weekend event planner

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

This weekend has several heavy hitters doing live concerts, including rap boss Rick Ross, soul songstress Alex Isley and, Lizzie McGuire herself, Hilary Duff.

However, Houstonians looking for less musical options, this weekend offers some great choices: several movie-related happenings, a wine-filled anniversary party, an Art Car showcase, the opening of a very patriotic art show, and even a Puppy Cup!

So, go out there and, as a deep-voiced white man once said, take it to the streets!

Thursday, June 25

Nan & Company Properties and Chapman & Kirby present Puppy Cup
Houston real estate brokerage Nan & Company Properties is partnering with Chapman & Kirby to host the inaugural Puppy Cup. The free public event will feature a live puppy soccer match, a FIFA World Cup watch party, live music, and charitable fundraising, creating a one-of-a-kind summer celebration benefiting Houston-based animal welfare nonprofit PetSet. Attendees can also enjoy Chapman & Kirby's specialty event cocktail, the Million Dollar Margarita ($14), and 20 percent of each cocktail sold during the event will be donated to PetSet. 6 pm.

Sesame Street Live: Elmo’s Got the Moves
Elmo’s Got the Moves, an all-new Sesame Street Live production, is a joyful and engaging show that invites children and their families to sing, dance, and move along with their favorite friends from Sesame Street in a heartwarming, interactive celebration unlike anything they’ve seen before. The show features Elmo and his friends as they move and groove to fan-favorite songs, including "Sunny Days," "Elmo’s Got the Moves," and "Letter of the Day." 6 pm.

IPSY and Rooftop Cinema Club Houston present Some Like It Hot
Join Rooftop Cinema Club Houston and beauty subscription IPSY under the stars for an evening of old Hollywood glamour. Come celebrate 100 years of Marilyn Monroe, the original blonde bombshell, by watching the classic comedy Some Like it Hot, where she gets into screwball shenanigans with Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon, all dolled up in drag as on-the-run musicians. Upon entry, each guest will receive our exclusive IPSY x MM 100 Glam Bag full of must-have beauty goodies. 7:30 pm.

Friday, June 26

The T.R.U.T.H. Project Inc. and Black Alphabet NFP present 2nd Annual Black Alphabet Film Festival
The 2nd Annual Black Alphabet Film Festival Houston is a two-night celebration of Black LGBTQ+ film, culture, and community, going down at The DeLUXE Theater in the Fifth Ward. Born from a shared commitment to amplifying underrepresented voices through art and advocacy, the festival brings together filmmakers, community members, and culture-makers for two evenings of curated screenings, talkbacks, and community-centered programming exploring wellness, identity, and the liberating power of storytelling. 6 pm (10 am Saturday).

Houston Symphony presents Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix in Concert
Between crushing on Cho Chang, studying for his O.W.L.s, and the ever-growing number of detentions from Professor Umbridge, Harry Potter (future Tracy Morgan scene-partner Daniel Radcliffe) must find the time to discover the secret of his terrible nightmares. All of this happens in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix in Concert, which will be presented in HD on a giant screen and accompanied by a live symphony orchestra. 7:30 pm (2 pm Sunday).

The Players Theatre Company presents 1776
It's the summer of 1776, and the nation is ready to declare independence ... if only our founding fathers can agree to do it. 1776 follows John Adams of Massachusetts, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania, and Thomas Jefferson of Virginia as they attempt to convince the members of the Second Continental Congress to vote for independence from the shackles of the British monarchy by signing the Declaration of Independence. 7:30 pm (2 pm Sunday)

Steve Ray Ladson and Devin Tuel & Stephen Harms in concert
America's Got Talent finalist Steve Ray Ladson has partnered with folk-soul duo Devin Tuel & Stephen Harms (formerly Native Harrow) to perform three co-bill concerts in Texas, including a show at The Continental Club in Midtown. Tuel and Harms have been touring through the Lone Star State – bringing "twilight twang and vintage vibes” – for a decade. As for Ladson, he’ll be bringing his "Blackgrass BrotherCana" sound and full band to The Continental Club. 9 pm.

Saturday, June 27

HMAAC Cinema Cafe presents Paris Is Burning
For Pride Month and Black Music Month, the Houston Museum of African American Culture has a special screening lined up. Jennie Livingston’s landmark 1991 documentary Paris Is Burning provides a vibrant snapshot of the ‘80s, through the eyes of New York City's African American and Latinx Harlem drag-ball scene. Made over seven years, the film offers an intimate portrait of rival fashion "houses," from fierce contests for trophies to house mothers offering sustenance in a world rampant with homophobia, transphobia, racism, AIDS, and poverty. Noon.

Mid Main Houston presents Summer Series 2026: Art Car Showcase & Midtown Cultural Arts Mixer
Mid Main Houston’s Summer Series wraps with a celebration of Houston’s iconic Art Car culture along Winbern Street, in partnership with the Midtown Cultural Arts Mixer. Explore Moon Papas Art curated and a striking film installation by Camilo Gonzalez at the Mid Main Art Gallery and Windows on Main. Meet Art Car artists and their wildly transformed vehicles, join a recycled art workshop, and enjoy a high-energy lineup featuring live music, plus entertainment throughout the night. Don’t miss a chance to meet Midtown’s first-ever Artist in Residence, DUAL. 3 pm.

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston presents The Little Sister
Winner of the Queer Palm at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, Hafsia Herzi’s coming-of-age drama follows Fatima (Nadia Melliti), the youngest of three daughters in a traditional Algerian family, as she moves from high school to college in Paris. Exploring a whole new world, she grapples with how to balance her attraction to women with respect for her caring Muslim family. She also confronts a timeless and heartrending dilemma: How can one stay true to oneself when reconciling different parts of one’s identity feels impossible? 7 pm (5 pm Sunday).

Voices of Arts Central presents Forever Nebrada
Voices of Arts Central, in partnership with the Nebrada Foundation, will present a one-night-only performance of Forever Nebrada, a tribute to the enduring spirit of Vicente Nebrada, a visionary choreographer whose work reshaped the identity of Venezuelan and Latin American ballet. More than a remembrance, the performance affirms that Nebrada’s vision continues to move, inspire, and define generations of dancers and audiences around the world. 7:30 pm.

Sunday, June 28

Barcelona Wine Bar presents Uncorked: Thirty
Barcelona Wine Bar is turning 30 this year, and they’re marking the occasion with something a little special. Uncorked: Thirty is a walk-around tasting built around 30 bottles pulled from the wine list, alongside chef pairings and passed bites. It's described as less of a tasting event and more of a fun celebration of the wines, the producers, and the relationships that helped shape the restaurant over three decades. Noon and 1 pm.

Courtesy of Barcelona Wine Bar

Barcelona Wine Bar is celebrating its 30th anniversary.

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston presents "America 250: 1776-2026" opening day
As America will soon reach the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, art offers meaningful perspectives into moments in time. With "America 250," the MFAH highlights American artistic achievements in its permanent collection. Houstonians are invited to discover these works of art throughout galleries on the main campus and at both house museums: Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens and Rienzi. Through Sunday, January 3. 12:30 pm.

The Music Box Theater presents Feelin' Groovy
The Music Box Theater continues its tradition of singing groovy tunes in an all-new exploration of the music from the 1960s and 1970s. Songs from the era will be interspersed with comedy sketches. The Feelin’ Groovy show will feature classics originally sung by Aretha Franklin (“A Natural Woman”), Doobie Brothers (“Takin’ It to the Streets”), Eagles (“Heartache Tonight”), Diana Ross (“Touch Me in the Morning”), Sam & Dave (“Soul Man”), Glenn Campbell (“Wichita Lineman”), and more. Through Saturday, August 15. 2 pm.

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Music feature

Texas country star Cody Johnson's new album goes to 'Banks of Trinity'

Photo by Cameron Powell

Cody Johnson.

There's a moment at every Cody Johnson show where the Texas-born-and-bred country star asks the crowd, “How many of you tonight are watching me and this band live for the very first time?” he told The Associated Press. “And every night, I would say at least 80% of the crowd raises their hands.”

It's not the kind of reaction most veteran artists receive. “And I’m thinking, you know, 20 years is a long time to work for something. But when you see that … What’s the next 20 years look like?” he asks.

The rancher, rodeo competitor, and onetime prison guard started his two-decade career playing honky tonks and dive bars. That led to slow and steady growth for the country traditionalist, but in the last few years, something has shifted. He landed his fifth career No. 1 song with “The Fall.” He was named Entertainer of the Year at the 2026 Academy of Country Music Awards, the show's highest honor. That was a month after he headlined Stagecoach Music Festival. For an artist with legions of fans, it looked like he was accessing new heights.

“I feel like I’m closing a book and I’m opening another one and it’s all blank pages,” he says of this period. “Let's get to the next chapter." On June 26, that new era began with the release of his latest album, Banks of the Trinity.

Traveling to the Banks of the Trinity
It hasn't been an easy road. Last fall, Johnson had to cancel a bunch of tour dates after upper respiratory and sinus infections caused a burst eardrum that required surgery — an intimidating medical procedure for anyone, but especially nerve-wracking for a musician. “I was scared,” he said simply. But “in a roundabout way, it’s one of the best things that’s ever happened to me.”

It forced him to take three months off, which allowed him to be home during the birth of his son. It also rejuvenated his approach in the studio. Before the incident, he thought the album was complete. It was not. The additional time resulted in the inclusion of a few songs that now feel inextricable from the record: “Thank Somebody Country,” “Take Me Back (Leave Me There),” “Cricket on a Hook,” and the resilient “I Have” among them.

“What a blessing to have that kind of song fall in your lap when you’re kind of up against the ropes,” he says of the latter. “I mean, we thought we had the record done. It wasn’t done.”

A title track with real resonance
At the heart of Banks of the Trinity is its title track, which recalls Eagles' cover of “Seven Bridges Road” meets bluegrass and Southern gospel.

Lyrically, it's an ode to Johnson's childhood. “I grew up on the banks of the Trinity [River.] Fishing for catfish, not so much out of pleasure or sport but for necessity to put food in the freezer. Deer season for me was not a trophy thing,” he said.

And while that track inspires a feeling of nostalgia within the listener, he doesn't consider this album a throwback collection. He says it's about showcasing his evolving sonic diversity.

"The rest of the album for me is a musical journey from track one to track 16,” he said. “There’s a little bit of a flavor for everybody. It does kind of hit Motown. It does kind of hit bluegrass. It does hit progressive country. It does it old country. It does a little rock here and there.”

It's the result of a new kind of freedom, one that is at least partially due to his recent accomplishments, including taking home the top prize at the ACM Awards.

“I just did the thing that I’ve aspired to do in my career my entire life,” he says. “A really good place is a really good way to describe where I am.”

And now that the album is out, he's ready to take a breather.

“I will be shirtless with no shoes on a beach at an undisclosed location,” he jokes about the days after record release. “'Cause I have already done all the prep work. I've been working on this album for two years. I’ve done all of the interviews. I’ve shook all the hands. Me and my wife and kids are gonna disappear for 10 days and I’m gonna become, I guess, every Kenny Chesney song ever.”

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