weekend event planner

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

If you’re a festival nut, you’ll have a grand time this weekend.

There will be festivals devoted to art, music, and Korean culture. The Houston Cinema Arts Society will also announce what’ll be happening at this year’s Houston Cinema Arts Festival. We also have an art opening, a couple of musicals, a butcher’s ball, a Pixar movie, the return of a popular DJ, and the return of a very colorful cafe truck.

Thursday, October 10

Houston Cinema Arts Festival presents Lineup Release Party
Roll the credits on boredom and get ready for an unforgettable night with HCAS, as they kick off the 2024 Houston Cinema Arts Festival with a lineup release party at Axelrad Beer Garden.Attendees will be the first to discover the films, performances, and special guests scheduled for this year's festival. They will also have the chance to grab their festival passes and secure access to this year’s can’t-miss events. 7 pm.

Stages presents Hershey Felder: Rachmaninoff and the Tsar
Sergei Rachmaninoff’s music is beloved throughout the world. Having safely left Russia during the 1917 revolution, Rachmaninoff eventually made his home in the United States but always longed for the Tsarist Russia he knew and loved as a young man. Now, Hershey Felder’s newest musical brings to life the haunting memory of Rachmaninoff’s encounter with Russia’s last tsar, Nicholas II, and the Tsar’s daughter, Grand Duchess Anastasia. Through Sunday, October 20. 7 pm (2 & 7 pm Saturday; 2 pm Sunday).

Armandos presents DJ Jason Farr
DJ Jason Farr will make his triumphant return to Thursday nights at Armandos after a four-year absence. For over a decade, Jason helped transform the River Oaks Tex-Mex restaurant into a lively dance party that became, and remains to this day, one of the most indelible Houston entertainment experiences. Guests can now come for dinner to enjoy their Tex-Mex favorites and stay for another round of margaritas – and a late-night dance party that Farr will oversee. 9:30 pm.

Friday, October 11

Bayou City Art Festival
The Bayou City Art Festival will bring more than 250 diverse artists while also supporting local organizations and promoting the impact that art has on the Houston community. Guests will have the opportunity to meet artists, view original works, and purchase one-of-a-kind art, prints, jewelry, sculptures, functional art, and more. The three-day festival features live entertainment stages, a food truck park, a craft beer and wine garden, and more. 10 am.

Sawyer Yards presents Caz Scott: "Breathwork" opening reception
Sawyer Yards presents "Breath Work," a new sculptural installation by Houston artist Caz Scott. "Breath Work" is a single artwork in three parts that represents the process of emotional regulation, taking internal action and expressing it outwardly, and moving from the states of red-hot hyperarousal and the blues of hypoarousal into a blended, centered state of being. The opening reception will also feature a DJ as well as a performance by Scott that explores ideas of breath work and physiological regulatory processes. Through Friday, July 25. 5:30 pm.

The Living Bank presents 55th Anniversary Celebrate Life Gala
The Living Bank will celebrate 55 years of giving hope at their annual Celebrate Life Gala. Their mission is to eliminate the shortage of organs for life-saving transplants by being a trusted education resource for living organ donation and the leading provider of advocacy services for living donors. Ticket proceeds will go towards furthering these causes and saving lives. Entertainment will be provided by the ultimate '80s band, The Spazmatics. 6 pm.

The Garden Theatre presents Assassins
Assassins lays bare the lives of nine individuals who assassinated or tried to assassinate the President of the United States in a one-act historical musical that explores the dark side of the American experience. This multiple Tony Award-winner combines Sondheim's signature blend of intelligent lyrics and beautiful music with a panoramic story of our nation's culture of celebrity and the violent means some will use to obtain it. Through Sunday, October 27. 8 pm (2 & 8 pm Saturday; 2 & 7:30 pm Sunday).

Saturday, October 12

Discovery Green presents Korean Festival Houston
Established in 2009, the Korean Festival has become one of the largest, free cultural events hosted at Discovery Green in Downtown Houston, drawing tens of thousands of visitors to its cultural presentation and culinary experience. The 15th annual fest will showcase the beauty of Korean culture. The vibrant festival offers a range of family-friendly cultural activities. Visitors can indulge in Korean and Korean-fusion cuisine and enjoy live performances by local artists. There will also be a performance by Korean Pop band NCHIVE. 10 am (11 am Sunday).

Hello Kitty Cafe Truck
The Hello Kitty Cafe Truck is back. After making a couple of Houston stops earlier this year, the truck will be rolling into Sugar Land, with its all-pink cafe on wheels carrying exclusive treats and collectibles celebrating all things Hello Kitty. As part of the 50th anniversary celebration of Hello Kitty, fans can look forward to brand new edible goodies and limited-edition merch. The truck will be at First Colony Mall, located near Pottery Barn. 10 am.

Boyz II Men in concert with Robin Thicke
It looks like things will be getting grown and sexy this weekend. Grammy-winning R&B group Boyz II Men will be at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, serenading the ladies with such classics as “I’ll Make Love to You” and “On Bended Knee.” They have released 14 albums in their career, most recently Under the Streetlight in 2017. They'll be joined by special guest Robin Thicke, who also has a number of baby-makers in his arsenal. 7 pm.

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston presents Ratatouille
In one of Paris’s finest restaurants, Remy (Patton Oswalt), a determined young rat, dreams of becoming a renowned French chef. Torn between his family’s wishes and his true calling, Remy teams up with his pal Linguini (Lou Romano) and sets in motion a hilarious chain of events that turns the City of Lights upside down. Chef/restaurateur Chris Shepherd will introduce this acclaimed 2007 Pixar film (shown in glorious 35mm!), the latest in the MFAH’s Movies Houstonians Love series. 7 pm.

Sunday, October 13

The Cursed Cauldron
If you haven’t been to the traveling, magical pop-up experience known as The Cursed Cauldron, over at the new Aero Cocktail Co. in River Oaks, then you’re missing out on some witchy, immersive stuff. Live entertainment adds to the spirited atmosphere with ongoing activations, including nightly tarot card readings byThe Aunty Alchemistand Bewitched Burlesquepresented by Belle be Damned & Jadore Productions. Guests can also enjoy Sunday movie nights and workshops like pumpkin painting. 2 pm. (4 pm Tuesday-Saturday through November 2).

Karbach Brewing presents Love Street Music Fest
Originally postponed in April due to weather, Karbach Brewing's annual Love Street Music Fest will be going down this weekend, featuring headliner St. Paul & the Broken Bones, Night Cap, and more. General admission includes unlimited access to the Karbach Biergarten and its amenities, while VIP tickets will have dedicated VIP bars, an elevated view of the stage with available seating, complimentary food with three beverage tickets, and more. 4 pm.

Monarch Chamber Players: A Glimpse Beyond Pink
Monarch Chamber Players will perform a special concert in honor of Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC) Awareness Day. The program offers a small glimpse into the complex world of MBC patients through music that highlights life's complexity, solace in nature, and the necessity of community. Cynthia, a commission by Nicky Sohn inspired by conversations with current patients, will be prominently featured alongside works by other living composers, including Alice Hong, Jennifer Higdon, and Anna Clyne. 5 pm.

The Butcher’s Ball
(Update 10/11: This event has been canceled.) Celebrating Texas’ rich culinary culture, The Butcher’s Ball will host a unique, collaborative dinner crafted by chefs Sasha Grumman and Erin Smith. This is the first collaboration between Grumman, traveling private chef, SASS Hospitality owner, and contestant on Top Chef Portland (Season 18), and chef Erin Smith, co-owner of Feges BBQ, named one of the state’s top 50 barbecue joints by Texas Monthly. An afterparty will take place at Neon Boots Dancehall and Saloon. 6 pm.

Photo courtesy of Boyz II Men

Boyz II Men are in concert at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion on Saturday, October 12.

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Movie review

Nerdy teen comedies make a comeback with new movie Summer of 69

Photo courtesy of Hulu

Sam Morelos and Chloe Fineman in Summer of 69.

There was a trend in the late 2010s/early 2020s of bawdy comedies featuring teenage female protagonists, including Blockers, Booksmart, and Yes, God, Yes. Those types of films seemed to go by the wayside in recent years, but they’re making a comeback with the new film Summer of 69.

Abby (Sam Morelos) is a high school senior and video game streamer who has had a crush on her classmate Max (Matt Cornett) for her entire childhood. When she learns that Max has recently broken up with his longtime girlfriend, she’s determined to make her move. With advice from a confidant that Max likes a certain sexual position, Abby sets out to learn as much as she can about it, including hiring a stripper, Santa Monica (Chloe Fineman), to help her.

Coincidentally, Santa Monica is facing a situation where the club at which she works, Diamond Dolls, will be closed if the owner doesn’t come up with $20,000 in a week. Abby, who comes from a well-to-do family, seems to offer the perfect solution, and so the two agree to a week of lessons for that amount. Naturally, all sorts of complications arise, as well as the two women forming an unexpected bond.

Written and directed by Jillian Bell, with help from co-writers Jules Byrne and Liz Nico, the film is both suggestive and innocent at the same time. For all of the talk about sex and innuendo, having the nerdy and inexperienced Abby at the center of the film ensures that the story remains relatively chaste throughout. That includes scenes at the strip club, where Bell makes the choice to show almost no nudity.

Most of the humor of the film stems from Abby’s lack of experience, highlighted by her having “sexual” fantasies about Max that never actually get to the sex part. The juxtaposition between Abby and Santa Monica is also used for laughs, although Bell and her co-writers make sure to include a side story for the dancer that makes her into a three-dimensional person.

What ultimately makes the movie succeed is the way it keeps its characters relatable. Many high school films feel the need to play into a bunch of stereotypes, but those are kept to a minimum here. Instead, Bell upends expectations by delivering honest - sometimes to a fault for the characters - dialogue that acknowledges the spectrum of sexual realities for high schoolers, a version that differs from insatiable horniness of some other teen comedies.

Morelos, one of the stars of Netflix’s That ‘90s Show, makes for a charming lead, someone who can convincingly take her character from awkward to confident over the course of the story. Fineman, best known for her current stint as a cast member on Saturday Night Live, complements her well, showing her comedic prowess in a number of physical scenes. A supporting cast that includes Nicole Byer, Paula Pell, Alex Moffat, and Natalie Morales keeps the energy level high.

Despite its titillating title, Summer of 69 is much more sweet than naughty. Like most coming-of-age movies, it’s about a girl who’s trying to figure out where she fits in the world. The answers she finds aren’t always the ones she was expecting, but in the best possible way.

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Summer of 69 starts streaming on Hulu on May 9.

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