Weekend events planner

Here are the top 7 things to do in Houston this weekend

The holiday weekend is finally here, and we've rounded up a guide to the best seven things to do in Houston. From a festive tour of holiday lights, to a mesmerizing magic show, your weekend starts here:

For more options, check out the full CultureMap Events Calendar.

Music to our ears
Thursday, December 21
Critically-acclaimed and multi-platinum progressive rock band Trans-Siberian Orchestra presents The Ghosts of Christmas Eve at Toyota Center. Expect to hear songs from "Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24" to "O Come All Ye Faithful." (3:30 pm, and again at 8 pm; tickets: $48.50 to $77.50 per person)
1510 Polk St.; 713-758-7200

Raise the curtain
Thursday, December 21-Saturday, December 23
Head to Queensbury Theatre for a performance of Striking 12, the contemporary retelling of The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Andersen. The tale unfolds through a pop/rock/jazz score by GrooveLily band. (various times; tickets: $22 to $47 per person)
12777 Queensbury Ln.; 713-467-4497

A trip that's so lit
Thursday, December 21-Sunday, December 24
Board the Houston Wave at Market Square Park and ride along for a tour of several Christmas light displays around town including winter wonderlands in Woodland Heights, downtown, and River Oaks. A portion of every ticket goes to Buffalo Bayou Partnership. (6:30 pm; tickets: $35 per person)
301 Milam St.; 713-863-9283

An Angelina flick
Friday, December 22
Helmed by executive producer Angelina Jolie and the creators of the Academy Award-nominated, The Secret of Kells and Song of the Sea, is The Breadwinners, an animated feature based on Deborah Ellis' bestselling novel. Catch a screening at nonprofit art-house theater, 14 Pews. (7 pm; tickets: $11 per person)800 Aurora St.; 281-888-9677

Rise and dine
Saturday, December 23
Revival Market in the Heights hosts a kolache pop-up, with flavors including spiced apple and ricotta, apricot and cream cheese, and chicken sausage. (8 am — sold out; tickets: free entry, kolaches are $2.50 each)
550 Heights Blvd.; 713-880-8463

It's all an illusion
Saturday, December 23
Illusionist Robby Bennett takes to the stage at Midtown Arts and Theatre Center Houston for a magical presentation of Winter Wonders: The Magic Of Robby Bennett. (3 pm, 6:30 pm, and 9 pm; tickets: $25 to $35 per person)
3400 Main St.; 713-521-4533

Saint Nick
Sunday, December 24
Bring your list and snap a selfie with Kris Kringle at Children’s Museum of Houston's "Cookies with Santa." The fun-filled event also boasts cookie decorating, make-your-own reindeer masks and jingle bell bracelets, zip line sleighs, and more. (11 am to 3 pm; tickets: Museum entry is $12 per person)
1500 Binz; 713-522-1138

Trans-Siberian Orchestra presents The Ghosts of Christmas Eve at Toyota Center.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra/Facebook

Trans-Siberian Orchestra presents The Ghosts of Christmas Eve at Toyota Center.

event-planner

a beautiful mind

Houston Health Museum's new exhibit shines a light on dyslexia

Sarah Sudhoff created "The Reading Brain" in honor of her son.

Photo by Rose Tylinski

"The Reading Brain" replicates neuron activity in a dyslexic brian while reading

No, "The Reading Brain" isn't the title of a B-horror film from the 1960s. It's a brand new installation at the Houston Health Museum that explores dyslexia.

The piece was created by Houston-based artist Sarah Sudhoff, in partnership with Dr. Guinevere Eden, Director of the Center for the Study of Learning at Georgetown University. Hanging from the ceiling of the Health Museum, it uses light-up colored circles to represent the frontal lobe activity of a dyslexic person while reading. MRI scans of dyslexic brains formed the foundation of the light activity. Sudhoff's own son has dyslexia, and she had to adapt her homeschooling of him to account for his neurodivergence. As much as 20 percent of the American population is dyslexic.

"The Reading Brain" grew out of a similar exhibit at the DoSeum in San Antonio. "Beautiful Minds: Dyslexia and the Creative Advantage" challenged visitors to see dyslexia not as a learning disability but as simply a different way some human brains work. The exhibit featured videos, stories, and art work by dyslexic individuals that show how they succeed and create, as well as a selection of brain puzzles used to teach dyslexic people.

“Even though your brain works differently, it still lights up and is beautiful to watch, a wonderful machine you have. It just means you have to navigate and pivot a little differently,” Sudhoff said.

Sudhoff's innovative bridge between science and art is a permanent part of the Health Museum's MindWorks exhibit. Like "The Reading Brain," MindWorks maps out thinking processes through light and hands-on activities. The exhibit will close on January 5, meaning visitors have a very short time to see Sudhoff's piece.

The Health Museum is a hidden gem in Museum District located a block away from the Children's Museum. It houses a variety of exhibits about the human body, such as a giant plastic colon that kids love to run through. Since opening in 1969, the museum has helped Houstonians and visitors from around the world learn about the way the body works as well well as public health protocols. As the only Smithsonian Affiliate Museum in the Houston Museum District, it has a high educational pedigree despite it's colorful and often whimsical offerings.

houston health museum museum district museums

Weekend events planner

Here are the top 7 things to do in Houston this weekend

Trans-Siberian Orchestra presents The Ghosts of Christmas Eve at Toyota Center.

a beautiful mind

Houston Health Museum's new exhibit shines a light on dyslexia

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