weekend event planner

Here are the top 14 things to do in Houston this weekend

With the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo about a week away, several events this weekend are preparing Houstonians for the western splendor of it all, including a pop-up at Autry Park, a rodeo glam brunch at Zanti Cucina Italiana, and a Boots & Brews Market at Bayou Heights Bier Garten.

This weekend, we also have a couple of DACAMERA shows, a music festival at Karbach Brewing, and one more Lunar New Year celebration at Space Center Houston.

Thursday, February 19

Autry Park and Tidbits present Rodeo Ready Pop-Up: Grand Opening
Autry Park is saddling up with Tidbits to present the Autry Park Rodeo Ready Pop-Up — a three-weekend shopping and social experience. Running Thursdays through Saturdays, the limited-time pop-up brings together Western-inspired fashion, accessories, gifts, and immersive experiences designed to get Houstonians ready for the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo. Attendees are invited to stroll, sip, shop, and stay awhile — making a day (or night) of it in the heart of Autry Park. Through Saturday, March 7. 11 am.

Laura Rathe Fine Art presents Meredith Pardue: "Stones That Learned to Breathe" opening reception
Laura Rathe Fine Art artist Meredith Pardue introduces an opulent collection of new large scale paintings that merge the solidity of natural minerals and gemstones with the ephemeral quality of breath. Pardue wildly layers hues ranging from bold, commanding jewel tones to subtle, opalescent washes reflecting actual fragments of light from the surface, as if each stone holds a quiet, living presence. Through Sunday, March 22. 6 pm.

Texas Children’s Hospital presents Cooking Up a Cure
The 8th Annual Cooking Up a Cure is a culinary experience spotlighting Houston’s top chefs and restaurants. Guests enjoy bite-sized signature dishes in a dynamic, networking-focused atmosphere. Participating restaurants include Le Jardinier, Latuli, Loro, Navy Blue, State of Grace, The Blind Goat, Truluck’s, Uchi, Uchiko, and Xalisco. The event supports research and exceptional care for patients in the Department of Allergy and Immunology at Texas Children’s, led by Dr. Lisa Forbes Satter. 6:30 pm.

Friday, February 20

Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas presents Versus
For years, Houston celebrated the right to safe and legal abortion with the annual Roe v. Wade Luncheon, and Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas will continue this legacy in a new era. Held at Hilton Americas-Houston, the event will honor Melaney A. Linton with the Second Century Award. It will also feature a panel discussion with Dr. Anitra Beasley, Taylor Edwards, and Olivia Julianna, moderated by Elena M. Marks. Noon.

DACAMERA presents Brooklyn Rider: Frida’s Dreams
Composer Gabriela Lena Frank explores the tumultuous relationship between Mexican painters Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera in a new string quartet based on her acclaimed 2021 opera El último sueño de Frida y Diego. This new multi-media DACAMERA production features projections based on the paintings of Frida Kahlo. Musical quartet Brooklyn Rider will make their DACAMERA debut, as DACAMERA Young Artists join the quartet for Osvaldo Golijov’s octet Ever Yours and Rider’s arrangements of traditional folk music. 7:30 pm.

Alley Theatre presents English
Winner of the 2023 Pulitzer Prize, English is a heartfelt, humorous play that follows five strangers in an Iranian TOEFL class as they navigate language, identity, and unexpected friendships. Each brings a personal reason for learning English, discovering along the way what is lost and found in translation. While some things may get lost, the human spirit shines through. Through Sunday, March 8. 8 pm (2 & 8 pm Saturday; 2 & 7 pm Sunday).

Theatre Under the Stars presents Million Dollar Quartet
Million Dollar Quartet transports audiences to December 4, 1956, when a twist of fate brought Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Elvis Presley together for an unforgettable jam session at Sun Records in Memphis. The musical features iconic hits like “Blue Suede Shoes,” “I Walk the Line,” “Great Balls of Fire,” and many more. This once-in-a-lifetime moment comes alive onstage with a mix of broken promises, untold secrets, fiery betrayals, and joyous celebrations. Through Sunday, March 1. 8 pm (7:30 pm Thursday; 2 & 8 pm Saturday; 2 & 7:30 pm Sunday).

Saturday, February 21

Space Center Houston presents Lunar New Year Celebration
Join Space Center Houston to celebrate Lunar New Year and experience the rich traditions behind this vibrant holiday. This two-day event will have you enjoying cultural activities, discovering fascinating facts about the moon, and engaging in fun, hands-on science experiments. There will also be lion dances, pop-up labs and astronaut presentations with NASA astronaut Col. Carl Walz. It’s a perfect way to ring in the new year while learning about space and the wonders of our lunar neighbor. 10 am.

Zanti Cucina Italiana presents Rodeo Glam Brunch
The River Oaks restaurant will transform into a western-glam hotspot, featuring new brunch menu offerings, rodeo-inspired cocktail specials, and tableside moments, all set to a live DJ spinning country favorites alongside music from artists performing at the 2026 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Customers are encouraged to embrace the western glam dress code and enjoy a curated hat pop-up by A.B. Lino. 11 am.

Karbach Brewing Co. presents ZiegFest Music Festival
The ZiegFest Music Festival, presented by Karbach Brewing Co., will feature performances by Pat Green, Mike Ryan, and the Droptines. The festival will include bars, concessions, official band merch, event merch, and specialty items from local vendors for purchase throughout the biergarten. VIP passes will include complimentary drinks, food, ZiegenBock swag and special access to VIP areas. 4 pm.

Rice Cinema presents Manila in the Claws of Light
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the People Power Revolution in the Philippines, Rice Cinema (In collaboration with Anakbayan Houston) will screen the 1975 film Manila in the Claws of Light. Júlio Madiaga, a young fisherman from the province of Marinduque, arrives in Manila and descends into social alienation as he searches for his lover, Ligaya. Filmmaker and activist Lino Brocka’s work sheds light on the harsh realities of life under martial law. 7 pm.

Sunday, February 22

Bayou Heights Bier Garten presents Boots & Brews Market
Bayou Heights Bier Garten will transform into a rodeo-ready playground with its Boots & Brews Market. Houstonians are invited to spend an afternoon packed full of entertainment, including local Western-inspired vendors, live music from the Saint E Street Band, mechanical bull rides (starting at 5 pm), and rodeo ticket giveaways and prizes throughout the afternoon. Reservations available on Resy, but walk-ins are welcome. 3 pm.

DACAMERA presents Branford Marsalis Quartet Belonging Tour
Branford Marsalis brings his trademark energy and virtuosity to a re-imagining of Keith Jarrett’s classic 1974 album, Belonging. Quartet’s Belonging recording has been nominated for a Best Instrumental Jazz Album Grammy, and named album of the year in the DownBeat readers poll and one of the 20 best jazz albums in last year’s Jazzwise critics poll. A three-time Grammy winner and NEA Jazz Master, Marsalis has led his quartet with clarity and power for over three decades. 5 pm.

Cullen Performance Hall presents Muertas de la Risa
Muertas de la Risa (Dying of Laughter) is a hilarious story starring two women in a crazy and absurd situation. Lorna Cepeda and Natalia Ramírez will reveal their deepest secrets and face a decision that will have the audience roaring with laughter. They will question the love they felt for their man and realize that love cannot be shared, bought, or sold, and that having self-love is more important than loving someone else. We’re talking unspeakable confessions, tumultuous love affairs, and a truth that will surprise everyone and leave them dying of laughter. 6 pm.

Courtesy of Pat Green

See Pat Green at ZiegFest.

things to do houston event-planner weekend events

Movie Review

Twin sisters set out for revenge in Tarantino-esque film 'Is God Is'

Photo by Patti Perret

Kara Young and Mallori Johnson in Is God Is.

The revenge story is one of the most enduring in all of cinema as it can be adapted to multiple different genres. It most naturally fits in the action/thriller genre, but comedies, dramas, Westerns, and more have made good use of characters seeking revenge. The new film Is God Is demonstrates that malleability by detailing an intensely personal story that turns into something bigger.

Twins Racine (Kara Young) and Anaia (Mallori Johnson) have lived a difficult life, going in and out of foster care and forced to endure stares and taunts because each bears burn scars from a childhood attack. Racine, whose scars are “only” on her left arm, has developed into the protector of Anaia, who suffered burns over much of her face.

An unexpected call from their mother, Ruby (Vivica A. Fox), who was burned almost beyond recognition in the attack, gives them a purpose: Seeking revenge on the man who ruined their lives. Setting out in a barely working car and with only a small amount of direction, the sisters attempt to fulfill the mission without losing their souls.

Written and directed by first-time feature filmmaker Aleasha Harris, the film may remind some viewers of Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill, and not just because Fox has small roles in both films. Harris has a knack for dialogue, especially between the twins, that ably gets across the story exposition and entertains at the same time. There are many instances where she has the sisters hold silent conversations told on screen via subtitles to convey twin-speak, a method that deepens their connection and draws the viewer in.

Harris also has her characters engage in the type of shocking violence that Tarantino has used to great effect. The difference here, though, is that even though the story is heightened to a certain degree, the egregious nature of the crime perpetrated upon the girls and their mother makes the whole thing feel bracingly real. This revenge plot is not meant to merely entertain; it’s designed to put the audience in Racine and Anaia’s shoes and fully embrace the call for justice.

There are a few times when the lack of experience by Harris shows up, especially in the climactic sequence where the stunt work could have used some more precision. But overall, it’s a self-assured filmmaking debut for the playwright-turned-director, who’s adapted her own play with a richness and depth that is not often found from someone stepping behind the camera for the first time.

Young and Johnson don’t especially look alike, but they embody the essence of twin sisters, and it’s their chemistry together that makes the story as impactful as it is. They’re joined by other strong female performances by Fox, Erika Alexander, and Janelle Monáe, each of whom brings a different vibe. And anyone who loves This is Us or Paradise should prepare themselves for a completely different kind of role for Sterling K. Brown.

Is God Is uses a variety of inspirations for its storytelling, but in the end it becomes its own thing. The filmmaking world can always stand to have another strong Black voice, and Harris has made an auspicious debut, one that should have cinephiles wondering what she’ll do next.

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Is God Is opens in theaters on May 15.

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