weekend event planner

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

This weekend has a lot of sports-themed happenings popping off around the city. Thirteen Lounge will have a March Madness-related basketball challenge, while Maven Coffee & Cocktails at the Thompson Hotel will celebrate the Astros’ opening day weekend with coffee and cool music. Some of the world’s top golfers will get into the swing of things at the Texas Children’s Houston Open, and tennis players will battle it out in the early rounds of the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men's Clay Court Championship.

But we also have an evening of fine whiskey tasting, a luncheon featuring an appearance from one of The Goonies, a downtown art festival, a sneaker convention, and – for all the cat lovers – the return of some very talented felines.

Read on for this weekend's best events.

Thursday, March 27

Kazzan Ramen & Bar presents Kazzan Whiskey Night
Kazzan Ramen & Bar, the Heights-area spot that introduced its innovative “volcano” ramen to Houston, is hosting its first Kazzan Whiskey Night this weekend. Houstonians are invited to explore the rich, complex flavors of Japan’s finest spirits and can choose between four different whiskey flights priced between $23 and $40. To celebrate the launch, Kazzan is also offering guests a complimentary bartender’s choice shot with the purchase of any whiskey flight. 6 pm.

Fred Armisen: “Comedy For Musicians But Everyone Is Welcome”
First, he dropped the Netflix special Standup for Drummers in 2018. Now, comedian Fred Armisen comes to Houston as part of his “Comedy for Musicians but Everyone is Welcome” tour. Armisen is best known for his 11 seasons on Saturday Night Live and as the co-writer and co-star of IFC’s Emmy-nominated series Portlandia. He's also appeared on the Netflix series Wednesday as Uncle Fester and in HBO’s Los Espookys, which he co-wrote and executive produced. 7 and 9:15 pm.

Thirteen Lounge presents 13 Madness Pop-A-Shot Challenge
James Harden’s Thirteen Lounge is turning up the heat for March Madness with the launch of its first-ever “13 Madness Pop-A-Shot Challenge,” a Pop-A-Shot arcade-style basketball tournament where competitors will battle for cash, prizes, and bragging rights. Alongside the competition, Thirteen is rolling out a brand-new lounge menu, featuring a host of decadent new bites. The entry fee to play in the challenge is $13 per player and participants should register in advance. Walk-ins are welcome, if space permits. 8 pm.

Friday, March 28

Texas Children's Houston Open
Over at the Memorial Park Golf Course and Driving Lounge, the Texas Children's Houston Open, the PGA Tour's annual stop in Houston, will feature some of the best pro golfers in the world. The tournament serves as a warmup for The Masters, which takes places in a couple of weeks. Participants include defending champion Stephan Jaeger, previous winners Tony Finau and Lanto Griffin, and more. 8 am.

CHRISTUS Foundation for HealthCare presents Spring Luncheon
Actor and director Sean Astin will be the guest speaker of CHRISTUS Foundation for HealthCare's 21st annual Spring Luncheon. Astin will share his personal journey with mental health awareness, shaped by his experiences with his late mother, actress Patty Duke, who faced her own mental health challenges. The Spring Luncheon honors community leaders and raises funds for CHRISTUS Foundation for HealthCare’s healthcare and social service programs. 11:30 am.

Off the Wall Gallery presents Bernie Taupin: "Reflections & The Sixties" opening reception
Bernie Taupin is a multi-award-winning songwriter who has been Elton John's collaborator for decades (read our interview with him here). But Taupin is also a gifted visual artist. "Reflections & The Sixties" delves into the heart of a pivotal era, showcasing a collection of Taupin’s original artwork and hand-signed prints. The exhibition offers a unique glimpse into his personal and professional reflections on the social and cultural movements that shaped a generation, intertwined with his lifelong journey of writing songs and creating art. Through Saturday, April 12. 5 pm.

Rock Cats Rescue presents The Amazing Acro-cats
Ladies and gents, the Acro-Cats are back. The Amazing Acro-Cats, featured in the Netflix series Cat People, is a troupe of trained domestic house cats, all former orphans, rescues, and strays, that give purrformances (get it?!) like riding skateboards, jumping through hoops, ringing bells, balancing on balls, and performing other feats of agility and entertainment. The tour aims to support nonprofit Rock Cats Rescue, which focuses on saving cats "One Click at a Time" through cat welfare, rescue, and adoption. 7 pm (2 and 7 pm Saturday; 1 and 6 pm Sunday).

Saturday, March 29

Bayou City Art Festival Spring Downtown
Bayou City Art Festival will transform downtown Houston into a lively outdoor gallery and interactive art event with art, entertainment, and more. The two-day fest returns to showcase the works of 250 artists in 19 different categories. Guests can personally meet the artists, view original works, and purchase one-of-a-kind art, prints, jewelry, sculptures, functional art, and more at all price levels. They can also enjoy live entertainment stages, numerous food trucks, a craft beer and wine garden, a VIP Hospitality Lounge, and entertainment. 10 am.

Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men's Clay Court Championship
The ATP Tour will return to Houston at the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men's Clay Court Championship, featuring singles and doubles play. Among the top players scheduled to appear are Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe, Brandon Nakashima, Denis Shapovalov, Thanasi Kokkinakis, and more. Founded in 1910, the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship is the 14th oldest professional tennis tournament in the world. It remains a USTA National Championship, and it is the only ATP World Tour event contested on clay in the U.S. Through Sunday, April 6. 11 am.

Sneaker Con Houston
If you’re a hardcore sneakerhead looking to nab some shoes for your collection, Sneaker Con is the place where you can get your kicks – figuratively and literally. Sneaker Con is the premier event for sneaker enthusiasts of all ages, featuring everything from the latest drops to the rarest shoes, alongside special guests and a family-friendly atmosphere. It features over 250 vendors and more than 100,000 pairs of sneakers under one roof. Noon.

A Classically Black Arts Salon - "I Dream A World"
A Classically Black Arts Salon will feature baritone Reginald Smith Jr., accompanied by pianist Kevin J. Miller, performing his Langston Hughes-inspired recital “I Dream a World.” The event will also feature an exhibition by local photographer Colby Deal, whose work seeks to preserve the cultural essence of underrepresented communities, particularly within Black and Brown spaces. Guests can also enjoy appetizers by Chef Olayemi Thomas that highlight his Nigerian culture. Proceeds will go to the Foundation to support their inaugural scholarships this fall. 5 pm.

Sunday, March 30

Maven at Thompson presents Bayou City Beats & Brews
Maven at Thompson is bringing back its Beats & Brews series for a special Astros-themed edition. Along with combining laid-back DJ sets in a cozy coffee shop atmosphere, this Beats & Brews will feature additional fun activations such as merchandise from Sam & Davy, temporary tattoos, permanent jewelry, and soft and salted cookies. The event also welcomes members of the Loose Lance Run Club to kick off their run at 11 am and finish at MAVEN to join in on the festivities. Noon.

PlazAmericas presents Quinceañera & Bride Expo
PlazAmericas will have a Quinceañera & Bride Expo going down this weekend. The event is free and will feature a fashion show showcasing beautiful quinceañera and bridal dresses from the mall’s tenant boutiques, along with giveaways, live music and more. The expo will highlight local vendors offering wedding and quinceañera services, including Rodo’s Bake Shop, Mayan Graphics, and Foto Y Video Colosal, along with performances by Diana Torres, Grupo Musical La Reaccion and more. 1 pm.

The Sturniolo Triplets: Surprise Party Tour
The Sturniolo Triplets’s Surprise Party Tour is a high-energy experience bringing fans closer than ever to YouTubers/influencers Nick, Matt, and Chris. The tour features an exclusive meet-and-greet opportunity, live Q&As, and on-stage performances filled with their signature humor and behind-the-scenes stories. Designed as an immersive entertainment event, fans can expect surprises, fun segments, and unforgettable moments that capture the essence of the triplets' dynamic personalities. 8:30 pm.

Photo courtesy of Fred Armisen

See SNL alum Fred Armisen on Thursday.

event-planner weekend events

Movie Review

Avatar: Fire and Ash returns to Pandora with big action and bold visuals

Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios

Oona Chaplin in Avatar: Fire and Ash.

For a series whose first two films made over $5 billion combined worldwide, Avatar has a curious lack of widespread cultural impact. The films seem to exist in a sort of vacuum, popping up for their run in theaters and then almost as quickly disappearing from the larger movie landscape. The third of five planned movies, Avatar: Fire and Ash, is finally being released three years after its predecessor, Avatar: The Way of Water.

The new film finds the main duo, human-turned-Na’vi Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and his native Na’vi wife, Neytiri (Zoë Saldaña), still living with the water-loving Metkayina clan led by Ronal (Kate Winslet) and Tonowari (Cliff Curtis). While Jake and Neytiri still play a big part, the focus shifts significantly to their two surviving children, Lo’ak (Britain Dalton) and Tuk (Trinity Jo-Li Bliss), as well as two they’ve essentially adopted, Kiri (Sigourney Weaver) and Spider (Jack Champion).

Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang), who lives on in a fabricated Na’vi body, is still looking for revenge on Jake, and he finds help in the form of the Mangkwan Clan (aka the Ash People), led by Varang (Oona Chaplin). Quaritch’s access to human weapons and the Mangkwan’s desire for more power on the moon known as Pandora make them a nice match, and they team up to try to dominate the other tribes.

Aside from the story, the main point of making the films for writer/director James Cameron is showing off his considerable technical filmmaking prowess, and that is on full display right from the start. The characters zoom around both the air and sea on various creatures with which they’ve bonded, providing Cameron and his team with plenty of opportunities to put the audience right there with them. Cameron’s preferred viewing method of 3D makes the experience even more immersive, even if the high frame rate he uses makes some scenes look too realistic for their own good.

The story, as it has been in the first two films, is a mixed bag. Cameron and co-writers Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver start off well, having Jake, Neytiri, and their kids continue mourning the death of Neteyam (Jamie Flatters) in the previous film. The struggle for power provides an interesting setup, but Cameron and his team seem to drag out the conflict for much too long. This is the longest Avatar film yet, and you really start to feel it in the back half as the filmmakers add on a bunch of unnecessary elements.

Worse than the elongated story, though, is the hackneyed dialogue that Cameron, Jaffa, and Silver have come up with. Almost every main character is forced to spout lines that diminish the importance of the events around them. The writers seemingly couldn’t resist trying to throw in jokes despite them clashing with the tone of the scenes in which they’re said. Combined with the somewhat goofy nature of the Na’vi themselves (not to mention talking whales), the eye-rolling words detract from any excitement or emotion the story builds up.

A pre-movie behind-the-scenes short film shows how the actors act out every scene in performance capture suits, lending an authenticity to their performances. Still, some performers are better than others, with Saldaña, Worthington, and Lang standing out. It’s more than a little weird having Weaver play a 14-year-old girl, but it works relatively well. Those who actually get to show their real faces are collectively fine, but none of them elevate the film overall.

There are undoubtedly some Avatar superfans for which Fire and Ash will move the larger story forward in significant ways. For anyone else, though, the film is a demonstration of both the good and bad sides of Cameron. As he’s proven for 40 years, his visuals are (almost) beyond reproach, but the lack of a story that sticks with you long after you’ve left the theater keeps the film from being truly memorable.

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Avatar: Fire and Ash opens in theaters on December 19.

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