weekend event planner

Top things to do this weekend in Houston: J.J. Watt comes home, food fests, and more

Scream for J.J. Watt when he comes home this Sunday to be inducted in the Ring of Honor.

Now that Houston is recovering from Beyoncé's big homecoming, we can settle into local entertainment. Look for some cool concerts from OGs Guns N’ Roses, moody tunes from Japanese artist Joji, and local future stars at HSPVA.

Or, feast on two food fests: Chefs for Farmers and the new Chopd & Stewd, which celebrates the West African diaspora and its robust culture and food. Later raise a stein when CityCentre turns into a biergarten.

Enjoy; here are your best bets for the weekend.

Thursday, September 28

Avondale House presents Bingo Bash

Avondale House presents the 4th Annual Bingo Bash, with emcees Briana Conner and Adam Winkler of ABC13. All guests have the chance to win prizes throughout the evening, along with an opportunity to bid on and win auction items. Sponsors will choose their own table themes and dress according to the theme for a chance to win the Best Dressed Table competition. Proceeds will benefit the Avondale House’s four program areas: the day school, adult day program, residential program and supported employment services. 5:30 pm.

Guns N’ Roses in concert

We don’t know about you, but we’re glad Guns N’ Roses are currently on tour with at least some of the original members. That Chinese Democracy-era Guns N’ Roses, when frontman Axl Rose was backed up by some other musicians (including a guy named Buckethead, who wore a KFC bucket on his head), was ridiculous. Rose obviously realized this, which explains why he mended fences with guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan and are now on the road, taking us back to those Appetite for Destruction glory days. 6 pm.

Friends of River Oaks Theatre presents Metropolis

Friends of River Oaks Theatre will host a special screening consisting of new short films made by inspired artists, followed by Fritz Lang’s groundbreaking science fiction epic, accompanied by an original live score by Omar Vincent Al-Bochi. An open call was made for artists to create and submit short films inspired by and using elements from Metropolis, which will be screened at this event. There will be an audience award given to the top film choice on the night of the event. 7:30 pm.

Friday, September 29

The Menil Collection presents "Chryssa & New York" opening day

"Chryssa & New York," the first major survey of artwork by Chryssa in the United States since 1982, is co-organized by the Menil and Dia Art Foundation. The exhibition explores the work of the Greek-born artist, one of the first to incorporate neon into her practice. Her pivotal use of the medium, along with found elements of commercial signage and text, bridged ideas from the pop, conceptual, and minimalist movements. Through Sunday, March 10. 11 am.

Asia Society Texas Center presents Richie Goods and Chien Chien Lu: “Connected”

During the COVID-19 lockdown, jazz/funk bassist Richie Goods and vibraphonist, percussionist, and composer Chien Chien Lu’s conversations about the Black Lives Matter movement and anti-Asian violence inspired them to collaborate on a project to unify people and invoke imagery of love and peace, resulting in the musical arrangements “The Path” (September 2020), “We Three Kings” (November 2020), and “Rain” (December 2021). They will perform selections from Connected, their collaborative jazz album. 7 pm.

Teatrx presents La Vida Es Cortos/Life Is Shorts Festival

Teatrx's annual La Vida Es Cortos festival encapsulates Hispanic Heritage Month by exploring short stories through live theatre and cinema. The festival will showcase a diverse lineup of short films by independent filmmakers from around the U.S. and Latin America. This year, the fest will also provide programming for young audiences by adding La Vida Es Cortitos, two morning performances dedicated to showcasing short plays and films for young audiences ages 5 and up. 7:30 pm (10:30 am, 2:30 & 7:30 pm Saturday; 10:30 am & 2:30 pm Sunday).

Joji in concert

It’s hard to believe that the same guy who was once known as YouTube grossout king Filthy Frank is now one of the most prolific singer-songwriters out there, dropping dark, lo-fi tunes that are essential for any sad-boy playlist. George Kusunoki MIller, who’s better known these days as Japanese music star Joji, has had albums that have topped the Billboard R&B, alternative, and rock albums charts. So, you can expect a very multicultural collection of moody young people when he performs at Toyota Center this weekend. 8 pm.

Saturday, September 30

Chopd & Stewd ‘23

Home to the largest Nigerian and West African population in the U.S., Houston is hosting Chopd & Stewd, the first-of-its-kind culinary festival celebrating the West African diaspora. Houstonians and visitors are welcome to a day of cultural immersion and education, engaging dialogue, gourmet dining, vibrant music, wellness programs and more. This fest pays homage to the far-reaching influences of the West African diaspora, enabling all to retrace their ancestral connections through a day-long series of immersive events and experiences. 9 am.

PXG Houston presents Community Golf Competition

Get ready for the ultimate community golf challenge. Join PXG Houston to watch the U.S. Team take on Europe in Rome and test your skills against fellow U.S. Team fans in a "closest-to-the-pin" competition. Utilizing state-of-the-art Trackman technology, PXG will choose a special hole from the prestigious Marco Simone Golf & Country Club course in Rome, Italy, which is hosting this year's competition. Participants will feel the thrill of playing on the same course as team captain and PXG golfer Zach Johnson. 10 am.

Chefs For Farmers

Chefs For Farmers, Texas’s premier food and wine festival, returns to Houston, offering an extra day to experience the immersive culinary journey. Held both Saturday and Sunday, this all-inclusive tasting event features Houston’s top chefs and culinary personalities serving up curated, locally sourced dishes in their effort to promote and showcase family farms throughout Texas. From immersive activations and live entertainment to wines from the top vineyards and craft cocktails, Chefs For Farmers has something for everyone to experience. 1 pm.

The Manhattan Dolls in concert

Step into the golden age of music as the 1940 Air Terminal Museum celebrates the timeless melodies of the 1930s and 1940s in this remarkable fundraising event. The Manhattan Dolls, a dynamic vocal trio, will take you on a sentimental journey through the iconic music of the era, providing a delightful blend of beautiful ballads and toe-tapping tunes that will transport you back in time. This concert serves as a celebration of the 83rd anniversary of the historic, art deco terminal building that holds Houston’s rich aviation history. 2 and 6 pm.

“Flutter: The Monarch Butterfly Project” at The Houston Botanic Garden

This collab between The Houston Botanic Garden and Open Dance Project celebrates monarch butterflies and their nearly 3,000-mile southern migration, which passes through Texas each fall. Check out three butterfly installations by local sculptor Meredith Tucker and a series of three half-hour, immersive contemporary dance performances from Open Dance Project. The dance performanace also features interactive costumes by Houston-based artist Natasha Bowdin and an accompanying soundscape by sound artist Lynn Lane, director of Transitory Sound and Movement Collective. Saturday and Sunday, 4-7 pm. $10-$15.

Houston Dynamo FC's Hispanic Heritage Night

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Night and kick it with Houston Dynamo FC when they face off against FC Dallas. Worth the price of admission alone, the first 5,000 fans receive a Luchador mask. Head to Noche Latina Street Fest for the 2023 Cascarita Own Your Block tournament Final. Catch eight Houston teams battle for the ultimate trophy while enjoying the Hustle Town Supporters' annual tailgate party and street soccer. 7:30 pm.

Sunday, October 1

CITYCENTRE Biergarten

The second annual CITYCENTRE Biergarten will be a blend of beer, camaraderie, and football. Every Sunday in October, guests can enjoy savory bites, cold brewskis, or non-alcoholic drinks in the Plaza by placing to-go orders from CITYCENTRE establishments, including Daily Gather, Bella Green, Yi Peng, Yard House, and more. Guests can also stop by The Moran CITYCENTRE tent in the plaza where they can indulge in a curated assortment of Oktoberfest beer and curated wine selections. 11 am.

J.J. Watt's Ring of Honor ceremony: Houston Texans vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Houston Texans legend J.J. Watt will be the third team member inducted into the Texas' prestigious Ring of Honor. Watt will be on hand doing media appearances and more before kickoff at noon, where he'll serve as Texans Coin Toss Captain — opposite his brother T.J. Watt, the Steelers Coin Toss Captain. Watt will be formally inducted into the Ring of Honor with his family, the McNairs, Andre Johnson, and nearly 90 Texans Legends in attendance for the Legends Homecoming at halftime. Fans can expect free Watt swag, special Watt merch at the team store, and a free Watt pin when they spend $75 or more. Noon (arrive early).

HSPVA Friends presents Kinder HSPVA's MusicFest

Kinder HSPVA's MusicFest has something for music lovers of all ages. Kinder HSPVA's musicians transform the school's downtown block with performances, concerts, recitals, and jam sessions all over campus. Every HSPVA music ensemble will perform, featuring more than 350 performers in over 30 events. There will also be food trucks, including fan-favorite Mr. Sizzles, a pop-up shop by Little Kitchen HTX, frozen treats from Unicorn Snow Cones, and a music scavenger hunt for kids. 12:30 pm.

Houston Grand Opera presents Dance Masterclass & Conversation with Urban Bush Women

Houston Grand Opera and Houston Ballet will host a special afternoon of dance in honor of the HGO world premiere of Intelligence, featuring members of Urban Bush Women, Jawole Willa Jo Zollar’s revolutionary modern dance company. An advanced dance masterclass will be led by Zollar - Intelligence co-creator and director/choreographer, as well as MacArthur Foundation and Gish Prize awardee — while another masterclass will be led by Intelligence associate choreographer Vincent Thomas. 1 pm.

Movie Review

Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 doesn't match the first movie's enthusiasm

Blumhouse

Five Nights at Freddy's 2.

Blumhouse Productions first made their name with the Paranormal Activity series, establishing themselves as a leader in the horror genre thanks to their relatively cheap yet effective movies. In recent years, they’ve added on “soft” horror films like M3GAN and Five Nights at Freddy’s to draw in a younger audience, with both films becoming so successful that each was quickly given a sequel.

Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 finds Mike (Josh Hutcherson) and his sister Abby (Piper Rubio) still recovering from the events of the first film, with Abby particularly missing her “friends.” Those friends just so happen to be the souls of murdered children who inhabit animatronic characters at the long-defunct Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, children who were abducted and killed by William Afton (Matthew Lillard).

A new threat emerges at another Freddy Fazbear’s location in the form of Charlotte, another murdered child who inhabits a creepy large marionette. Mike, distracted by a possible romance with Vanessa (Elizabeth Lail), fails to keep track of Abby, who makes her way to the old pizzeria and inadvertently unleashes Charlotte and her minions on the surrounding town.

Directed by Emma Tammi and written by Scott Cawthon (who also created the video game on which the series is based), the film tries to mix together goofy elements with intense scenes. One particular sequence, in which the security guard for Freddy Fazbear’s lets a group of ghost hunters onto the property, toes the line between soft and hard horror. That and a few others show the potential that the filmmakers had if they had stuck to their guns.

Unfortunately, more often than not they either soft-pedal things that would normally be horrific, or can’t figure out how to properly stage scenes. The sight of animatronic robots wreaking havoc is one that is simultaneously frightening and laughable, and the filmmakers never seem to find the right balance in tone. Every step in the direction of making a truly scary horror film is undercut by another in which the robots fail to live up to their promise.

It doesn’t help that Cawthon gives the cast some extremely wooden dialogue, lines that none of the actors can elevate. What may work in a video game format comes off as stilted when said by actors in a live-action film. The story also loses momentum quickly after the first half hour or so, with Cawthon seemingly content to just have characters move from place to place with no sense of connection between any of the scenes.

Hutcherson (The Hunger Games series), after being the true lead of the first film, is given very little to do in this film, and his effort is equal to his character’s arc. The same goes for Lail, whose character seems to be shoehorned into the story. Rubio is called upon to carry the load for a lot of the movie, and the teenager is not quite up to the task. A brief appearance by Skeet Ulrich seems to be a blatant appeal to Scream fans, but he and Lillard only underscore how limited this film is compared to that franchise.

Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 is better than the first film, but not by much. The filmmakers do a decent job of making the new marionette character into a great villain, but they fail to capitalize on its inherent creepiness. Instead, they fall back on less effective elements, ensuring that the film will be forgettable for anyone other than hardcore Freddy fans.

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Five Nights at Freddy's 2 opens in theaters on December 5.

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