weekend event planner

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

With Oktoberfest kicking off this weekend, you might run into people wearing lederhosen, carrying big steins, and pretending to be German. But, as always, there is other interesting stuff popping off all over the city these next few days. Here are some highlights.

Thursday, September 20

Party for democracy at Te Vote: Bombon x El Danzon
The vivacious, tropical-dance DJ crew Bombon is joining up with the Say Something Texas organization, in order to get black and Latino communities in Harris County out the house and into the voting booths. Fabian's Latin Flavors will host a voter registration drive that'll also offer up drink specials and Mexican/South American light bites and entrees straight off the menu. 9 pm-1 am.

Nick Cannon's gets crazy with Wild 'N Out Live
For over a decade now, actor/comedian/sometimes rapper/Mariah Carey ex Nick Cannon has given MTV audiences the crazy, hip-hop-fueled form of improv comedy known as Nick Cannon Presents Wild 'N Out. He's now taking the show out on the road, bringing along the show's beloved regulars (Conceited, Chico Bean, Justina Valentine) and maybe getting some special guest rappers to join in on the fun. 8 pm.

Friday, September 21

Find your peace with the Rothko Chapel and the Silkroad Ensemble
If you want to have a nice, peaceful day instead of a day full of the regular, ol' madness, do yourself a kindness and check out the Grammy-winning Silkroad Ensemble. With Rothko Chapel observing the International Day of Peace this Friday, this crew of musicians from dozens of nationalities and artistic traditions should serve as a prime example that people can get along and create something beautiful. 7 pm.

Celebrate Armenian culture at the Houston Armenian Festival
Thanks to the Kardashians, Armenian people have gained more exposure. If you want to learn more about the Armenian culture, the St. Kevork Armenian Church will throw their annual, three-day celebration of all things Armenian. There will be food, live music, an Armenian dance class, a baking demonstration, a traditional Armenian instrument demonstration, and much more fun, non-Kardashian-related stuff. 1 pm. (10 am Saturday)

Thrills and terror with the opening of ScreamWorld
Yes, we are still in September, but it's never too early to walk around a bunch of haunted houses and get the crap scared out of you. That's what the long-running haven of horrors known as ScreamWorld is looking to do. This 4.5-acre complex has been around since 1989 and, from this weekend until November 3, its 120-person "terror team" will do everything it can to scare people senseless. 8 pm. (7:30 pm Sunday)

Mars Attacks! kicks off the Sci-Fi Drive-In Series
People forget that Independence Day wasn't the only blockbuster movie about an alien invasion of Earth that came out in 1996. At the end of that year, Tim Burton came with the downright wacky Mars Attacks!, featuring an all-star cast (Jack Nicholson, Glenn Close, Danny DeVito, Natalie Portman) and some psychopathic Martians. This movie kicks off City Acre Brewing's Sci-Fi Drive-In Series. 8:30-10:30 pm.

Saturday, September 22

Meet the charming and handsome Rob Lowe
Rob Lowe is an old-school, '80s heartthrob who's had his fair share of ups (starring in The West Wing and Parks & Recreation) and downs (that legendary sex tape, horribly singing with Snow White at the Oscars). Now, he's going out on the road and telling anecdotes that populated his two, bestselling memoirs, Stories I Only Tell My Friends and Love Life. (No word if dude has clips of the tape). 7 pm.

All the cute with the Hello Kitty Cafe Truck
Just when you've seen it all, here's comes the Hello Kitty Cafe Truck. This startlingly pink cafe-on-wheels returns to bestow people with different levels of sweetness. There will be some edible sweetness, in the form of giant, Hello Kitty chef cookies or petit fours/macaron box sets. But you can also pick adorable items like plush toys, bow headbands and Hello Kitty Cafe T-shirts. 10 am-8 pm.

Take off with a fun WALL-E outdoor screening
WALL-E came out ten years ago, and it's still one of Disney/Pixar's finest achievements. This dystopian parable follows the title character, the last robot on Earth who discovers love as well as an entire civilization of humans in outer space. If you and your fam have yet to see this masterwork, it will be the latest feature presentation at Discovery Green's latest, outdoor film night. 8 pm.

Sunday, September 23

Dive into Caribbean food and culture at the Houston Jerk Fest
Houston Jerk Fest is not an event where douchebags come together and embrace their obnoxiousness. It's actually a fun, enjoyable experience devoted to Caribbean food and culture. Sample some spicy, delicious cuisine while taking in live performances from Wayne Wonder, Naila Blackman, The Galaxy Band, The J-Unit Band, and others. 2 pm.

Mel Brooks' silly Spaceballs gets the quote-along treatment
If you're not a fan of Mel Brooks, then apparently you're not a big fan of joy. The man has made some of the funniest films of all time: The Producers, Blazing Saddles, and Young Frankenstein. He also made what has become a cult classic: the 1987 Star Wars parody Spaceballs. And if you know the movie's script from front to back, you can head over to this screening and quote along with the audience. 6 pm.

Peace, love, and serious joy flows with the Silkwood Ensemble at Rothko Chapel.

Photo courtesy of Silkroad Ensemble

Peace, love, and serious joy flows with the Silkwood Ensemble at Rothko Chapel.

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HOWDY, DOCTORS

Grey's Anatomy spins off new medical drama led by Houston-born showrunner

Photo via Meg Marinis/Instagram

Showrunner Meg Marinis poses with actor Kevin McKidd, who recently exited Grey's Anatomy after more than a decade playing Dr. Owen Hunt.

ABC is bringing the Grey's Anatomy universe to Texas with a new one-hour rural medical drama co-created by longtime showrunner Meg Marinis. Marinis was born in Houston and is an alum of both the Kinkaid School and the University of Texas at Austin.

According to an exclusive report from Deadline, which production company Shondaland shared on social media, the untitled series has received a straight-to-series order from ABC and will follow a team at a rural West Texas medical center described as “the last chance for care before miles of nowhere.”

The series marks the first Grey’s Anatomy franchise show set outside the West Coast, and it's the first that's not centered around an existing main character from the original series.

The new drama will be co-created by Shonda Rhimes and Marinis, who has spent nearly two decades working on Grey’s Anatomy. She joined the series during its third season as a production assistant before rising through the ranks to become a researcher, writer, executive producer, and now showrunner.

"This opportunity will bring new characters and stories to life that will embody the same heart, emotion, and connection audiences have loved from Grey’s for more than two decades, all set in my home state of Texas,” Marinis said in a statement announcing the series. "I am so grateful to Shonda Rhimes for creating this dynamic world and feel so fortunate that I get to be a part of it.”

Marinis’ path to running one of television’s biggest franchises started in Austin. In an interview with Shondaland last year, she recounted moving to Los Angeles during her final semester at UT through the university’s UTLA entertainment program, which allows students to complete coursework while interning in the industry. While finishing school, she interned at Universal before landing a production assistant role on Grey’s Anatomy in 2006.

Marinis has also woven Texas experiences into the flagship series itself in recent years. According to Deadline, she personally knew families affected by the Camp Mystic tragedy and rewrote part of a recent Grey’s Anatomy episode after becoming emotional while working on the script.

The West Texas setting is particularly timely, as rural healthcare access remains a growing issue across the state. According to the Texas Hospital Association, more than 20 rural Texas hospitals have closed since 2010, while roughly a quarter of the state’s remaining rural hospitals are considered at risk of closure.

By centering the new series on what ABC describes as “the last chance for care before miles of nowhere,” the franchise could bring national attention to healthcare access challenges facing communities across West Texas and other rural parts of the state.

The new series joins a long lineage of Texas-set television dramas, though not all were actually filmed in the state. Grey’s Anatomy itself is famously set in Seattle while primarily filmed in the Los Angeles area. Friday Night Lights became closely associated with Austin through extensive local filming, while series like Dallas often recreated Texas from California sound stages, with exteriors of Southfork Ranch serving as the Ewings' fictitious home. Walker, Texas Ranger, meanwhile, became one of the best-known examples of a network drama heavily filmed across Texas itself.

Even after more than 20 years on the air, Grey’s Anatomy remains one of television’s most durable franchises. According to ABC, the drama is now the longest-running primetime medical drama in television history and continues to rank among the network’s strongest scripted performers.

Ellen Pompeo, who stars as Dr. Meredith Grey in the original series, is attached as an executive producer, and the new drama is expected to premiere in 2027.

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