weekend event planner
Here are the top 10 things to do in Houston this weekend
There are a couple of interesting days worth celebrating this week. Thursday is National Greasy Food Day — or, for many of you, Thursday — where restaurants will most likely be serving up their food with a lot more oil than usual. Sunday is Patriot Golf Day, where golf courses all around the country (including several in Houston) will hold tournaments to benefit scholarship provider Folds of Honor, as well as the Bush Initiative.
Here are other fun events happening between those days.
Thursday, October 25
Kids will be pumped to see Lil Pump
If you haven't heard by now, it's all about Lil Pump. This facially-tatted, racially ambiguous, usually multicolor-haired MC has been winning over the young folk with such tunes as "Gucci Gang" "Esskeetit" and the recent hit "I Love It," that rather oddball, wholly profane collabo where he and Kanye West had on gigantic suits in the music video. While all his fans are waiting for his new album Harverd Dropout to come out next year, they will most likely catch him on his latest tour. 7 pm.
Meet acclaimed mystery writer Walter Mosley
Walter Mosley is one of our finest mystery writers. He's written book after book of amazing crime fiction, usually starring his most prized protagonist, African-American detective Easy Rawlins. (Years ago, Denzel Washington starred as Rawlins in the film adaptation of Devil in a Blue Dress. Why there hasn't been a Easy Rawlins movie since remains a mystery.) Mosley will be in town to talk about his latest book John Woman, and will be interviewed by Houston Chronicle's Joy Sewing. 7 pm.
Friday, October 26
Paint your own mural with the pros at a new pop-up
GONZO247 is a Houston street artist who has been pulling out the spray paint and producing streetwise works of art since the '90s. This weekend, he'll be taking part in an interactive art demo with another local artist, Shelbi Nicole, and anyone who shows up and is in a creative mood. This will all happen at the new, three-day Cafe Bustelo pop-up, which will include such artistic activities as the demo, digital finger painting, and collaborative chalk murals. 8 am-7 pm.
Attend the annual Umbria in Sugar Land Italian Film Festival
Earlier this month, we had the Turkish Film Festival at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. And now, to close out this month, the second annual Umbria in Sugar Land Italian Film Festival will feature some films from that land of delicious pasta, great wine, and lovely ladies. This three-day fest actually brings in five award-winning films from this year's Festival del Cinema Città di Spello ed i Borghi Umbri (also known as IFFS), including the world premiere of the movie The Awful Wars on Saturday. 6 pm (9:30 am Saturday; 1 pm Sunday).
Watch the bewitching Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman
Twenty years ago, Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman played love-starved sisters with Wiccan tendencies in the supernatural rom-com Practical Magic. Why are we talking about it now? Well, all this talk in the news about "witch hunts" has got us wanting to see an actual witch movie. Secondly, this screening Alamo Drafthouse is having will include a menu made up of intoxicating draughts and heady potions. 7:30 pm.
Saturday, October 27
Feast at the Saturday Farmers Market
During Urban Harvest's Fall Festival, there will be a new demo series kicking off at the Saturday Farmers Market. This new, quarterly series will have Houston chefs cooking with local, seasonal produce from Urban Harvest vendors and grocery favorites from Kroger, which is also presenting the series. First up is Avondale Food & Wine chef Olivier Ciesielski offering up a holiday-inspired, butternut squash ravioli. 8 am.
Get ready for tipsy hijinks at the 12th annual Montrose Crawl
All of your favorite Montrose haunts will definitely be haunted this weekend, as the 12th annual Montrose Crawl descends onto the hip neighborhood. Many of the area's most popular eateries and watering holes, including Brasil, La Grange, Boondocks, Slick Willie's, and — our favorite — Poison Girl, will open its doors to the roving throngs of possibly inebriated people who'll be bouncing from each spot. Our own esteemed food editor Eric Sandler will serve as the honorary Grand Crawler. 6 pm.
Ladies, don a mask and head to this stylish social
While there will be Halloween shindigs all over the place in the next several days, where people will most likely be in either their cheesiest or sluttiest outfit, there is a gathering that's geared for the ladies. Called the 300 Women in Mask Social, this event calls for women to show up in chic, stylish clothes and an exotic mask (men aren't required to be masked), so they can enjoy an evening of art, live music, and other classy stuff. 7-10 pm.
Sunday, October 28
Catch DJ (who knew?) Erykah Badu
How many of you knew that Erykah Badu is also a DJ? Dallas's very own neo-soul queen has been doing turntable gigs for several years now, under the name DJ Lo Down Loretta Brown. Houstonians have a shot to see her in the DJ booth this weekend, as she's the headlining performer at the Good Vibes Only Block Party. It's all about good art, good food, and, of course, good vibes at this event, which will also have music from Rob G, Soul Control, and others. 3-7 pm.
Sunday Thai dinner at Camerata at Paulie's
If you're in the hankering for some Thai this weekend, Camerata at Paulie's will have a Thai street food-inspired dinner that will be paired with wines from all over the world. Chef Benchawan, a veteran at Thai food who also has a pop-up business called Street to Kitchen, will make a five-course dinner that uses ingredients from local farmers, ranchers, and fisherman all over the city, while beverages will be doled out by Camerata wine director Chris Poldoian. 7 pm.
