Weekend events planner

Here are the top 10 things to do in Houston this weekend

The weekend is upon us, which means sleeping in and extra time for fun events. From a food fest to amazing art shows, concerts, and a must-see museum fashion exhibit, here are the top 10 things to do in Houston this weekend.

For more options, check out the full CultureMap Events Calendar.

Opa!
Thursday, October 5-Sunday, October 8
Thursday kicks off The Original Greek Festival complete with homemade eats, refreshing beverages, dance programs, shopping, children’s activities, and a playground. A portion of proceeds goes to Harvey relief. (Various times; tickets: $5 per person)
3511 Yoakum Blvd.; 713-526-5377

Foodie pop up
Thursday, October 5
Head to Glitter Karaoke for a delicious beer-infused meal by guest chef Jason Hill (H-Town StrEATs, The Del). Dishes, $6 each, include Lone Pint Yellow Rose smothered buffalo wings, Avery Grose elote mac and cheese bake, and Buffalo Bayou Red Velvet Stout braised pork. What’s more, funds raised by auction items donated by local restaurants and breweries go to hurricane relief efforts. (8 pm; tickets: free admission)
2621 Milam St.; 713-526-4900

Musical comedy
Thursday, October 5-Saturday, October 14
Obsidian Theater and Standing Room Only Productions present the Tony-award winning musical The Mystery of Edwin Drood. The show-within-a-show is based on the final unfinished novel of the same name by Charles Dickens, with book, music and lyrics by British-American composer Rupert Holmes. How does it all end? You, the interactive audience, have the power to decide the outcome of this “who done it.” (Various times; tickets: $37.50 per person)
3522 White Oak Dr.; 832-889-7837

Art show
Friday, October 6
"Triumph of the Human Spirit: Works from Houston's Refugee and Immigrant Artists” features the work of several local refugees and immigrant artists ranging in age from 24 to 70, who fled Cuba, Afghanistan and Iraq for a better life in the USA. All proceeds from sales will be split equally between the artists and YMCA International Services, which will use the funds to support refugee and other eligible groups in Houston, such as Pre-GED and ESL Classes. (6-9 pm; tickets: $25 per person)
The Campus Center at Saint John’s School, 2401 Claremont Ln.; 713-758-9261

Country duo
Friday, October 6
Husband/wife duo Tim McGraw and Faith Hill's Soul2Soul World Tour stops at the Toyota Center, celebrating the 10th anniversary of their record-breaking “Soul2Soul II” tour, the highest-grossing country music tour of all time, and the first time Hill has toured since 2007. (7:30 pm; tickets: $69.50-$119.50)
1510 Polk St, 713-758-7200

Bake sale
Saturday, October 7
Pastry chef Becky Masson teams up with Mark Austin, music manager and promoter who represents some of Houston’s most prominent acts including The Suffers, to host a special breakfast/brunch menu of delicious baked goods at Midtown’s Fluff Bake Bar. (10 am; tickets: free admission)
314 Gray St.; 713- 522-1900

Art stroll
Saturday, October 7
Stroll throughout the five studio buildings on the Sawyer Yards campus — Silver Street Studios, Spring Street Studios, Summer Street Studios, The Silos, and Winter Street Studios — and shop for original works from nearly 300 Houston artists including paintings, sculptures, ceramics, glass, mosaic, photography, mixed media, and jewelry. Several of the artists were affected by Hurricane Harvey and can attest to the healing power of art (noon - 9 pm; tickets: free entry)
2101 Winter St.; 713-524-8170

Fashion royalty
Sunday, October 8-Sunday, January 28, 2018
Opening Sunday, "The Glamour and Romance of Oscar de la Renta" exhibition at The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston celebrates the illustrious life and six-decade career of the influential fashion designer. The exhibition showcases a historic overview of de la Renta’s design work, including 90 ensembles on display, with several looks from prominent Houstonian's closets as well as gowns worn by Taylor Swift and Amal Clooney. (Various times; tickets: $25 for museum admission)

Also on Sunday, André Leon Talley, who curated the exhibition, will discuss the impact Oscar de la Renta had on fashion in a conversation with CultureMap editor-in-chief Clifford Pugh. (3 pm; tickets: sold out)
1001 Bissonnet St.; 713-639-7300

Cheers to charity
Sunday, October 8
Charitable co-op, Okra, marks the millionth dollar donated by the downtown saloon. Celebrate with a special cocktail menu, tunes by the Bayou City Brass Band (7-9 pm), champagne toast (9 pm), and check presentation (8 pm) with funds matched 3-to1 by Newman’s Own Foundation. Funds are shared between four Houston-based organizations working to support Harvey relief: upcoming barbecue fundraiser Southern Smoke, Interfaith Ministries of Greater Houston's AniMeals on Wheels, The Montrose Center, and Alliance for Multicultural Community Services' Community Cloth. (4 pm-2 am; tickets: free admission)
924 Congress Ave.; 713-237-8828

Funny man
Sunday, October 8
Comedian Chris Tucker, best known for the Rush Hour films, brings his unique brand of comedy to the Smart Financial Centre in Sugar Land. The stand-up concert is rescheduled from September 9. (8 pm; tickets: $45-$60)
18111 Lexington Blvd., Sugar Land; 281-207-6278

YMCA International Services' "Triumph of the Human Spirit: Works from Houston's Refugee and Immigrant Artists" will feature a silent auction of artwork Friday. This painting is by Cuban refugee Juan Miguel

YMCA International Services art show, artist Juan Miguel

Courtesy photo

YMCA International Services' "Triumph of the Human Spirit: Works from Houston's Refugee and Immigrant Artists" will feature a silent auction of artwork Friday. This painting is by Cuban refugee Juan Miguel

event-planner

Movie review

Nerdy teen comedies make a comeback with new movie Summer of 69

Photo courtesy of Hulu

Sam Morelos and Chloe Fineman in Summer of 69.

There was a trend in the late 2010s/early 2020s of bawdy comedies featuring teenage female protagonists, including Blockers, Booksmart, and Yes, God, Yes. Those types of films seemed to go by the wayside in recent years, but they’re making a comeback with the new film Summer of 69.

Abby (Sam Morelos) is a high school senior and video game streamer who has had a crush on her classmate Max (Matt Cornett) for her entire childhood. When she learns that Max has recently broken up with his longtime girlfriend, she’s determined to make her move. With advice from a confidant that Max likes a certain sexual position, Abby sets out to learn as much as she can about it, including hiring a stripper, Santa Monica (Chloe Fineman), to help her.

Coincidentally, Santa Monica is facing a situation where the club at which she works, Diamond Dolls, will be closed if the owner doesn’t come up with $20,000 in a week. Abby, who comes from a well-to-do family, seems to offer the perfect solution, and so the two agree to a week of lessons for that amount. Naturally, all sorts of complications arise, as well as the two women forming an unexpected bond.

Written and directed by Jillian Bell, with help from co-writers Jules Byrne and Liz Nico, the film is both suggestive and innocent at the same time. For all of the talk about sex and innuendo, having the nerdy and inexperienced Abby at the center of the film ensures that the story remains relatively chaste throughout. That includes scenes at the strip club, where Bell makes the choice to show almost no nudity.

Most of the humor of the film stems from Abby’s lack of experience, highlighted by her having “sexual” fantasies about Max that never actually get to the sex part. The juxtaposition between Abby and Santa Monica is also used for laughs, although Bell and her co-writers make sure to include a side story for the dancer that makes her into a three-dimensional person.

What ultimately makes the movie succeed is the way it keeps its characters relatable. Many high school films feel the need to play into a bunch of stereotypes, but those are kept to a minimum here. Instead, Bell upends expectations by delivering honest - sometimes to a fault for the characters - dialogue that acknowledges the spectrum of sexual realities for high schoolers, a version that differs from insatiable horniness of some other teen comedies.

Morelos, one of the stars of Netflix’s That ‘90s Show, makes for a charming lead, someone who can convincingly take her character from awkward to confident over the course of the story. Fineman, best known for her current stint as a cast member on Saturday Night Live, complements her well, showing her comedic prowess in a number of physical scenes. A supporting cast that includes Nicole Byer, Paula Pell, Alex Moffat, and Natalie Morales keeps the energy level high.

Despite its titillating title, Summer of 69 is much more sweet than naughty. Like most coming-of-age movies, it’s about a girl who’s trying to figure out where she fits in the world. The answers she finds aren’t always the ones she was expecting, but in the best possible way.

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Summer of 69 starts streaming on Hulu on May 9.

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