Weekend events calendar

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

It's that time of the year, so it's no surprise that this edition of the weekend's top events has a Halloween theme. But, in between trick-or-treat partygoing and watching the Astros and Dodgers go head-to-head in the World Series at Minute Maid Park, there are also some musical acts, food events, and festivals you won't want to miss.

For more options, check out the full CultureMap Events Calendar. And we've also compiled a list of top Halloween parties and crawls, which you can access here.

Death by Chocolate
Thursday, October 26
The Morales Funeral Home is the place for chocoholics at the 4th Annual Death by Chocolate Dessert Party. Among the delicacies: A chocolate fountain, chocolate martinis, and a wide variety of chocolates and desserts provided by Michael’s Cookie Jar, Village Bakery, and other sweet shops, as well as lite bites from El Tiempo and El Burro & the Bull. Other activities include a silent auction, music, Day of the Dead face painting, and a coffin photo booth — all to benefit SER-Jobs for Progress Hurricane Relief Fund. (6-9 pm; tickets: $45)
2901 Canal Street

Musical Trick-or-Treat
Thursday, October 26
River Oaks Chamber Orchestra hosts a progressive salon at the Heritage Society at Sam Houston Park. Small groups will travel to four homes on the historic property to hear a short piece by one ROCO musician at each location. It'll be music to your ears. (Reception at 5:30 pm, tour at 6:30 pm; tickets: $45)
1110 Bagby St.; 713-655-1912

Original Zombies
Friday, October 27 through Sunday, October 29
The godfather of all zombie movies, Night of the Living Dead, will be shown all weekend at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston in a restored print, scanned from the original camera negative and supervised by its director George Romero. His first feature remains a landmark of the modern horror film and has gained a huge cult following. (9 pm Friday and Saturday, 2 pm Sunday; tickets: $7-$9)
1001 Bissonnet; 713-639-7300

Psycho Music
Friday, October 27
View the Hitchcock masterpiece, including Janet Leigh's infamous shower scene, at Jones Hall as the Houston Symphony performs Bernard Herrmann’s iconic, bone-chilling score to Psycho in its entirety, under the direction of conductor Francesco Lecce-Chong. Feel free to scream. (7:30 pm; tickets: $35-$125)
615 Louisiana St.; 713-227-3974

Get Lucky
Friday, October 27
Celebrate Asian cuisine at the LUCKYRICE festival. Hosted by Top Chef and James Beard Award winner Paul Qui, this event at The Astorian features bites from 13 top restaurants including Aqui, Uchi, Underbelly, Ramen Tatsu-ya, and Mala Sichuan Bistro paired with beer and cocktails. Proceeds will benefit the Houston Food Bank. (7 pm for VIP, 8-10 pm for General Admission; tickets: $88-$150)
2500 Summer St.

All-American Road Show
Friday, October 27
Country star Chris Stapleton brings his all-American Road Show to the Cynthia Mitchell Woods Pavilion, with special guests Marty Stuart and and Brent Cobb. Expect hits from Stapleton's album, From a Room: Volume 1, his first new music since 2015’s breakthrough double-platinum solo debut, Traveller. (7 pm; tickets: $44-$104+)
2005 Lake Robbins Dr., The Woodlands; 281-363-3300

Over the Hump
Saturday, October 28
Why travel to Cairo, when you can esperience a touch of Egypt in Houston? The second annual Egyptian Festival at Discovery Green includes camel rides, belly dancing performances and lessons, local singer Jabour Balka and other entertainers, with imported Egyptian papyrus, art and merchandise, as well as Middle Eastern delicacies for sale. Proceeds benefit Crime-Stoppers of Houston, St. Jude’s, Soaring Kidz, Houston PetSet, and Friends of Egyptian Children with Cancer. (11 am - 9 pm; tickets: $10 adults, children 12 and under free)
1500 McKinney St.; 713-400-7336

Skate On
Saturday, October 28
Rescheduled from February due to renovation of the Lee & Joe Jamail Skatepark, Skatestock V features the opportunity to mingle with skateboarding legends, hear live music from four great bands, view mural art, and bid on art-designed skaters' helmets in a silent auction. All Houston skaters in need will receive a free helmet, while supplies last. An after-party will take place from 7 - 10 pm at 8th Wonder Brewery. (1-5 pm; free)
103 Sabine St.; 281-658-4762

Day of the Dead Celebration
Saturday, October 28 and Sunday, October 29
Get an early start on the popular celebration at the 18th Annual Day of the Dead Festival with performances by MECA Ballet Folklorico, MECA Mariachi, Bayou City Swing, Prema Bhat, Solero Flamenco, Grupo Guemilere, Danza Acteca Taxcayolotl, and more. (11 am - 7 pm; free)
1900 Kane St.; 713-802-9370

Shuck Off
Sunday, October 29
CultureMap Tastemaker Awards Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year winner State of Grace will celebrate its second anniversary with live music and an oyster shucking contest featuring Houston chefs such as Graham Laborde (Killen's Restaurants), Ryan Lachaine (Riel), and Erin Smith Feges (Feges BBQ). Attendees can snack on oysters and bites from the kitchen while sipping on drink specials from the cash bar. (4-7 pm; tickets: $35)
3258 Westheimer Rd.; 832-942-5080

Skatestock V rolls at Lee & Joe Jamail Skatepark on Saturday afternoon.

Photo courtesy of MRZ

Skatestock V rolls at Lee & Joe Jamail Skatepark on Saturday afternoon.

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howling for you

Houston's interdimensional art exhibit books 4 local acts for summer concerts

The four members of Swimwear Department hugging

Photo provided by Meow Wolf

Swimwear Department is heading to Meow Wolf

Things are heating up this summer at Meow Wolf as they host their first ever summer concert series. Four hometown bands will take the stage at the immersive art complex for a series of shows in June and July.

“Houston’s music scene has always been bold, genre-defying, and deeply original, so it felt natural to bring that same energy into our Radio Tave world,” said Aaron Johnson, general manager of Meow Wolf Houston. “This concert series is about celebrating the artists who define Texas' sound and give guests a new reason to experience Meow Wolf in a whole new way.”

Ever since Meow Wolf first opened during Halloween last year in Fifth Ward, the collection of artistic spaces has wowed, delighted, and sometimes confused audiences. Cowboix Hevvven, the venue's "dive bar" with possible links to extraterrestrials, was designed by fifth generation Texan Cole Wilson and features a jukebox of 30 original songs Wilson created in collaboration with other Texas artists. Radio Tave, Meow Wolf's name for the exhibit as a whole, has been a huge critical and popular hit for Meow Wolf, winning two Webby Awards last month.

It's also the perfect place to show off some of the more esoteric bands that make up the Houston sound. The odd four-piece rock band Swimwear Department burst onto the scene in 2023, winning over audiences with their songs about pools and malls as well as a series of stellar music videos shot around the city. Their potent mix of quirk and early-alternative music has made them one of the best novelty acts in Houston.

Meanwhile, The Mighty Orq and Mango Punch have been mainstays for more than a decade. Orq is swamp blues royalty, and always adds a sense of the strange to his concerts thanks to his near-mystical aura. Mango Punch is almost custom built for Meow Wolf thanks to a hectic swirl of Top 40, disco and cumbia.

The schedule for the concerts is below with links to tickets.

Though Houston has never hurt for places weird bands can play, wedding the popular immersive art space at Meow Wolf with concerts is an opportunity to reframe music as performance art rather than just something to listen to while having a drink (though you can still do that at Meow Wolf). Should the summer concert series prove a success, it could quickly become one of the prime venues in the city, at least for groups looking to be a little out there.

meow wolf concerts