weekend event planner

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

The holidays (aka Mariah season) are in full swing, which means a lot of holiday-themed events happening around Houston. On Thursday alone, we have opening night of Houston Ballet’s annual Nutcracker Market, a holiday pop-up bar, and a very soulful Christmas show going on at The Ensemble Theatre.

For those who aren’t quite ready to feel the holiday spirit, cool things are still going down, like a new Disney on Ice show, the Islamic Arts Festival, a concert featuring Wynton Marsalis, and not one but two opportunities to consume a lot of wine.

Basically, we don’t think anyone can look at this rundown and – to paraphrase some band from Ireland – say they still haven’t found what they’re looking for.

Thursday, November 13

45th Annual Houston Ballet Nutcracker Market
All this weekend, the 45th annual Houston Ballet Nutcracker Market will give shoppers a chance to browse through a curated selection of holiday goods, gourmet treats, apparel, unique jewelry, and gifts. More than 270 merchants from across the nation — including more than 25 newcomers — will showcase their offerings. It is the best way to shop and give back during the holidays, as proceeds from each admission and special event ticket that is purchased, plus 11percent of all merchandise sold, goes back to Houston Ballet. 10 am.

The Chifley Hotel’s Tinsel Town Holiday Pop-Up Bar
Step inside one of Houston’s most immersive Christmas pop-up bars, where Christmas lights, bold cocktails, and wall-to-wall Christmas decorations create a one-of-a-kind seasonal experience. Tinsel Town transforms the space into a dazzling winter wonderland filled with twinkling lights, holiday cocktails, and chef-inspired bites. Enjoy live music every Friday and Saturday, themed nights, and special events all season long. Through Saturday, December 27. 5 pm.

The Ensemble Theatre presents Take the Soul Train to Christmas
Nate, Ida, and Rosa are assigned to write a research paper that chronicles how African Americans have celebrated Christmas throughout history. Granddad is immediately interested and summons the magical Soul Train to transport them all into the past so they can witness, firsthand, how Christmas was celebrated. The holiday spectacle introduces them to African drumming, Harlem Renaissance jazz, civil rights beat, disco party jams, and hip-hop battle sounds. Through Sunday, December 21. 7:30 pm (2 and 7:30 pm Saturday; 3 pm Sunday).

Friday, November 14

Disney On Ice presents Mickey’s Search Party
Disney On Ice will present Mickey’s Search Party, an adventure filled with world-class skating, high-flying acrobatics, and unexpected stunts. Audiences can look for clues in the search for Tinker Bell through immersive, fantastic worlds, explore the colorful spirit realm of Coco, sail away with Moana as she bravely saves her island, see Belle in the sky as the enchanted chandelier comes to life, and sing-along with Elsa in the icy world of Frozen. 10:30 am and 7 pm (11 am, 3 pm and 7 pm Saturday; 1 and 5 pm Sunday).

Contemporary Arts Museum Houston presents Mario Ayala: "Seven Vans" opening day
Contemporary Arts Museum Houston presents Mario Ayala: "Seven Vans," the artist’s first solo museum presentation in the United States. The exhibition expands his signature shaped canvases to debut seven life-size paintings of the backs of vans. Derived from the word "caravan," the van bridges histories of commerce and counterculture and acts as a tool for working people to modulate as a means of survival and expression. Through Sunday, June 21. 11 am.

A Taste of the Valley: Hudson Vineyards Pairing Dinner at Le Jardinier MFAH
Experience a taste of Napa Valley in the heart of the Museum District with Hudson Vineyards at Michelin-starred Le Jardinier MFAH. Discover a fice-course dinner by Le Jardinier’s acclaimed culinary team, alongside specially selected wine pairings by Hudson Wines; priced at $350 per guest. 5 pm.

Improv Houston presents Adam Ray
You may have seen comedian Adam Ray playing Vince McMahon in Young Rock, Jay Leno in Pam & Tommy, and starring in The Bellmen. But comedy fans know him mostly for his dead-on impersonation of Dr. Phil, which he does regularly on his own YouTube show Dr. Phil: LIVE! He’s even gone face-to-face with the doctor on the Netflix special Adam Ray is Dr. Phil UNLEASHED. Catch him and his hilariously unhinged impressions at Improv Houston this weekend. 7:30 and 9:45 pm (7 and 9:30 pm Saturday; 7:30 pm Sunday).

Saturday, November 15

Balloon Museum presents Pop Air
Pop Air, the first Houston exhibition presented by the Balloon Museum, is a group show where each work represents an interpretation of air through the ingenuity of international artists. Inspired by the Pop Art movement, when artists drew inspiration from mass and commercial culture, Pop Air adds a dimensional and architectural element, ensuring a unique experience that will characterize all the Balloon Museum’s exhibitions. Through Sunday, April 19. 10 am.

The Grow & Gather Market
Celebrate 27 years of Central City Co-Op — one of Houston’s hidden gems — at The Grow & Gather Market, a new pop-up experience in the heart of the Heights. Spend the day connecting with local growers and makers while enjoying great food, live music, and good company. Expect farm-fresh produce, artisan goods, community favorites, food and drinks, and wellness-inspired activities, including a morning sound bath, that capture the spirit of Houston’s oldest organic, sustainable co-op. 10 am.

Islamic Arts Society presents Annual Islamic Arts Festival
The 12th Annual Islamic Arts Festival will feature artists from across the country and will celebrate diverse forms of Islamic arts. It will also feature a live Sufi music program, a stand-up Muslim comedy show, a film festival, a spoken word program, an art workshop, and an academic seminar. Visitors will have the opportunity to purchase art, engage in interactive art sessions, live art demonstrations, children's art activities, learn about Islamic art and culture, attend workshops, and savor ethnic food. 10:30 am.

Kemah Boardwalk presents Fall Wine Fest 2025
Join Kemah Boardwalk this weekend for a day filled with delicious wines, live music, and waterfront views. Sip and savor the rich and diverse flavors of Spain's finest wines – 72 in total, from bold reds to crisp whites – and explore the unique grape varieties and blends that make Spanish wines so unforgettable. Make it a weekend escape and stay at the Boardwalk Inn Hotel. 2 pm.

Sunday, November 16

Meow Wolf presents Phenomenomaly
This new production turns Meow Wolf into a living stage. The event invites guests to explore at their own pace through every dimension of the exhibition with special performances by Houston artists throughout the season. Every visitor’s path becomes its own story, every interaction a moment of true theater. Phenomenomaly stands as both an immersive Meow Wolf experience and a showcase of Houston’s extraordinary artistic talent. Through Sunday, January 4. 1 pm.

CityCentre presents Starfall Serenade: Coldplay & U2 on Strings
Experience the music of two legendary stadium bands — Coldplay and U2 — reimagined for string quartet. Join the Listeso String Quartet at the CityCentre Plaza as daylight fades and stars begin to appear. Songs includes hits such as “Viva La Vida” and “With or Without You,” transformed into arrangements for strings. 5 pm.

Jazz Houston presents Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis
The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, America’s premier jazz ensemble, is led by the legendary Wynton Marsalis. The orchestra will bring its trademark swing, soul, and sophistication with a performance that celebrates the rich heritage and boundless innovation of jazz. From timeless classics to bold new compositions, this world-renowned group of musicians delivers a night of music that’s both deeply rooted and freshly inspired. 7 pm.

Photo courtesy of Adam Ray

See Adam Ray at Improv Houston.

event-planner weekend events

Movie Review

Glen Powell stumbles in remake of sci-fi classic The Running Man

Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Glen Powell in The Running Man.

For all its cheesy ‘80s greatness, the original version of The Running Man starring Arnold Schwarzenegger was a very loose adaptation of the novel by Stephen King. For the new remake, writer/director Edgar Wright has tried to hue much closer to the story laid out in the book, a decision that has both its positive and negative aspects.

Glen Powell takes over for Schwarzenegger as Ben Richards, a family man/hothead who can’t seem to hold a job in the dystopian America in which he lives. Desperate to take care of his family, he applies to be on one of the many game shows fed to the masses that promise riches in exchange for humiliation or worse. Thanks to his temper, Ben is chosen for the most popular one of all, The Running Man, in which contestants must survive 30 days while hunters, as well as the general population, track them down.

Given a 12-hour head start, Ben earns money for every day he survives, as well as every hunter he eliminates. Since he only has a relatively small amount of money to use as he pleases, Ben must rely on friendly citizens who are willing to put their own lives on the line to help him. That’s a task made even more difficult as the gamemakers, led by Dan Killian (Josh Brolin), use advanced AI to manipulate footage of Ben to make him seem like a guy for which no one should root.

Co-written by Michael Bacall, the film is shockingly uninteresting, working neither as an exciting action film, a fun quippy comedy, or social commentary. The biggest problem is that Wright seems to have no interest in developing any of his characters, starting with Ben. Our introduction to the protagonist is him trying to get his job back, a situation for which there is little context even after we’re beaten over the head with exposition.

The situation in which Ben finds himself should be easy to make sympathetic, but Wright and Bacall speed through scenes that might have emphasized that aspect in favor of ones that make the story less personal. The filmmakers really want to showcase the supposed antagonistic relationship between Ben and Dan (and the system which Dan represents), but all that effort results in little drama.

Ben has a number of close calls, and while those scenes are full of action and violence, almost every one of them feels emotionally inert, as if there was nothing at stake. It doesn’t help that Wright doesn’t set the scene well, making it unclear how far Ben has traveled or who/what he’s up against. There are times when Ben feels surrounded and others when he can walk freely, weird for a society that’s supposed to be under almost complete surveillance.

Powell has been touted as a movie star in the making for several years following his turn in Top Gun: Maverick, but he does little here to make that label stick. With no consistent co-star thanks to the structure of the story, he’s required to carry the film, and he just doesn’t have the juice that a true movie star is supposed to have. Nobody else is served well by the scattershot film, including normally reliable people like Brolin, Colman Domingo, Michael Cera, and Lee Pace.

The Running Man is a big misfire by Wright and a blow to Powell’s star power. On the surface, it has all the hallmarks of an action thriller with a side of social commentary, but nothing it does or says lands in any meaningful way. Schwarzenegger’s one-liners in the original film may have been goofy and over-the-top, but at least they made the movie memorable, which is way more than can be said of the remake.

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The Running Man opens in theaters on November 14.

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