weekend event planner

Here are the top 15 things to do in Houston this weekend

Disco legend Gloria Gaynor hosts the Reliant Lights Mayor’s Holiday Spectacular.

Photo courtesy of City of Houston

The holidays are in full swing this weekend, with a cherished annual tradition taking place downtown at City Hall, hosted by the one and only Gloria "I Will Survive" Gaynor.

Meanwhile, several stage shows offer holiday fun — don't miss a Whataburger-themed play, a Texas version of a Christmas Carol, plus a gospel holiday experience. And speaking of holidays and gospel, the Blind Boys of Alabama visit town for what promises to be an unforgettable seasonal concert.

Enjoy; here are your best bets for the weekend.

Thursday, December 1

Rothko Chapel presents World AIDS Day Observance

Visitors at the World AIDS Day Observance can show support and stand in solidarity with the millions of people living with and impacted by HIV. Attendees are invited to bring a small memento, photo, or item (no food or drinks) to place on a community altar in remembrance of those who have passed on, and items in celebration of those living with HIV and hope for the future to end this epidemic. Presenters include Vicar Amber Harbolt, artist Titan Capri, and DACAMERA Young Artists Jeongwon An, David Dietz, Hanna Hrybkova, and Lauren Ross. 8:30 am.

Art on the Avenue

Art on the Avenue returns for its 25th anniversary, with more than 500 original artworks from over 250 local artists. The event has grown to be the city’s largest silent art auction, giving back to the thriving arts community of Houston while supporting the affordable housing and community revitalization efforts of local nonprofit organization Avenue. The exclusive, Thursday night preview event will offer art lovers a first look at this year’s exhibition, along with curated art-inspired bites and cocktails. 6 pm (10 am and 6 pm Saturday).

A.D. Players presents A Texas Carol

The whole family is on the way to Mee-Maw Jane's East Texas ranch for what might be her last Christmas. The only problem - when the first group arrives, Mee-Maw is already gone. Now, how to keep that fact (and her body) from the rest of the family and save Christmas? This hysterical and heart-warming story is about all things Christmas and all things Texas that ultimately brings us straight to the true meaning of Christmas. Through Friday, December 23. 7:30 pm (8 pm Friday; 2:30 and 8 pm Saturday; 2:30 pm Sunday).

Friday, December 2

City of Pearland with Big Top Entertainment presents Blitzen's Bazaar

The traditional lighting of the City of Pearland’s Christmas tree will feature H-E-B's Winter Wonderland, a gift market with Big Top Entertainment exhibitors and food trucks, holiday entertainment, light displays, and a fireworks show sponsored by University of Houston Clear Lake - Pearland. The short program will feature a visit from City Council, community leaders, Santa Claus, and Mayor Cole as they come together to light the tree and spread Christmas cheer. 9 am.

Kappa Kappa Gamma Holiday Pilgrimage Home Tour

Design fans and those needing some holiday inspo can check out three beautiful homes in Houston’s iconic Tanglewood neighborhood. The biennial Houston charitable holiday tradition dates back to 1941 and showcases historic homes and elegant holiday décor. Today and Saturday, 10 am-4 pm. $20-$25

16th Annual McDonald's Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour Holiday Experience

McDonald's Black & Positively Golden presents this free, nationwide concert series, featuring music from artists who are shaping the sound of contemporary gospel. Ring in the holidays at New Light Christian Church with Anthony Hamilton, Donald Lawrence, Jekalyn Carr, Kierra Sheard-Kelly, Samoht, Smokie Norful, comedian NotKarltonBanks, and host Lonnie Hunter. As in previous years, the tour will celebrate McDonald’s continued devotion to Ronald McDonald House Charities. 7 pm.

Alley Theatre presents What-A-Christmas!

Meet Margot, a 30-something Tejana who works at a beloved, whata-sized Texas burger joint. The Christmas Eve overnight shift is her personal tradition - even if that means spending the holiday dealing with grumpy drive-thru customers and an equally grumpy, robotic Santa. But when her dead best friend Jackie Marley drops by to warn her of impending late-night visits by spirits, Margot has no choice but to roll with the punches and confront the very Scrooge she’s become. Through Friday, December 23. 7 pm (2 and 7 pm Sunday).

Saturday, December 3

Ronald McDonald House Houston presents 13th Annual Trafigura Run for the House

Ronald McDonald House Houston hosts the 13th annual race, held over at Sam Houston Park. The run is open to participants of all ages and abilities, and one hundred percent of proceeds will directly benefit Ronald McDonald House Houston, a loving home away from home for families with seriously ill children being treated in the Texas Medical Center. Every dollar raised up to $185,000 will be generously matched by the Trafigura Foundation. 8 am.

Asia Society Texas presents The Great Yōkai Adventure

Asia Society Texas will be hooking families up with a good ol’ adventure this weekend. Participants will embark on a series of quests involving mysterious spirits from Japanese folklore. Visitors can explore the exhibition "Yōkai: Scenes of the Supernatural in Japanese Woodblock Prints," create their own art, see yōkai-themed films, and earn a trading card for each quest completed. Guests who collect enough cards will earn a prize. Costumes are encouraged. This event is ideal for ages 6 and up. 11 am.

Archway Gallery presents "Only the Forest Knows…" opening reception

This collaborative effort combines Andrea Wilkinson’s exquisite sculptural portraits of wild animals with Christie Coker’s textural paintings which are evocative of the environs in which these animals live. For this show, Wilkinson has created sculptures inspired by the wild animals that live among us, for animals are highly adaptive in sharing our forested neighborhoods and yards, while Coker’s artwork is inspired by the beauty found in nature’s offerings. Through Thursday, January 5. 5 pm.

Reliant Lights Mayor’s Holiday Spectacular

Plan to arrive early at Hermann Square at City Hall for the free, beloved holiday event hosted this year by disco/"I Will Survive" legend Gloria Gaynor. Expect live music and dance performances, the lighting of the holiday tree, free photos with Santa in his North Pole-themed booth, dance and music and other festive activities for all ages. Free blinking Santa hats will be dispersed to all attendees, (while supplies last), with food samples and seasonal bites and beverages for sale. 6 pm-8 pm. Free.

Cirque Surréaliste: The Menil Collection’s 35th Anniversary Gala

This special event - occurring only once every five years - draws inspiration from the museum’s world-renowned collection of surrealist art. With the theme of a 20th-century circus, the party’s theme and décor is inspired by Alexander Calder’s Two Acrobats, Fernand Léger’s Julie, The Beautiful Cyclist, and Study for the Grand Parade. This year’s gala also marks the Menil’s 35th anniversary, celebrating Dominique and John de Menil’s distinctive and inclusive vision to make art accessible to all, bringing together supporters of the museum, the arts, and the city. 7 pm.

Sunday, December 4

Foundation for Modern Music presents Avalon International Competition for Composers Concert

Foundation for Modern Music presents this annual competition, which celebrates new, exciting, and original contemporary music rooted in the classical tradition by both young and more-established composers. The competition concert showcases the quality of Houston performing artists and ensembles who relish the challenge of learning and presenting works of great difficulty. Through the competition, the Foundation honors its late artistic director, Robert Avalon, who helped develop and initiate several important new projects - including this competition. 3:30 pm.

Houston Tidelanders A Capella Christmas Show

The Houston Tidelanders are an a capella group with a 75-year history in Houston. This show will feature them singing versions of popular holiday music, both secular and religious. There will be renditions of songs like "Joy to the World," "Little Saint Nick," "Mary Did You Know," "Baby’s First Christmas Lullaby," and "Gesu Bambino," which is a new song that was arranged specifically for the Tidelanders. The quartet S.L.E.D. will also be performing. 6 pm.

Performing Arts Houston presents The Blind Boys of Alabama Christmas Show

The Blind Boys of Alabama are recognized worldwide as living legends of gospel music. Celebrated by The National Endowment for the Arts and the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences with lifetime achievement awards, inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, and winners of five Grammys, they have attained the highest levels of achievement in a career that spans over 70 years. The living legends of gospel will share the spirit of the season, featuring Houston's Sarah Grace and The Soul. 6:30 pm.

bey run the world

Beyoncé reigns supreme with Megan Thee Stallion cameo in jaw-dropping Houston Renaissance Tour opening night

Beyoncé Renaissance Tour Houston NRG Stadium 2023

Photo courtesy of LiveNation/Beyoncé

Return of the Queen: Beyoncé was back in fierce form.

How much does Beyoncé love Houston? Enough to turn the first of her two-night H-Town concert tour stop into an all-out and unforgettable celebration of her fans, friends, and her beloved hometown.

Late Saturday September 24 at NRG Stadium, Queen Bey proved once again that she rules all in a night boasting a Megan Thee Stallion cameo, fellow native Houstonians Lizzo and original, founding Destiny’s Child members in the crowd, and a three-hour, jaw-dropping, sometimes breathtaking journey.

Houston’s love for their queen was so palpable on Saturday, September 24 at NRG Stadium that even the usually grouchy traffic cops became hype men. “I can’t hear you: who’s ready to see Beyoncé!?” bellowed a middle-aged traffic Metro officer.

The crowd entering NRG formed a sea of sparkling sequins, silver cowboy hats, and silver boots, per Beyoncé’s request for silver or shiny looks for her worldwide Renaissance Tour stops. It was as much a fashion show as a concert: sequin dresses, denim skirts, mesh tanks, fringe masks, bootie-revealing shirts, and high heels on Beyhive members of every gender and age. Beyoncé didn’t need an opening act: the spontaneous singalongs made for the perfect pre-party.

After a giddy wait, Beyoncé rose from under the stage, positively resplendent in a black polka-dot dress, pearls, and white gloves as wind blew through her blonde locks. Opening with the dramatic “Dangerously in Love 2” from the album that launched her career, she held long, drawn-out notes as the band went silent, reminding all that she’s more than an icon, she’s a supremely talented vocalist.

“H-Town, it's goin’ down...”

Flashing her million-dollar grin, the queen decreed, “Oh tonight, H-Town, it's goin’ down,” for the homecoming. “Thank you for your love and loyalty. This is my gratitude tour. I’m so grateful to be on this stage, back home in Houston, Texas.”

“I can travel to any country around the world, but you ain’t ever gonna take the country out of this girl. I represent y’all everywhere I go, and I wanna make you proud.”

She breathlessly went through “1+1” while kicking up a leg and sitting atop a piano. She rose and strutted across the long catwalk into the packed floor for “I Care,” and channeled Tina Turner in “River Deep - Mountain High,” which she dedicated to Turner, her “idol.”

A dazzling video interlude took viewers into a Sci-Fi journey of chrome mazes and robots riding rockets. When “RENAISSANCE” popped on the scream, the crowd shrieked as Beyoncé remerged, standing with her fist up in a shimmering silver catsuit, sunglasses, and tall boots, going into “I’m That Girl,” “Cozy” and the spacey “Alien Superstar” from the Renaissance album.

This wasn’t a typical show where fans sang back to classics and stayed silent during new material: fans sang back every lyric to every song, regardless of era. No surprise that NRG rocked when she broke in “Crazy in Love,” her 2003 hook-filled announcement to the world with (now) husband Jay-Z, and the ultimate girl powered “Run the World (Girls).”

It should cost a billion for these fits

And the costumes, oh, the costumes. In each sonic journey, Beyoncé emerged in radiant shine, camouflage, and even a flame-adorned cowboy hat. Nowhere is her “PURE/HONEY” lyric, “It should cost a billion to look this good,” more fitting than with these show-stopping fits.

Our Behyive was also treated to a “Thique,” “All Up In Your Mind,” and “Drunk in Love,” — fans and critics have tracked that Beyoncé has only performed those three songs four times on this tour.

Like a Method actress working through various roles, Beyoncé channeled a forlorn lover, a fierce empress (especially in “Break My Soul”), a sexy siren, an android goddess — she emerged from a robotic costume “case” that mechanically opened for her — and even a towering, metallic queen bee (see what she did there) TV anchor in “America Has A Problem.”

When she bellowed “I told you I’m a f*cking problem,” in “All Up in Your Mind,” she evoked screams of affirmation. When the gifted singer screamed into the mic — a throat killer for vocalists on tour — and went back into her flawless tones and surging, almost operatic vibrato, Beyoncé reminded that she’s a multi-faceted, complex, self-actualized woman and not just a mere brand.

Megan Thee Stallion and Blue Ivy, y'all

And she’s a proud mother who couldn’t hold back her glee when her daughter Blue Ivy came onstage, seeming almost shocked by the crowd roar. Blue Ivy flashed a heart-hands symbol and popped into dance moves as her mom cheered her on.

The proud mom also cheered on a fellow Houston native and pop superstar Megan Thee Stallion, who bounced onstage for a savage cameo in “Savage Remix.” Spitting rhymes, strutting, and flexing her signature dance moves, Megan waved to fans and paid homage to the queen, squealing “I love you, Beyoncé!” and spinning on the catwalk.

Breathtaking sounds and sights

Rarely has three hours passed so quickly, thanks to bumping video and music interludes, which turned NRG into a club. Cinematic imagery rivaled any movie, and the band’s solo chops — especially on guitar, bass, and drum — made for its own show. Her backup singers alone, who dropped a song in a break, could also be their own act

Dance has always been an integral part of a Beyoncé performance, led by Beyoncé herself, who’s as limber as a gymnast, and her awe-inspiring dancers like Les Twins — who mixed dance with Cirque du Soleil acrobatics — and the vamping, voguing diva Honey Balenciaga.

Owning the stage with the swagger of a champion, Beyoncé displayed the theatricality and edginess of Lady GaGa, the irresistible charm of Taylor Swift, and the ageless physical prowess of Jennifer Lopez. It’s mind-boggling that at 42, Beyoncé looks, moves, and sounds nearly half her age — but with grown-woman mastery.

All hail Queen Bey

In a blink, it was 12:30 am, and the the queen mounted the silvery disco horse — fans call it Reneigh — and soared over the crowd for “Summer Renaissance.”

“No matter where I go, I always keep Houston with me,” she told the screaming, weeping crowd,” like a fairy godmother floating away. “I will always rep for Houston.”

With one NRG Stadium show left on Sunday, September 24, fans from around the country have scored tickets. “I just knew Houston would be different,” a fan told us afterwards, who flew in from Washington, D.C. “I just knew it would be special.”

What better proof that pop’s reigning and undisputed queen will always rep for Houston.

$Beyonc\u00e9 Renaissance Tour Houston NRG Stadium 2023$