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    weekend event planner

    Here are the top 12 things to do in Houston this weekend

    Craig Lindsey
    Oct 28, 2021 | 6:00 am
    halloween party costumes hip young
    Throw on those costumes and head to some fun Halloween events.
    Photo by Getty Images

    This weekend, the one costume we imagine most Houstonians will don is that of a Houston Astros jersey, as our boys in blue (and orange) head to Atlanta to take it back and bring home a World Series title.

    But it's also Halloween, meaning a ton events await to scare up some fun. Don those costumes and get out there (in-between Astros games, of course). Here are your best bets for the weekend.

    Thursday, October 28

    CityPlace presents Día De Los Muertos Black Dinner
    CityPlace will host a four-day Dia De Los Muertos celebration that will be kicked off with an exclusive Black Dinner, featuring Mexican chef and restaurateur Eduardo Palazuelos in collaboration with Houston’s own David Cordúa. A curated, four-course dinner paired with unique cocktails will be served. There will also be Catrina face painting, flower crowns, and an unveiling of a traditional altar to honor passed loved ones. Seats are limited to 50 guests. 6 pm.

    Tahirih Justice Center presents Journey to Justice – Hope & Healing
    This gala will be an evening of hope and healing where guests will virtually come together to honor the resiliency of immigrant survivors of gender-based violence on their journey to justice after an especially difficult year. The program highlights recent achievements and includes special messages from Mayor Sylvester Turner and Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo. Entertainment will be provided by Houston poet laureate “Outspoken Bean,” local singer songwriter Kristine Mills, and world-renowned salsa performer Tito Puente, Jr. 7 pm.

    Czech Center Museum Houston presents Musical Tribute to Holocaust Survivor, Dr. Ervin Adam
    The Czech Center Museum Houston will honor 99-year-old Holocaust survivor, Dr. Ervin Adam, of Czech origin. This event will feature a musical tribute to Holocaust victims and survivors by Houston Symphony cellist Louis-Marie Fardet and pianist Sherry Cheng. The evening will further Houston’s commitment to celebrating its diverse cultural landscape. This in-person event will include Czech hors d’oeuvres and other refreshments. 7:30 pm.

    Friday, October 29

    Holocaust Museum Houston presents "Blacklist: The Hollywood Red Scare" opening day
    Holocaust Museum Houston will host this multi-sensory exhibition, highlighting issues of persecution, loss of civil liberties and the dangers of propaganda. The exhibition explores the intersection of politics, art, economics, and the social dynamics that impacted the American First Amendment rights of speech, religion, and assembly, during Hollywood’s Red Scare. On display through Sunday, February 20. 10 am.

    Project Row Houses present Howling on Dowling
    Celebrate the past, present, and future of the historic Eldorado Ballroom as Project Row Houses is set to revitalize the iconic building. There will be a gathering in the parking lot for a casually elegant night of music, drinks, and fun. Music curated to celebrate the golden era of Eldorado by DJ Elevated of Soul Control will be accompanied by cocktails, wine, and food courtesy of Lucille's 1913. 6:30 pm.

    The Roots and Wings Project and Houston Coalition Against Hate present Matriarch
    The Roots and Wings Project, in association with the Houston Coalition Against Hate, presents this two-day, transformative theatre experience that explores the roles women play in our patriarchal society and the urgent need to transform that dynamic. Following the performance, HCAH executive director Marjorie Joseph will host a panel discussion featuring performers and local domestic violence prevention advocates who are also Coalition members. 7 pm.

    Saturday, October 30

    8th Wonder Brewery presents Otaku Festival
    8th Wonder Brewery will host a vibrant, two-day celebration of Otaku culture and street food featuring a market with rows of food vendors, live music, a Kawaii Zombie costume contest, trick-or-treating for the kids, and more. Modeled after popular street food markets found across Asia, the Otaku Food Festival will offer a dizzying array of mouthwatering dishes, many of which are prepared before visitors' eyes. Noon.

    The Alta Arts presents David Hacker: "Inarticulate Paradise" opening day
    The Alta Arts presents the first major exhibition of all new works in over a decade by American abstract painter David Hacker, and his first showing in Texas. Hacker’s paintings are purely abstract, featuring bold color choices against natural tones, and heavy marks both in the form of brush strokes and scrapes. The organic blocks of color and meandering brushwork together create a psychedelic space that is also reminiscent of the deep forests in the Catskills around Hacker’s studio. On display through Saturday, December 18. Noon.

    Houston Arboretum presents Halloween Sip & Stroll
    The Houston Arboretum’s Sip & Stroll outdoor event is taking on a spooky spin this Halloween. Guests can walk along the Arboretum’s dimly lit trails where they may encounter creatures of the night. The final destination will lead attendees to outdoor music and mingling with charcuterie and dessert provided by Cotton Culinary and beverages from Saint Arnold Brewing Company. Costumes are encouraged for this fun event for ages 21 and older. 7 pm.

    Sunday, October 31

    Cigna Sunday in the Park
    Cigna Sunday in the Park, a slight twist on the block party concept of Cigna Sunday Streets, launches this weekend at Moody Park. Celebrate Halloween and/or Dia de los Muertos with bounce houses, a haunted house, a costume contest and something called “Trunk or Treat.” Cigna Sunday in the Park will relocate each month throughout the fall to neighborhood parks across the Houston area. Noon.

    Premier Productions presents Elevation Nights
    Elevation Nights is a new tour featuring Elevation Worship and Steven Furtick that brings the powerful worship experience of Elevation Church into arenas. The tour is more than a concert, but a full worship experience as Furtick preaches and Elevation Worship leads some of their hit songs including “Graves Into Gardens,” “Rattle!,” “Do It Again,” “The Blessing,” and others. 7 pm.

    PMT Pop Up: Halloween Cabaret
    As part of its Pop Up: Cabaret series, PMT Productions will present PMT Pop Up: Halloween Cabaret. There will be Halloween-inspired live performances from Houston-area vocalists, all accompanied live by The PMT Band. From Hocus Pocus to Rocky Horror to "Thriller," they are on theme for Halloween. Guests can go all out with their costume and compete to win the best costume of the evening. 8 pm.

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    weekend event planner

    These are the 14 best things to do in Houston this weekend

    Craig D. Lindsey
    Dec 17, 2025 | 6:30 pm
    Pentatonix
    Photo courtesy of Pentatonix
    Pentatonix performs at American Airlines Center on November 20.

    We’re officially in the home stretch, and Christmas is just around the corner.

    Before that, this weekend offers plenty of holiday-themed events, including an ugly sweater party/toy drive and a yuletide visit from Pentatonix. But some fascinating visual art is also popping off this weekend, from an intriguing art exhibition to several movie screenings, including the latest from hometown boy Richard Linklater.

    Or, you could pick up some booze over at O.S.T. Liquor, get lit, and sing “Luv Ya Blue” over and over again – just a suggestion.

    Thursday, December 18

    Contemporary Arts Museum Houston presents Music at the Museum
    Music at the Museum is back, as CAMH wraps up the year with an evening of live music, an art workshop, and contemporary art. Jupiter will be spinning house, ambient, club tracks, and more. And you can participate in the cyanotype workshop downstairs. Join CAMH FAQ team member and artist Carlos Mendoza in this hands-on activity that bridges car cultures from the West Coast to H-Town. 6 pm.

    Sabine Street Studios presents "Zuzu's Petals" opening reception
    Sabine Street Studios’ end-of-the-year exhibition, “Zuzu’s Petals,” takes inspiration from the beloved 1946 classic film, It’s a Wonderful Life. The group exhibition of mixed media works offers an opportunity for reflection on the year that has passed, the promise of the new year ahead, and the meaningful memories that weave through our lives. The reception will include complimentary beverages and snacks, as well as brief artist talks where each creator will share insights into their work and its significance within the exhibition. 6 pm.

    Aurora Picture Show presents Aurora Holiday Party & Raffle
    Join Aurora Picture Show’s famously festive, annual holiday party – the first one held in the new Navigation Blvd. space. This free event features beverages provided by Double Trouble and Saint Arnold, light bites from Phoenicia, vintage holiday TV projections, and music provided by DJs Gracie Chavez, Marcelluz Gualez, Alex la Rotta, and Peter Lucas. The raffle, benefitting Aurora’s artistic and educational programming, is open until 9 pm and features an array of great items, experiences, and gift cards. 7 pm.

    Friday, December 19

    The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston presents Nouvelle Vague
    Nouvelle Vague, Richard Linklater’s love letter to the revolutionary magic of the French New Wave, reimagines the making of Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless (1960). As a Cahiers du Cinema critic, Godard (Guillaume Marbeck) turns to filmmaking with a mix of fresh faces and daring talents that bring his spontaneous, idiosyncratic film to life. Capturing the behind-the-scenes creative chaos at the heart of one of cinema’s most iconic and influential debuts, catch this movie at the MFAH this weekend – in glorious 35mm! 7 pm (5 pm Sunday).

    Rice Cinema presents The Projectionists’ Reel
    Rice Cinema will have a special screening featuring work by Tish Stringer, a Rice alum and former technical exhibition manager at Rice Cinema. In The Projectionists’ Reel, Kirston Otis spins the tale of how crafty projectionists of the Greenway Theater cannibalized cinematic ephemera into remix joy. Preceded by a bonus screening of We’re Not Judges, a short film by Renée Feltz, a former KPFT News Director, and currently at Democracy Now! The filmmakers will be in attendance for a post-screening Q&A. 7 pm.

    Houston Symphony presents Elf in Concert
    Buddy (Will Ferrell) was accidentally transported to the North Pole as a toddler and raised to adulthood among Santa’s elves. Unable to shake the feeling that he doesn’t fit in, the adult Buddy travels to New York in search of his real father (James Caan). After DNA test confirmation, Buddy and his dad build a relationship with chaotic (and comedic) moments. The heartwarming tale of Buddy the Elf will play on the big screen, while every note of John Debney’s score is played live to picture. 7:30 pm (2 pm Sunday)

    Vincent Victoria Presents The 1968 Cherry Cola Pitts Christmas Special: A Musical
    Vincent Victoria Presents delivers the world premiere of a new stage production, The 1968 Cherry Cola Pitts Christmas Special: Christmas Will Never be the Same. The production, a sharp, irreverent, joyously queer holiday biting satire set in the explosive year of 1968, stars Cherry Cola Pitts, an openly gay entertainer navigating fame, freedom, and chaos under the studio lights. 8 pm (3 and 8 pm Saturday; 3 pm Sunday).

    Saturday, December 20

    O.S.T. Liquor Store presents the Annual Holiday Bourbon Allocation
    O.S.T. Liquor Store will launch one of its largest and most anticipated bourbon allocation releases, offering more than 200 rare and highly coveted bottles to collectors and holiday shoppers. The event is known for drawing enthusiasts from across the Houston area who are seeking hard-to-find bourbons, whiskeys, and limited-edition spirits to raise the bar on gifting and entertaining this holiday season. Get there early. 10 am.

    BLCK Market Holiday Festival at East River
    Step into a festive celebration of Black-owned businesses at the BLCK Market Holiday Festival at East River. Attendees will enjoy holiday shopping at its finest as East River transforms into a bustling winter market filled with music, merriment, and unique finds. Browse curated gifts (seasonal décor, art, skincare, books, and candles), dance to the beats of live DJs, and get grub at food trucks – all while being surrounded by the joyful energy of community. Santa and Mrs. Claus will also be available for photos from 12-2 pm. 11 am.

    Pentatonix in concert
    In 2011, a cappella group Pentatonix became the first act to top both the Holiday Albums and Holiday Songs charts simultaneously. Since then, Christmas has become their business, dropping such seasonal releases as 2014’s That’s Christmas to Me and 2016’s A Pentatonix Christmas. They’ll be Houston as part of their Christmas in the City tour, performing favorite songs from their seven holiday-themed albums, including the new Christmas in the City. 7 pm.

    Winsome Prime presents Annual Ugly Sweater Christmas Party & Toy Drive
    The Southern-inspired steakhouse is kicking off the holiday week with its annual Ugly Sweater Christmas Party & Toy Drive. Attendees are asked to bring a new toy to benefit the Isiah Factor Christmas Toy Drive, as well as dress in their most outrageous, over-the-top holiday sweaters for an ugly sweater contest, with special perks, giveaways, and photo moments throughout the event. 7 pm.

    Sunday, December 21

    Kings Harbor Waterfront Village presents Holiday on the Harbor
    Join Lake Houston mixed-use development Kings Harbor Waterfront Village as it celebrates the holiday season with Holiday on the Harbor. Attendees can enjoy a free photo opportunity with Santa and Mrs. Claus, music from a DJ, face painting, an on-site caricature artist, and riding on the trackless train. Families can also play yard games and create holiday crafts, making it a day full of holiday cheer for kids and adults alike. 1 pm.

    Houston Cinema Arts Society and Houston Film Commission presents Luv Ya Bum!
    Luv Ya Bum! is more than a sports documentary – it’s a testament to the power of leadership, community, and the enduring impact of legendary Houston Oilers head coach Bum Phillips. River Oaks Theatre will have a screening, presented by Houston Cinema Arts Society (HCAS) and Houston Film Commission, complete with a post-screening conversation with the producers. A special exhibition will be on display, courtesy of the Museum of the Gulf Coast, featuring a remarkable collection of personal effects and historical artifacts. 2 pm.

    The Houston Tidelanders present Yule-Tide Carols
    The Houston Tidelanders will ring in the holiday season with their show, Yule-Tide Carols. The tradition brings Christmas to life through the four-part harmonies of barbershop a cappella singing. The Tidelanders will perform a mix of classic Christmas favorites and fresh new arrangements, from the peaceful beauty of “O Little Town of Bethlehem” to the inspiring message of “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.” 4:30 pm.

    Pentatonix
    Photo courtesy of Pentatonix

    Pentatonix performs at Toyota Center on December 20.

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