Here are the top 11 things to do in Houston this weekend

Sure, tropical storms might be looming. But that doesn't mean you have to stay in — not when there's such an array of hot happenings. Expect a super-chic fashion show, a hot party that's gone to the dogs, a masterful merge of classical and hip-hop music, and more. Here's a rundown of several things to get you out of the house this damp weekend.

Thursday, September 6

Chic fashion at the Junior League of Houston's Opening Style Show
Ladies, the Junior League of Houston will be giving you two chances this weekend to check out the most stylish clothing you should be draped in this fall. The League has partnered with swanky fashion house Elizabeth Anthony to do two style shows, as well as provide a delicious meal courtesy of The Junior League Tea Room. 11 am and 7 pm.

Brushstrokes and burgers at "Paint Nite"
There are painting parties going on all over the place these days. So, why don't you go to one where you can eat a nice burger while also creating art? On Thursdays, the fine folks at Balls Out Burger throws a "Paint Nite" for people and, to tell you the truth, we're shouting this one out simply because we had no idea there is a burger joint around here called Balls Out Burger. 7-10 pm

Friday, September 7

FM Kitchen And Bar's new weekend market
We don't know if the "FM" in FM Kitchen and Bar means "Friday Market," but that's exactly what'll be happening on the premises this weekend. Local artists and creatives are welcome to show off what they have to offer — whether it's artisanal items or fresh local produce — at this new event, which will run every Friday until December 14. 11 am-2 pm.

Party fur a good cause at Houston PetSet's Fierce & Fabulous Soiree
According to its website, Houston PetSet is an umbrella organization whose goal is to help those who are "in the trenches" rescuing, spaying, neutering, fostering, adopting, and protecting Houston's animals. PetSet is also throwing a fun party, complete with cocktail reception, dinner, and silent and live auctions, benefiting Houston's animal non-profits. 7 pm.

Frat hijinks with the National Lampoon's Animal House movie party
This year, National Lampoon's Animal House celebrates its 40th anniversary. It seems like just yesterday this crude, raucous, uninhibited comedy had John Belushi leading an uncouth frat house into doing just-plain-wrong stuff on the campus of Faber College, officially igniting the gross-out comedy genre. So, dress up in your toga and just go nuts at this movie party. 7:30 pm.

Saturday, September 8

The Catastrophic Theatre toasts 25 years with "Get Loud at the Library"
The Catastrophic Theatre has been staging "madly dangerous drama" for a quarter of a century now. So, what better way for them to celebrate their 25 years of disturbing the Houston theater scene by holding an anniversary soiree — in a library? There will be drinks and light bites at this shindig, which also doubles as the induction of their archives into the UH Libraries Special Collections. 5 pm.

Fotofest opens Seeing Harvey: Personal Stories, Public Responses
It's one year later and Hurricane Harvey and its aftereffects still cast a painful, lingering pall over this city. For its latest exhibit, FotoFest gathered over 500 images from an open call on social media and the web, in order to give a visual capsule on how much this natural disaster affected the region's landscape, infrastructure and communities — and, of course, also brought people together. 5-8 pm.

Hip-hop and classical music collide with "B-boy meets Beethoven"
While Cypress Hill and the London Symphony Orchestra are still trying to make that collabo they once had in cartoon form a reality, you can see hip-hop orchestra collective Thee Phantom and the Illharmonic Orchestra meld strings and brass with scratches and rap verses for a night of music they refer to as "B-boy meets Beethoven." 7-9 pm.

Sunday, September 9

Barbecue for a good cause at the Drive-Thru BBQ Fundraiser
There's something about the fact that you can sample some dynamite barbecue and help a charity, all while not leaving the comfort of your car, that sounds downright amazing to us. The crew at Bottomless Pit BBQ will be serving up plates with chicken, sausage, potato salad, and more benefiting the Counseling Changes for Change Inc. Mental Health Services Program. 11:30 am-1:30 pm.

Divisi Strings inspires kids with the violin at My First Music Lesson
You don't see a lot of aspiring, young violin players out there, do you? Where are the future Itzhak Perlmans of today? String collective Divisi Strings is getting together with Discovery Green to see if any of them are still out there with this monthly class. Children from first to eighth grade can pick up a violin and see if they have what it takes to rosin up that bow and get to fiddlin'. 3-4 pm.

The A Fistful of Soul team spins at "Hi-Fashion Dub"
The A Fistful of Soul DJ crew might've shut down their monthly, Friday-night residency at The Continental Club earlier this year, but that doesn't mean they've stopped spinning retro grooves for the masses. Their latest happening is this night filled with rocksteady, regga, and early dancehall records, which they will do on the second Sunday of every month. 4-8 pm.