Weekend Event Planner

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

It’s Fourth of July weekend (aka America’s 250th), which means fireworks displays will be happening all over the Houston area.

You’ll have many chances to get into the patriotic spirit this weekend, as concerts, fancy soirees, and even an immersive gaming experience will be Independence Day-themed. In addition, this weekend offers exciting new stage productions, a couple of film screenings, and an Outlaw Music Festival starring one of Beyonce’s pals.

Thursday, July 2

Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Houston presents “We, The Kids” mural unveiling
In celebration of America's 250th birthday, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Houston (BGCGH) members will join Houston artist Kimmie Gillespie to create "We, The Kids," a 300-foot-by-50-foot, painted American flag mural at BGCGH headquarters. After the mural is painted on Wednesday, the public unveiling of the completed mural will take place the next day. Public officials are invited, along with community members, to sign the mural. 10 am.

The Catastrophic Theatre presents Tamarie's Greatest Hits, Volume 3
Tamarie Cooper gives Houston another wholly original, full-scale musical this summer, featuring wildly irreverent scripts, riotously funny songs, wackadoodle dances, large casts of quadruple-threat performers, a small but mighty band, and, of course, Houston’s own Carol Burnett, Lucille Ball, and Bugs Bunny rolled into one. This greatest-hits show features the best moments, with a ridiculous new script and a couple new songs. Through Saturday, August 1. 7:30 pm (8 pm Friday; 2:30 pm Sunday).

Kam Franklin in concert
The Suffers frontwoman (and H-Town gal) Kam Franklin will drop her debut solo album, titled Land of the Neon Sun, on Friday, August 28. Co-produced by Franklin with Margo Price and featuring collaborations with Kevin Morby and Jackie Venson, this 12-song joyride embraces experimentation, individuality, and vulnerability. Franklin is currently on a solo tour, giving live audiences a taste of the new album. She’ll be right here this weekend, doing a show at Shoeshine Charley’s Big Top Lounge in Midtown. 8 pm.

Friday, July 3

Activate presents Fourth of July Weekend
For those looking to celebrate America’s 250th in an active, energetic, and air-conditioned environment, the Activate locations in Katy and The Woodlands are offering special promotions on Friday and Saturday. Activate is an immersive, high-tech gaming experience where families and friends of all ages can compete and challenge their physical and mental agility across a variety of games. Game rooms will also come with patriotic-themed lighting and a Stars & Stripes playlist. Wear red, white, and blue for a 25 percent discount. 10 am.

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston presents Bend It Like Beckham
The MFAH will close its World Cup-related, soccer-centric film series with this global smash hit from 2002. The British comedy follows two young women from different cultural backgrounds (breakout stars Parminder Nagra and Keira Knightley) as they pursue their dreams to become professional soccer players over their parents’ objections. Jonathan Rhys Meyers also stars in this perfect accompaniment to this soccer-obsessed moment. 6 pm.

River Oaks Theatre presents Gaslit
In Gaslit, which will begin a theatrical run at River Oaks Theatre this weekend, award-winning actor and activist Jane Fonda embarks on a road trip through Texas oil fields and Gulf Coast communities, meeting the people who are fighting back against the oil and gas extraction boom. The Friday screening will feature a post-screening Q&A with filmmaker Katie Camosy. 7 pm.

Houston Symphony presents Star-Spangled Salute
The Houston Symphony will celebrate Independence Day with its annual “Star-Spangled Salute,” featuring patriotic fan-favorites like the “1812 Overture,” “The Stars and Stripes Forever,” and “America the Beautiful.” The Star-Spangled Salute is one of the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion's longest-standing traditions, a completely free night of patriotic tunes, lovely lawn vibes, and many memories. 8 pm.

Saturday, July 4

Houston Museum of African American Culture presents Juneteenth Rewind
Still miss the fun you had during Juneteenth last month? Visit the Houston Museum of African American Culture as it continues honoring the stories, artistry, and legacy of Juneteenth through a day of community, creativity, and culture. Visitors can explore its current Bayou City Stewards: America From Our Perspective exhibition, participate in the community project, and shop at the vendor market. 11 am.

Chardon French Bistro presents World Cup Watch Party
Celebrate the Fourth at Chardon with a World Cup Round of 16 watch party, with France taking on Paraguay. The game marks a rematch of the memorable 1998 Round of 16 meeting between the two nations, making it a must-watch for soccer fans and supporters of Les Bleus. To celebrate both the World Cup and America's 250th birthday, Chardon will serve all-American hot dogs, its signature sweet crêpes, and $2.50 Lone Star beers during the watch party. Happy hour will also continue through the end of the game. 3 pm.

Freedom Over Texas
Freedom Over Texas has become Houston’s annual, signature July 4th celebration, with an average of 50,000 people in attendance and is televised live in Houston. This year’s festivities include performances by Keith Urban, Collective Soul, and Los Lonely Boys, with six hours of festivities capped off with a musically choreographed, “Texas-sized” fireworks finale. A percentage of food and beverage sales will be donated to the Houston Food Bank. 3 pm.

Liberty & Lux
This special event serves as the official fundraising launch for a transformative public art initiative, benefiting Street Art for Mankind. As fireworks illuminate the city, get ready for an elevated experience featuring an open bar, chef-curated hors d'oeuvres, live music, a DJ, and breathtaking 360-degree views of Houston's Independence Day celebrations from the venue's 12th floor pool deck. 6 pm.

Sunday, July 5

The DeLUXE Theater presents Outside 4 Reel
The historic Fifth Ward venue the DeLUXE Theater will celebrate the legacy of film at the theater with a day full of, as they call it, “1995 block party vibes.” The community festival will feature family-friendly activities, food trucks, local vendors, and a double film screening of A Goofy Movie and Bad Boys. Plenty of shade, water, and fans will help keep everybody cool. Noon.

Willie Nelson/Facebook

Willie Nelson will headline the Outlaw Music Festival.

A.D. Players presents Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat — one of two biblical musicals Brit stage legends Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber dropped in the ‘70s (of course, Jesus Christ Superstar is the other one) — is a vibrant, high-energy musical about Joseph, a dreamer betrayed by his brothers and sold into slavery. From prison to Pharaoh’s palace, his faith is tested, but destiny awaits. It’s a story of hope, perseverance, and the power of dreams — told in the most exciting way possible. Through Sunday, July 19. 2 pm.

Outlaw Music Festival
The 2026 Outlaw Music Festival has been touring the country, continuing its tradition of presenting country, western, and Americana music from outlaw-country stars. The fest will feature performances by Texas icon Willie Nelson & Family, Wilco, Sheryl Crow, Lukas Nelson, Stephen Wilson Jr., Margo Price, and Lily Meola. 2 pm.

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Movie Review

Fun final act isn't enough to make Clayface DC's next great movie

Tom Rhys Harries and Naomi Ackie in Clayface

Photo by Parisa Taghizadeh

Tom Rhys Harries and Naomi Ackie are patient and doctor in Clayface.

The history of DC Comics in movies has been hit-and-miss, especially when it comes to anything not directly involving Batman or Superman. Over the years, films have been headlined by heroes like Catwoman, Green Lantern, Aquaman, Shazam, the Flash, and more, and while some succeeded, none left a lasting mark on moviegoers’ imaginations.

Much like they did with Joker, the powers-that-be behind DC Studios productions are trying to entice viewers with a no-holds-barred story in Clayface. Matt Hagen (Tom Rhys Harries) is an A-list movie actor with both critical and commercial appeal. Unfortunately, a night of celebration for his recent Oscar nomination leads to him sleeping with Theresa (Ruby Sear), the girlfriend of Markos Szabo (David Dencik), a prominent mobster in Gotham City. Markos then enacts revenge by taking a razor to Matt’s face.

Desperate to find a way to look like his old self again, Matt seeks out Dr. Caitlyn Corr (Naomi Ackie), who’s conducting cutting-edge nanotechnology research that can heal any kind of damage. While the solution works on Matt, it also has the side effect of his body doing unintended things, even morphing into those with whom he comes into contact. After initially struggling with his new body, Matt decides to use his powers to enact revenge on those who’ve done him wrong.

Directed by James Watkins (Speak No Evil) and written by Mike Flanagan (The Life of Chuck) and Hossein Amini, the film is only intermittently entertaining as it tries to sell its ridiculous premise. Right from the start, it seems like the filmmakers have been given a limited budget, as everything from the sets to the CGI to the stilted dialogue feels cheap. For a film coming from a major studio, the whole thing comes off as schlocky and undercooked.

Watkins and his team try to make up for that shoddiness by delivering R-rated thrills like nudity and body horror, but those elements can only distract for so long. Much of the film is spent dealing with Matt’s trauma, and the downbeat nature of his body issues combined with very little action makes the movie not very fun to watch. The film also tries to make hay with more than a doctor-patient bond between Caitlyn — who has a boyfriend on the police force — and Matt, but like the most of the film, it never connects.

It’s not until the final third of the movie that the filmmakers land on the tone they should have been using the whole time. Matt’s ability to transform himself, while illogical and confounding, provides multiple over-the-top, funny moments and some legitimately creative kills. Instead of taking forever to set up Matt/Clayface’s origin story, Watkins and his team should have just cut to the chase and let him loose to see what the character could truly do.

This is the first big role for Welsh actor Harries, and while he’s not exactly magnetic, he proves himself worthy of the lead role. Ackie is also fine, but after several years of trying to advance up the Hollywood ladder, she may be running out of time to show she’s a star. The supporting cast has a couple of familiar faces, but it’s mostly lesser-known actors who do nothing to indicate they deserve bigger showcases.

It’s difficult to imagine any non-DC Comics fans having a strong attachment to the character of Clayface, and the film fails to make the case that he should be a continuing character. The poor quality of almost everything that appears on screen is indicative of the kind of effort and money that was put into the film, and sometimes you really do get what you pay for.

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Clayface opens in theaters on October 23.

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