weekend event planner

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

It's more bounce for the ounce at the Gazillion Bubble Show.

Gazillion Bubble Show/Facebook

What's poppin' this weekend? How about a gazillion bubbles — or so — as a popular New York bubble show bounces into Houston. A highly anticipated downtown park finally hosts a grand opening bash, while Houston Botanic Garden blooms with massive sculptures hiding in plain sight.

A major influencer beefs up a burger pop-up, comedian Jo Koy brings the funny, and a K-pop smash act hits town. Enjoy; here are your best bets for the weekend.

Thursday, January 26

State & Liberty Charitable Happy Hour

State & Liberty, a clothing retailer of men’s athletic-fit dress shirts, will be hosting a happy hour and charity shopping experience. Benefitting the Kyle Tucker Foundation, State & Liberty opens its doors to shoppers to peruse their wrinkle-free, lightweight performance fabrics. The brand offers suits, sport coats, polos, and casual stretch shorts. The store will donate 10% of sales to the Foundation during the event. While shopping for a cause, guests can also take in complementary whiskey tasting and live music, as well as a cigar gift with purchase. 5 pm.

Holocaust Museum Houston presents The Jewish Dog

In collaboration with the Consulate General of Israel to the Southwest, the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston and the ADL Southwest, Holocaust Museum Houston presents The Jewish Dog, in honor of International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Based on the book of the same name, this moving – and at times funny – one-man show tells the story of the Holocaust through the eyes of Coresh, a dog born into a Jewish Family in Berlin, 1933. 6:30 pm.

Moores Opera Center presents Die Fledermaus

Raise a glass to comedy and decadence with one of the most beloved operettas in the repertoire. What could be more fun than a show that revolves around practical jokes, disguises, and gallons of champagne? Audiences will attend the ultimate masked ball and discover not only why Johann Strauss Jr. is known as the Waltz King, but also just how far some people will go to exact their revenge. 7:30 pm (2:30 pm Sunday).

Friday, January 27

Trebly Park Grand Opening

Located in southern downtown, in the Central Business District, Trebly Park is a neighborhood park that features dog runs, a large lawn, Tout Suite and more. At the Trebly Park Grand Opening, experience “three times as much” fun. Visitors can get sweet macaroons at the park restaurant, Tout Suite, visit the dog parks, listen to live music, and play carnival games at downtown Houston's new neighborhood park. And it’s all free. 2 pm.

Houston Botanic Garden presents Intertwined, Wined & Dined

Houston Botanic Garden will host Steve Tobin, the creator of Intertwined: Exploring Nature's Network, for this exclusive happy hour and dinner, where guests will learn directly from Steve about these sculptures. Guests will also get to take a stroll after-hours at sunset with a private tour of the Houston Botanic Garden and its newest sculpture exhibit. Executive chef Thomas Stacy will host the five-course immersive pop-up dinner and wine pairing, featuring garden grown heirloom collard greens, selected veggies and robust herbs. 5 pm.

Reeves Art + Design presents "Houston, We Need a Title" opening reception

The gallery returns to its eclectic roots with a show that incorporates everything but the kitchen sink. Bringing together work from over 25 Texas artists, they aim to take a step back from traditional curation with this show and simply allow their clients to experience a plethora of art and explore their own tastes and preferences. Featured artists include those making their Reeves Art + Design debut, including Gary Griffin, Holland Geibel, Wood Francher Anthony, Jessica Simorte, Hector Hernandez, and more. Through Saturday, February 18. 6 pm.

Houston Grand Opera presents Werther

The lovesick yearnings of the tortured young poet Werther lead to his tragic fate in Massenet’s lush opera, which returns to HGO for the first time in 40 years with this production from French director Benoît Jacquot, making his HGO debut. Matthew Polenzani, one of the world’s most distinguished tenors, leads the cast as Werther in his Houston debut. With mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard debuting alongside, audiences won’t want to miss this chance to see legends perform a rare psychological drama. Through Friday, February 10. 7:30 pm (2:30 pm Sunday).

Saturday, January 28

Performing Arts Houston presents Gazillion Bubble Show

After 20 years as a Master of Bubbles, in 2007 Fan Yang brought his unique brand of bubble artistry to the Big Apple and has since wowed bubble lovers of all ages. The Gazillion Bubble Show truly is a family affair for Fan: his wife Ana, son Deni, daughter Melody, and brother Jano all can be found on stage in New York and around the world performing their bubble magic. Audiences are delighted with an unbelievable experience, awash with a bubble tide, and some even find themselves inside a bubble. 11 am and 3 pm.

Queen of Hearts: Griff’s Employee Relief Fund

Memorial Trail Ice House will have a Queen of Hearts benefit for the Griff’s employee relief fund. Griff's Irish Pub has been a Houston landmark for many years, and the news of the fire that happened earlier this month has affected a lot of people – especially the staff and owners. Come support the employees as they rebuild, while getting a chance to win 50% of the pot. Tickets are $20 with no purchase limit. Slim Chance Bistro will be on site until 4pm. Noon.

Harris County Public LIbrary presents Holocaust Remembrance Day Concert

Apollo Chamber Players and Harris County Public LIbrary will reflect Holocaust Remembrance Day with a program of multicultural new music by Sephardic scholar Isabelle Ganz and Rice University faculty composer Richard Lavenda. Guest collaborators include vocalist Ceclia Duarte, percussionist Jesus Pacheco, and bassoonist Benjamin Kamins, former principal of the Houston Symphony and professor at The Shepherd School of Music. 2 pm.

Toyota Center presents Jo Koy

After proving he could headline a big-screen comedy with last summer’s Easter Sunday, Jo Koy and his Jo Koy World Tour will feature all-new material. One of today’s premiere stand-up comedians (dude has a bunch of specials on Netflix), Jo’s uniquely relatable comedy, which pulls inspiration from his colorful family, has reached all kinds of people and has translated into sold-out arenas around the world. 8 pm.

Sunday, January 29

Rahim Mohamed “Ocky Way” pop-up at Burger Bodega

Burger Bodega will host the famous TikTok influencer and viral internet sensation Rahim Mohamed for a one-day pop-up. Mohamed will take over the parking lot with his exotic "Ocky Way" chopped cheese sandwiches. With his enormous following, Mohamed has coined the term "Ocky Way" and has taken it to new heights at his sandwich shop Red Hook Food Corp in Brooklyn. Rahim's unique style of sandwiches helped him gain a following of over 4 million followers with millions of views overall. 1 pm.

Ars Lyrica presents From China with Love: Musical Chinoiseries in 17th- and 18th-Century Europe

Exotic decorations on cabinets, porcelain vessels, and embroideries imported from China inspired a popular design trend in Baroque Europe, one reflected in various objects in the Rienzi collection and on the harpsichord featured on this program. Musical selections by Teodorico Pedrini, Henry Purcell, Jean-Philippe Rameau, and Christoph Willibald Gluck illustrate how composers of this time created equally lavish-sounding textures. 4 and 5:30 pm.

ONEUS in concert

After a triumphant U.S. tour last year, the hottest Korean boy band since BTS is back to prove they’re still the most electrifying act on the world stage today. The five members of ONEUS have a fresh, vibrant sound and attitude that sets them apart from all other pop acts. The group’s songs, music videos, and stage show often draw inspiration from traditional Korean instruments, fashion, and culture, but are also forward-looking with intriguing themes, inspired couture, and modern-day sounds like trap, hip-hop, and futuristic funk. 7:30 pm.

RIP, Chuck

Actor Chuck Norris, star of 'Walker, Texas Ranger,' dies at 86

Courtesy photo

Chuck Norris, star of "Walker, Texas Ranger," has died at 86.

Chuck Norris, the martial arts grandmaster and action star whose roles in “Walker, Texas Ranger” and other television shows and movies made him an iconic tough guy — sparking internet parodies and adoration from presidents — has died at 86.

Norris died Thursday, in what his family described as a “sudden passing.”

“While we would like to keep the circumstances private, please know that he was surrounded by his family and was at peace,” the family said in a statement posted to social media.

Before he would become a star in movies and on TV, Norris was wildly successful in competitive martial arts. He was a six-time undefeated World Professional Middleweight Karate champion. He also founded his own Korean-based American hard style of karate, known sometimes as Chun Kuk Do, and the United Fighting Arts Federation, which has awarded more than 3,300 Chuck Norris System black belts worldwide. Black Belt magazine ultimately credited Norris in its hall of fame with holding a 10th degree black belt, the highest possible honor.

Born Carlos Ray Norris in Ryan, Oklahoma, on March 10, 1940, he grew up poor. At age 12, he moved with his family to Torrance, California, and joined the U.S. Air Force after high school, in 1958. It was during a deployment to Korea that he started training in martial arts, including judo and Tang Soo Do.

“I went out for gymnastics and football at North Torrance high,” he told The Associated Press in 1982. “I played some football, but I also spent a lot of time on the bench. I was never really athletic until I was in the service in Korea.”

After he was honorably discharged in 1962, he worked as a file clerk for Northrop Aircraft and applied to be a police officer, but was put on a waitlist. Meanwhile, he opened a martial arts studio, which expanded to a chain, with students including such stars as Bob Barker, Priscilla Presley, Donnie and Marie Osmond, and Steve McQueen, whom he later credited with encouraging him to get into acting.

From one studio to another
Norris made his film debut as an uncredited bodyguard in the 1968 movie “The Wrecking Crew,” which included a fight with Dean Martin. He had also crossed paths with Bruce Lee in martial arts circles. Their friendship — sometimes, as sparring partners — led to an iconic faceoff in the 1972 movie “Return of the Dragon,” in which Lee fights and kills Norris' character in Rome's Colosseum.

He went on to act in more than 20 movies, such as “Missing in Action,” “The Delta Force” and “Sidekicks.”

“I wanted to project a certain image on the screen of a hero. I had seen a lot of anti-hero movies in which the lead was neither good nor bad. There was no one to root for,” Norris said in 1982.

In 1993, he took on his most famed role, as a crime-fighting lawman in TV's “Walker, Texas Ranger.” The show ran for nine seasons, and in 2010, then-Gov. Rick Perry awarded him the title of honorary Texas Ranger. The Texas Senate later named him an honorary Texan.

“It’s not violence for violence’s sake, with no moral structure,” Norris told the AP in 1996, speaking about the show. “You try to portray the proper meaning of what it’s about — fighting injustice with justice, good vs. bad. … It’s entertaining for the whole family.”

Norris also made a surprise comedic appearance as a decisive judge in the final match of the 2004 movie “Dodgeball.” He only on occasion has taken acting roles in recent years, including 2012's “The Expendables 2” and the 2024 sci-fi action movie “Agent Recon.” He's due to appear in “Zombie Plane,” an upcoming film starring Vanilla Ice.

Chuck Norris: the man, the meme, the legend
It was around the time of “Dodgeball” that his toughman image became the stuff of legend, literally: “Chuck Norris Facts” went viral online with such wildly hyperbolic statements as, “Chuck Norris had a staring contest with the sun -- and won,” and, “They wanted to put Chuck Norris on Mt. Rushmore, but the granite wasn’t tough enough for his beard.”

Norris ultimately embraced the absurdity of the meme craze, putting together “The Official Chuck Norris Fact Book,” which combined his favorites with supposedly true stories and the codes he aimed to live by. He would also write books on martial arts instruction, a memoir, political takes, Civil War-era historical fiction and more.

“To some who know little of my martial arts or film careers but perhaps grew up with 'Walker, Texas Ranger,' it seems that I have become a somewhat mythical superhero icon,” Norris wrote in the forward to the fact book. “I am flattered and humbled.”

That book raised money for a nonprofit he founded with President George H.W. Bush that promoted martial arts instruction for kids.

The intentionally outlandish statements featured in the 2008 Republican presidential primary, when Norris endorsed Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and shot an ad playing on the “Chuck Norris facts.”

President Donald Trump's supporters later promoted Trump Facts in the same vein, and political pundits tried it as well, describing the commander-in-chief's decision to seize Venezuela's sitting president, Nicolas Maduro, as a “Chuck Norris Moment,” and its initial effect on oil prices a “Chuck Norris Premium.”

Norris was outspoken about his Christian beliefs and his support for gun rights, and backed political candidates for years — he even went skydiving with Bush for the former president's 80th birthday. As for Trump, Norris endorsed him in the 2016 general election and wrote guest columns praising him without explicitly endorsing him the in the days before the 2020 and 2024 elections.

Norris has five surviving children: stunt performers Mike and Eric with his late ex-wife Dianne Holechek, twins Dakota and Danilee with his wife Gena Norris, and Dina, the result of an early 1960s “one-night stand” revealed in his autobiography.

Norris celebrated his birthday just over a week before his death, posting a sparring video on Instagram.

“I don't age. I level up,” he wrote.

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