It's Outside Weather

Now is the perfect time to go on a fall 'park crawl' in downtown Houston

Festivals, food, and cooler temperatures make downtown Houston the perfect place to celebrate the changing seasons.

With great restaurants, coffee bars, and pubs, downtown offers some of the city’s best parks to enjoy and explore. Outdoor festivals, fall markets, inspiring public art, unique and scenic spots are accessible at parks located in the heart of the city.

Whether you are looking for a peaceful retreat, a place to reconnect with nature, or entertaining activities for the family, you can find it at a downtown park. You'll even find it's easy to take a scenic stroll between several downtown parks.

You may already be familiar with some of the more prominent parks — others, not so much — but all are worth taking the time to discover and experience their unique vibes, especially in such nice weather.

Trebly Park Houston yoga Can you imagine a more perfect Saturday morning than yoga in Trebly Park?Photo by Egidio Narvaez and Egidio Narvaez Photography

An ideal fall morning might begin with coffee at Tout Suite cafe in Trebly Park before perusing art installations at Market Square.

If a trip to the Theater District is on your agenda, pack a picnic lunch to share at Lynn Wyatt Square, then consider heading to Discovery Green to paddle a kayak or let the little ones explore kid-friendly playscapes.

To end the day, how about watching a beautiful Texas sunset from Sam Houston Park? No matter where you decide to start or end the day, here are a few suggestions to get you started on your fall park crawl.

Discovery Green
1500 McKinney St.

As one of the city’s most iconic parks, there is always something exciting happening at Discovery Green.

In addition to year-round features like public art installations, kid-friendly playscapes, a lake with kayaks, a nighttime flea market, and other live entertainment, a number of exciting fall-related activities are scheduled this year.

Bring a blanket or lawn chairs for family movie night under the stars, as Screen on the Green showcases The Nightmare Before Christmas the evening of Friday, October 24. Then, the following Saturday evening, October 25, take part in an annual favorite: Scream on the Green, which includes a costume contest followed by a showing of Beetlejuice.

Everyone is invited to join in the observance of Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, on Sunday, November 2. This year’s unforgettable tribute will include live musical performances, a Latin Market, and a community altar created by Houston artist Angel Quesada. And, of course, fall is not complete without a pumpkin festival in the park, featuring the world’s largest bouncy pumpkin, a corn pit, and more than a dozen Instagrammable pumpkin-related photo ops. Don’t delay — the pumpkin fun runs through November 2.

Market Square Park
301 Milam St.

If you are looking for fitness with some funk, then Fitbreak: Hip-Hop Dance Fitness may be just what you need on Tuesday evenings. If that’s not your speed, try Relax & Restore exercise classes, on Monday evenings, for a more therapeutic session. Unwind, recharge, reconnect, at these free classes throughout November — don’t forget your mat, towel and water bottle!

Market Square Park Houston Blanket Bingo Spread out for Blanket Bingo at Market Square Park.Photo by Egidio Narvaez and Egidio Narvaez Photography

For those who love Bingo, how about spicing up your Thursday evenings with Blanket Bingo? A $10 donation helps benefit the park. In honor of Dia de los Muertos, Bingo-goers are offered a free on-site photo printing as a tribute to loved ones on October 30. Be sure to make it back to Market Square on October 31 to celebrate with mariachi, ballet folklorico, face painting, interactive art, and cultural workshops at Una Noche en Market Square Park.

Movies Under the Stars gets two thumbs up with must-see classics like Lilo & Stitch and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Grab your loved ones and bring them by the park on Thursdays from 8-10 pm.

There are also board and lawn games available to play all day, any day, at the park.

Trebly Park
1515 Fannin St.

Downtown’s newest green space, Trebly Park, offers a number of ways to savor the sunshine while also getting fit throughout the fall season. On Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings in November, Flow & Breath sessions invite you to find your inner yogi and perfect your shavasana.

Watch free family-friendly movies on Thursday evenings, then, on Friday, October 31, celebrate Dia de los Muertos with a screening of the movie Coco. If you are into games, you’re in luck — every day you can find board or lawn games to play at Trebly from 11 am until 9 pm.

Trebly Park Houston dog park Bring your furry friends to Yappy Hour at Trebly Park.Photo by Egidio Narvaez and Egidio Narvaez Photography

Trebly Park is also the ideal place to hang out with your fur baby. The park’s Yappy Hour offers special activities designed especially for you and your four-legged companion on Friday evenings throughout the fall season.

Lynn Wyatt Square
601 Capital St.

This 1.5-acre park located in the center of downtown's Theater District offers theatergoers and patrons of the arts a way to enjoy the outdoors before or after a performance or show.

As Houston’s gateway to culture, this intimate green space is the site of gardens, water features, unique seating, and a performance lawn for concerts and other free programming. Take a walk, plan a lunch, and embrace the creative energy at Lynn Wyatt Square.

Sam Houston Park
1000 Bagby St.

This park offers a glimpse of Houston’s fascinating past while also providing a scenic place to appreciate nature, green space, and art.

Tour the historic homes in Sam Houston Park, or just enjoy the nature. Photo by\u00a0Lance Childers/Houston First Corporation

Ten historic homes from 1820 through the early 1900s have been restored by The Heritage Society and are available for tours. Activities include home tours, exhibits, interactive art installations, speakers, lunch-and-learns, and much more.

This fall, The Heritage Society will host a Dia de los Muertos Festival and parade November 1, from 4-11 pm. A pre-celebration of Navy Fleet Week in Houston is scheduled for Wednesday, October 22, at 6 pm featuring Erik Eriksson with Port Houston. The combination of history and nature makes Sam Houston Park a unique city treasure.

Trebly Park Houston Dia de los Muertos Several of the parks are celebrating Dia de los Muertos.Photo by Egidio Narvaez and Egidio Narvaez Photography

Photo by Egidio Narvaez and Egidio Narvaez Photography

Celebrate Dia de los Muertos at Trebly Park with a screening of the movie Coco.

Allen’s Landing on Buffalo Bayou
1019 Commerce St.

Considered the site of Houston’s birthplace, Allen’s Landing — at the confluence of Buffalo Bayou and White Oak Bayou — is the place where brothers August and John Allen stepped ashore in 1836.

This scenic spot, once the city’s original port, now offers trails for walking, hiking, biking, and beautiful views of the downtown skyline. This is the perfect place for relaxing and enjoying the views as you imagine Houston’s early years before skyscrapers and freeways.

Click here for additional downtown parks and green spaces.

Navigating downtown

Walking is the best way to navigate downtown and feel the magic of H-Town. With the cooler temperatures, it’s easy and healthy — simply park the car, put on your most comfortable shoes, and get to stepping!

Public transportation

You might also consider one of the public transit options to easily get around downtown: Buses, METRORail, or the Community Connector.

The METRORail Green and Purple Line trains run from east downtown in the Convention Center District, which includes Discovery Green, to west downtown, which includes the Theater District and is only a short walk to Sam Houston Park.

The METRORail Red Line connects you with Market Square Park in the Historic District and Trebly Park.

METRO now offers a free, on-demand microtransit service in downtown and nearby neighborhoods: the Community Connector. This new initiative provides access to fill in gaps in public transportation and uses climate-friendly, electric vehicles that are available on-demand through the downloadable Ride Circuit app.

Parking

In addition to downtown street parking, which is free after 6 pm Monday-Friday and all day on Sundays, visitors can park in the underground Theater District Parking Garage that is connected to several performing arts venues and Lynn Wyatt Square park.

Additionally, on the east side of downtown near Discovery Green, there are Avenida North, Avenida South, and Avenida Central garages available daily.

Head over to VisitHouston.com for more information on downtown parking.

Dining + entertainment

Find out more on downtown restaurants, performing arts, entertainment, nightlife, and upcoming events at VisitHouston.com.

Make it a weekend stay

After enjoying and exploring downtown’s parks, perhaps you don't want the adventure to end. Consider making it a weekend getaway and continue the adventure! Check out the exciting stays in downtown Houston at VisitHouston.com.

To always be in the know, follow and tag @Visit_Houston. Be sure to use the hashtags #ExploreHou and #VisitHouston in your photos from your downtown fall park crawl!

parks discovery green market square park trebly park lynn wyatt square sam houston park buffalo bayou downtown houston downtown houston parks downtown houston parking downtown houston restaurants promoted

Awards Season

CultureMap critic's guide to the 2026 Oscar Best Picture nominees

Michael B. Jordan and Miles Caton in Sinners

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

Sinners leads all films at the 2026 Academy Awards with a stunning 16 nominations.

The nominations for the 2026 Academy Awards have been announced, with 10 films vying for Best Picture. Leading the way is Sinners with an astonishing 16 nominations, the most in Oscars history.

The other top films include One Battle After Another, which earned 13 nominations, and Marty Supreme, Frankenstein, and Sentimental Value, which each got 9 nominations.

As a refresher, below are links to the full reviews for each of the nominees covered by CultureMap in the past year, as well as brief thoughts on the films and their various nominations.

Movie fans will have plenty of time to catch up with each of the nominees, as this year's Oscars ceremony will not take place until Sunday, March 15.

Here's the list of Best Picture nominees, in alphabetical order:

Bugonia
Yet another off-the-wall film from director Yorgos Lanthimos features two great performances by Emma Stone (nominated for Best Actress) and Jesse Plemons at its center. Written by Will Tracy (nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay), the conspiracy theory film is alternately brutal and funny as the characters played by Stone and Plemons use their form of power to try to manipulate the other. With a fair amount of intrigue and two great actors going head-to-head for much of its running time, it gives even more Oscar pedigree to its filmmakers and stars.

F1
The biggest surprise among the Best Picture nominees has to be the racing movie F1. It was a technical marvel, to be sure, as its nominations in Film Editing, Sound, and Visual Affects attest. But the fact that it has no other nominations in any of the above the fold categories indicates that its other qualities are lacking. As a showcase (aka advertisement) for the sport it depicts, the film works relatively well. As a complete movie, though, there’s not much to recommend, to the point that it almost negates any of the positives that come from the racing scenes.

Frankenstein (not reviewed)
Writer/director Guillermo del Toro (nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay) loves himself a monster movie, and he takes on one of the classics with his new version of Frankenstein (now streaming on Netflix). Oscar Isaac plays Victor Frankenstein, who brings to life The Creature, played by Jacob Elordi (nominated for Best Supporting Actor). With a slew of nominations in technical categories, there's a chance this film goes home with a lot of awards at this year's ceremony.

Hamnet (not reviewed)
Writer/director Chloé Zhao (nominated for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay alongside co-writer Maggie O'Farrell) gets back to her Oscar-worthy skills for the first time since 2020's Nomadland (after the unfortunate detour into the MCU with Eternals). A story about love, loss, and grief involving William Shakespeare and his wife, Agnes, the film is most notable for the performances of its two leads, Jessie Buckley (nominated for Best Actress) and Paul Mescal.

Marty Supreme
There was no other movie this year, or maybe even this century, like Marty Supreme. Directed and co-written by Josh Safdie (nominated for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay alongside co-writer Ronald Bronstein), the film is an almost continuous blast of pure energy for 2 ½ hours. So many different things happen over the course of the film that the story defies conventional narratives. At its center is the fast-talking, powerhouse performance by star Timothée Chalamet (nominated for Best Actor), who cements his status as his generation’s movie star one year after playing the polar opposite role of Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown. Look for the film to be a strong contender in the inaugural Best Casting category, as Safdie fills the film with non-actors who are crucial to the film's success.

One Battle After Another
Writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson (nominated for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay) has an acclaimed career going back 30 years, but has yet to actually win an Oscar. That will change this year, as One Battle After Another is one of the favorites to win Best Picture thanks to Anderson's stellar filmmaking, as well as multiple great performances that earned the film four acting nominations (Leonardo DiCaprio for Best Actor, Teyana Taylor for Best Supporting Actress, and Benicio Del Toro and Sean Penn for Best Supporting Actor). Add in a story with a very timely political critique (that's getting more relevant by the day) and you have the recipe for a big winner on Oscar night.

The Secret Agent (not reviewed)
No foreign country has quite the influence on the Oscars as Brazil, which for the second straight year has gotten one of its films nominated for both Best International Feature Film and Best Picture. Written and directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho, the film is anchored by the performance of Wagner Moura (nominated for Best Actor) as a technology expert in the late 1970s who flees from a mysterious past to try to find peace in his hometown.

Sentimental Value (not reviewed)
For the third year in a row, two international films made the cut in the Best Picture race (but whither It Was Just an Accident?). Directed and co-written by Joachim Trier (nominated for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay alongside co-writer Eskil Vogt), the film is tied for the most acting nominations this year, earning nods for Renate Reinsve for Best Actress, Elle Fanning and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas for Best Supporting Actress, and Stellan Skarsgård for Best Supporting Actor.

Sinners
It takes a special kind of filmmaker to make movies that are both popular and Oscar-worthy, and writer/director Ryan Coogler (nominated for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay) has done it again, seven years after helming the Oscar-winning Black Panther. Both a tribute to Black music history and a gnarly vampire movie, the film is led by Michael B. Jordan (nominated for Best Actor) in dual roles as twins Smoke and Stack. With a story infused with all manner of subtext and a bunch of great supporting performances, including Best Supporting Actress nominee Wunmi Mosaku, the film demonstrates Coogler's great filmmaking abilities that should keep him in demand for years to come. Amazingly, there was only one category for which it was eligible in which it did not receive a nomination.

Train Dreams (not reviewed)
The second Netflix movie this year to be nominated, Train Dreams is a contemplative film about a logger (played by Joel Edgerton) in early 20th century America who tries to adapt to a rapidly-changing world. Nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay for the script by director Clint Bentley and co-writer Greg Kwedar, the film is most notable for the work done by Adolpho Veloso (nominated for Best Cinematography), who showcases the Pacific Northwest in all its glory.

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