 tip. When the music superstar stopped in to visit The Railyard on Christmas Eve 2024, bar regulars picked up his tab. But that didn’t stop him from leaving a $20,000 tip for bartender Renee Brown. "His generosity … blew me away,” she said. “This definitely wasn't the Christmas Eve I was expecting, but one I'm forever thankful to have had."

8. RodeoHouston taps Post Malone, Bun B, Reba McEntire, and more for 2025 concerts. One of Houston’s most anticipated lineups was announced in January, at a media event at NRG Center. Performers for the March 4-23 event represented a variety of genres, heavily focused on country, but also including pop, rock, hip-hop, R&B, regional Mexican, and Christian music.

9. Nine Inch Nails hammers Houston at career-spanning Toyota Center concert. Rock And Roll Hall of Fame inductees Nine Inch Nails returned to Houston and the Toyota Center on September 12, opening the show with the industrial ballad “Right Where It Belongs.” “NIN has always had a forward propulsion,” wrote our reviewer Craig Hlavaty. “There’s no concept of nostalgia, just raw nerves endlessly being rediscovered by fresh ears.”

10. Post Malone's road show lifts up RodeoHouston with heart and soul. Months after headlining the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, Post Malone was back in the Houston spotlight in a show that “was easily the hottest ticket of the season.” He used the evening to share his latest album F-1 Trillion, “a collection of expertly crafted pop-country.”

hot-headlines