weekend event planner

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

Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen get chatty at Smart Financial Centre.

Photo courtesy of AC2Live

Yes, everyone is getting ready for the onslaught of scares, candy, and tacky outfits that'll definitely be showing up on Halloween next Thursday, October 31.

As for us, we're getting psyched for Grand Tapestry, the West Coast trio that combines rap and hip-hop with sarod and tabla, who'll be performing at Miller Outdoor Theatre on Friday night. You won't want to miss this cool, outdoor show, which starts at 7:30 pm.

Otherwise, get ready for a weekend of shopping, bubbly, and some bubbly conversations with a couple of TV stars:

Thursday, October 24

DASH Market at Silver Street Studios
DASH Market, Houston's leading home décor and gift market, will be open and ready for business this weekend. The market provides an exceptional shopping experience, displaying a curated selection of home décor, clothing, jewelry, and gifts from over 80 vendors.

It's also partnering with Camo Animal Rescue, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization devoted to saving dogs from euthanasia in Texas and surrounding areas. On-site adoptions will be available to pre-qualified pet lovers. 6 pm (10 am Friday-Sunday).

Chef Collaboration Dinner at Ninfa's Uptown
Original Ninfa's corporate chef Alex Padilla will welcome Felix Florez, who has become a partner in Cherry Block and Blood Bros. BBQ, along with Stephanie Velasquez, pastry chef & co-owner of Tlahuac. Every guest who purchases a ticket will receive a $25 gift card to the Ninfa's Uptown (valid at this location only). 6:30 pm.

Friday, October 25

October Exhibitions at Sawyer Yards
Arts District Month is winding down, so why not check out one of the largest creative communities in the nation. Sawyer Yards, home to over 350 local artists, will showcase seven art exhibitions on Friday and Saturday. Among the exhibitions: "Interior Interruptions" at Sabine Street Studios, "Flight of the Monarch - 2019 International Art Biennial" at Spring Street Studios, "You Are So Naive" at TANK Space, and "Excavations at The Silos" at Sawyer Yards's Gallery 200. 9am-5 pm.

Sip & Shop for a Cause at Boardwalk at Town Center
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and Boardwalk at Town Center will be celebrating this by hosting a free, Sip & Shop event benefiting Breast Cancer Charities of America. Shoppers will get a chance to tour the upscale apartment community and browse a selection of curated clothing, jewelry and gifts. Participating retailers and brands include Kendra Scott, Hemline, French Cuff Boutique, Switch2Pure, and Cake & Confetti. 4-7 pm.

Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen at Smart Financial Centre
When it comes to who are two of the most entertaining, celebrity BFFs out there, no one holds a candle to CNN superstar anchor Anderson Cooper and Bravo talk-show host/professional tea stirrer Andy Cohen. And, now, they're taking their act on the road.

Join them for an unscripted, uncensored, and unforgettable night of conversation, where they interview each other, take questions from the audience and give a behind-the-scenes look at pop culture and world events. 8 pm.

Saturday, October 26

a'Bouzy Yelloween Brunch at a'Bouzy
Even a'Bouzy, our favorite wine-serving establishment, is getting in the Halloween spirit. Put on your costumes and join them for a Yelloween brunch. What's so yellow about this event? Well, there will be Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Brut, available for purchase at $49 per bottle. Reservations are required. 10 am-3 pm.

Halloween Bash at Truck Yard Houston
It'll be a grand ol' spooky time at Truck Yard, which will be having its annual Halloween Bash this weekend. It starts with a dog costume contest, where you can dress your furry friends in Halloween getup and maybe win a $150 first-place gift card. Next up is the human costume contest, where the prize is a $250 first-place gift card. After that, it's the pumpkin smashing: buy a pumpkin for $13, and take your best shot. (You also get a free beer and a portion of the proceeds will benefit the SPCA.) 3 pm.

World Series Game 4 Parking Lot Party at Revelry on Richmond
Revelry on Richmond is going all-out for the upcoming, World Series game 4 between hometown heroes the Houston Astros and the Washington Nationals. We're talking 30 TVs, two projectors, and an additional 20-foot, inflatable screen in the parking lot, all tuned to the big game. There will be $15 domestic buckets, $20 Houston buckets and a $5 shot wheel every time the Astros hit a home run. Toasted Coconut will be grilling outside and providing their own Houston Astros Punch. 6-11:30 pm.

Sunday, October 27

Scanners at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema
Not a lot of people give David Cronenberg the credit he deserves for being one of the best filmmakers when it comes to horror. Look at his track record in the '80s: The Dead Zone, The Fly, Dead Ringers — all thrillers that thoroughly messed people up. But he started his Reagan-era, winning streak with a bang (in one scene, quite literally) with this heady, 1981 chiller about people with telepathic and telekinetic powers and who uses them for good or for evil. 3:15 pm.

Jazz on the Hill at Miller Outdoor Theatre
The inaugural Jazz on the Hill show is popping off this weekend, to promote music education and highlight national and local jazz artists. Mayor Sylvester Turner will open the free event, which will include music from Grammy-winning saxophonist Kirk Whalum, Poncho Sanchez and His Latin Jazz Band and the Houston High School All Stars featuring Derrick Hodge, presented by a collaboration of the Monterey Jazz Festival and Texas Southern University. 6 pm.

event-planner

Movie Review

Shaun the Sheep welcomes spooky season with PG-scary new movie

Photo courtesy of Aardman / Sky UK LTD / StudioCanal 2026

Shaun the Sheep in Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom.

Since his introduction over 30 years ago, the Aardman Animations character Shaun the Sheep has been almost as popular as the studio’s flagship characters, Wallace and Gromit. There is never a shortage of trouble Shaun can get into as he leads his flock and proves to be a thorn in the side of his farmer and Bitzer, the farmer’s loyal sheepdog.

His antics lead everyone down some slightly spooky roads in the new film, Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom. At first, things are only slightly awry as Shaun and the flock are growing a secret pumpkin patch to have their own jack-o-lanterns. But when the farmer accidentally destroys the pumpkin patch, Shaun tries to regrow it quickly with a Frankenstein-esque experiment.

However, disaster looms when Shaun uses an old bottle of Hair-Gro as the container for the serum he creates. Naturally, the balding farmer uses it on his head, and everyone soon discovers how truly successful it is, with pumpkins growing out of control and the farmer sprouting hair all over his body. Through a series of mishaps, the farmer becomes the titular beast, creating mayhem while Shaun and others try to stop him.

Directed by Steve Cox and Matthew Walker, and written by Mark Burton and Giles Pilbrow, the film goes down just as easy as every other Aardman project has. They get the Halloween vibes started from the opening credits, with things like the sheep doing the “Thriller” dance, and continue the fun throughout, referencing everything from Psycho to Friday the 13th in a nice, PG way.

With no script — every character is mute save for reaction noises — the movie relies on sight gags for its humor, and the Aardman team is endlessly inventive in that respect. Sometimes it’s small things like a sheep using toilet paper rolls as binoculars, and sometimes it’s something like forcing the Bigfoot-like farmer to be shaped into a rectangle as he escapes through a window. But there’s a never-ending stream of such moments, so even if one doesn’t tickle your funny bone, chances are the next one will.

The biggest benefit of the characters not talking is that there’s no need for deep character development. The filmmakers do a great job of giving the basic traits of each character, and then use those attributes to color everyone’s actions for the rest of the film. Shaun is the troublemaker, the farmer is a bumbling fool, Bitzer is preternaturally smart, and the town’s vet is empathetic, and the combination of those characters and others makes for a highly entertaining blend.

Like all Aardman creations, Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom is a fun lark that doesn’t make its audience think too hard. With just enough references to keep viewers engaged but not so many as to be overbearing, the film puts its well-worn characters to good use once again, delivering a Halloween season story that can be enjoyed by people of all ages.

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Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom is now playing in theaters.

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