weekend event planner
Here are the top 14 things to do in Houston this weekend
Yes, it's getting chilly. You may be tempted to not leave your house anytime soon. But, dangit, there is a lot of cool stuff happening this weekend — many of them require that you being outside. So, don your cool outwear (love those North Face puffers), sip something warm, and enjoy this weekend's offerings.
Thursday, November 15
Beaujolais Nouveau Tiki Luau 2018
You know, it's about time we had a luau going around here, and Camerata at Paulie's will have one for the traditional French holiday known as Beaujolais Nouveau Day. It'll be the spot's second annual, Tiki-themed luau, celebrating the end of harvest with freshly-fermented wine made from Gamay, a red grape grown prodigiously in Beaujolais, the southernmost part of Burgundy. So, put on a Hawaiian shirt and go get blitzed over there. 4 pm-2 am.
ArCH Film Festival: Aquarius and Unknown New York: The City That Women Built
The ArCH Film Festival is wrapping up on Friday. But on this evening, do yourself a kindness and check out Aquarius, a 2016 movie starring that timeless, Brazilian sexpot Sonia Braga. She's a still-feisty, still-stunning sixty-something lady who refuses to sell her apartment to a construction company out to tear the building down. This movie will be paired with the 2018 documentary short Unknown New York: The City That Women Built. 6:45 pm.
The Catastrophic Theatre presents First Suburb
The Catastrophic Theatre presents the world premiere of First Suburb, a play by Catastrophic favorite Chana Porter (Leap and the Net Will Appear). In this play, five preteens teeter on the brink of adolescence when a shocking and violent act interrupts their world of personal struggles and triumphs. A preview will be on this evening, but the premiere will happen the following Friday. 7:30 pm (8 pm Friday and Saturday; 2:30 pm Sunday)
Friday, November 16
Theta Charity Antiques Show
The 66th annual Theta Charity Antiques Show is happening this weekend. The three-day event will feature talks and book signings from renowned (and freakishly attractive) designers and artists Ashley Woodson Bailey, James Farmer, Miles Redd, Suzanne Kasler and Carolyne Roehm. Visitors can peruse a variety of fine art, furniture and decor presented by nearly 70 new and returning designers. 10 am (noon Sunday).
Frostival
Discovery Green will be kicking off the winter season in grand style with Frostival, a fun-filled evening of winter-themed activities. This night marks the opening of The ICE, the largest, outdoor ice-skating surface in the Southwest, and GUST: Celebrating a Decade of Discovery, an interactive art installation by Mexico City-based studio Cocolab that consists of nearly 2,000 custom-made pinwheels. 3:30 pm.
Midtown Mistletoe Market
Midtown Houston will transform its newest green space at Midtown Park to welcome locals who want to get a head start on their holiday shopping. At this two-day event, attendees can look forward to an exciting mix of fine arts, handmade crafts, epicurean foods, and entertainment for all ages — all while exploring the sights and sounds located throughout the park’s amenities. 5-10 pm (9 am-7pm Saturday).
Marc Newsome: I (Heart) 3rd Ward
Marc Newsome has made a nice living for himself showing his love and appreciation for Houston's Third Ward, selling T-shirts, buttons, and other pro-Third Ward merchandise. Starting this weekend, he'll launch an exhibition of photos, videos, and soundscapes highlighting the relevancy of this historical, African-American neighborhood. Or, as its referred to, "a longtime epicenter of Black American life, culture, commerce and existence." 6 pm.
Winter Holiday Art Market
Fresh Arts will host its 13th annual (and final) Winter Holiday Art Market (WHAM) this weekend. There are plenty of reasons to check out this last blowout: buy exclusive, one-of-kind, handmade crafts, support the local arts economy, protect the environment with eco-friendly art, home goods and apparel. But if there's one, essential reason, it's the Ugly Sweater Party that'll be popping off this evening. 6-10 pm (11am-8pm Saturday; 11 am-4 pm Sunday).
2018 Houston Greek Film Festival
We have another region-specific film festival happening around these parts. We've had Italian, Polish, even Pacific Islander film festivals this year. Now, get ready for the first annual Houston Greek Film Festival. Five features and seven shorts will play during the inaugural, three-day festival, which showcases new films from Greek filmmakers, producers and actors from Greece and the diaspora. 7 pm (noon Saturday; 12:30 pm Sunday).
Saturday, November 17
Zine Fest Houston 2018
It's time once again for the annual, all-ages festival dedicated to promoting zines (self-published magazines), mini-comics, and other forms of small press, alternative and underground DIY media and art. This is the sole event in Houston that specifically provides a platform for emerging and established, regional, and national zine makers in the DIY community to exchange new work and create meaningful relationships that lead to productive collaboration. Noon-6 pm.
Artists for Artists Group Show
Artists for Artists is a nonprofit organization devoted to helping out artists in need, especially when medical bills start piling up and they don't have the means to pay them off. As part of this year's ArtCrawl Houston day, they will have a one-night-only group show, featuring work from some of the city's most collected artists. A portion of the proceeds from all works sold will go towards Emergency Recovery Grants designed to assist artists and their emergencies. 6:30-9:30 pm.
Legends of Soul
Who loves R & B music from the '80s? Come on, we gotta have some readers who used to listen to the Snowman spin tunes on Majic 102 back in the day. If you were a faithful listener of soul in the Reagan era, that decade's best performers will be coming down for a literal, jam-packed concert. We got Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, The Whispers, Freddie Jackson, and former Shalamar frontman Howard Hewett. 7:30 pm.
Sunday, November 18
The Gr8 Taco Challenge III
These days, it seems we're always mentioning an event that has tacos. And 8th Wonder Brewery will be coming with the goods this weekend with its Gr8 Taco Challenge III. At this event, many of Houston's favorite restaurants and bars will be battling it out for taco supremacy. Your ticket will get you a taco from each competitor, along with three beer tokens, Michelada bar, and limited edition glassware. Noon.
Thai-Style Thanksgiving Brunch
In Richmond, new Thai pop-up restaurant Street to Kitchen will be hosting a Thai-style thanksgiving brunch at Loam Agronomics Farm. Dedicated to bringing authentic Thai food to Houston using local ingredients, chef Benchawan Jabthong Painter will work closely with local farm partners and sommeliers to provide the freshest, most exquisitely Thai-accented food adventures possible. 1 pm-3 pm.
