weekend event planner
Here are the top 8 things to do in Houston this weekend
Feeling like taking in a good holiday movie? This weekend offers several ways you can watch National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, the 1989 holiday installment in the Griswold family saga. Of course, you can stay home and watch it on-demand, or you could go to any of the various movie theaters in the area that are showing it.
You could also check out this virtual salute the Society for the Performing Arts has planned, where stars Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo will be showing fan-favorite clips as well as taking part in an audience Q&A.
This weekend offers plenty of others fun options. Here, then, are our best picks for your weekend.
Thursday, December 17
Jurassic Quest Drive-Thru at Katy Mills Mall
Even though the latest Jurassic World sequel won't hit theaters until 2022, you can still get your dinosaur on with this exhibit, which has adapted to the ongoing pandemic by offering a drive-through experience. Visitors will be able to go on a quest with an online audio tour that will take them throughout the exhibit, encountering some of the largest dinosaurs to ever roam the earth, and some of the eeriest marine creatures to ever lurk the ocean’s depths. Runs through Saturday, December 26. 9 am.
A.D. Players presents Merry Christmas Darling: Heidi Kettenring Sings Karen Carpenter
Beginning this weekend, Chicago songstress Heidi Kettenring (who has performed in such productions as Chicago and Beauty and the Beast) will treat audiences to the music of Karen Carpenter this holiday season. Songs will include "Close To You," "Merry Christmas Darling," "For All We Know," and "The Christmas Song." While the live production will end on December 23, it will be available to stream at any time through December 31. 7:30 pm (8 pm Friday; 2:30 and 8 pm Saturday; 2:30 Sunday).
Friday, December 18
Czech Center Museum Houston presents Holiday Fundraising Concert
The Czech Center Museum Houston will present this black-tie event, which will showcase a live performance by five musicians playing traditional Czech and American holiday songs. The museum will also serve drinks and hors d’oeuvres before the concert. There will also be a raffle drawing before the performance, along with dessert. Prizes will include a Danube River Cruise Tour, a Cedar Rapids trip, and a $500 Amazon gift card. Seating is limited to 100 guests. 7 pm.
The Catastrophic Theatre presents Tamarie Cooper's Holiday Super Show
The Tamarie Cooper Show is a series of original musicals that usually takes place in the summer. But, considering how, you know, things went down this year, the 23rd installment of this series will be done virtually. Look for a yuletide combination of satire, Santas, and musical numbers. As she would most likely say, It's Christmas y'all, and Tamarie's no Grinch. Runs through Thursday, January 31. 8 pm.
Saturday, December 19
Fort Bend County Libraries presents The Story of Kwanzaa
You know, it isn't just Christmas and Hanukkah this time of year. This weekend, Fort Bend County Libraries will host this online dance-theater production, featuring talented performers from Dance Afrikana. Led by an African griot (storyteller), this performance will explore the African American and Pan-African holiday of Kwanzaa. Through dance, the performers will portray the story of traditional first-fruits celebrations in Africa. 9 am.
The Holly Jolly Pub Crawl and Toy Drive
How would you like to go to a bunch of bars and get drunk as hell — all for a good cause? That's what this pub crawl, where participants are encouraged to put on their best Santa suit, is all about. Each participating bar is collecting toys for Pancho Claus' Holiday Toy Drive - Cedar Creek, The Boot, Drift, Bungalow Heights, McIntyre's, Wicklow Heights, and Preslee's. Pancho Claus will be at Cedar Creek at 8pm to take pictures, where there will also be a Best Santa Contest for a $100 prize. 5 pm.
Sunday, December 20
Houston Chamber Choir presents A Time to Bring Hope
It's that time again, for the Houston Chamber Choir to join together, make a lot of joyful noises and celebrate the promise of hope and peace as Christmas continues. The virtual concert will feature joyous new performances and reflections from seasons past at the beloved Villa de Matel. Singing is at the very heart of the season, and the choir is proud to present favorite carols and new favorites from around the world. Noon.
Pilot Dance Project presents Mettle/Tether
This production is a definite joint venture. Adam Castañeda’s Mettle are three vignettes that explore tension and softness between men in socially defined dynamics, as well as themes of love, loss and regret for women. As for Ashley Horn’s Tether, this is an attempt to find a sense of mooring in a turbulent time and place, with the audience leaving with mental and physical reminders that no one is truly alone. It will be available to stream through Wednesday, December 30. 8 pm.
