weekend event planner

Top things to do in Houston this weekend: Greek Fest, Red River Showdown, Oktoberfest, and more

Scream for the 'horns at Patterson Park's Red River Showdown Tailgate party.

Photo courtesy of Patterson Park

This weekend will have a bevy of events popping off, including a soft opening of a new nightclub, a 5K zombie run, a good ol’ fashioned Oktoberfest, and a chance to meet an Asian pop sensation at the Korean Festival downtown.

But don’t forget about the Zorba the Greek Fest Post Fest, happening at Echoes on Thursday and Friday. It’ll be a Greek Festival (happening this weekend) afterparty with Greek music, food, and drinks, along with soundtracks by Mikis Theodorakis.

Also, if you’re a Bank of America cardholder, you will have free access to The Children’s Museum of Houston, the Houston Museum of Natural Science, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston on Saturday and Sunday. It’s all part of the bank’s Museums on Us program.

Enjoy; here are your best bets for the weekend.

Thursday, October 5

The 57th annual Original Greek Festival

The Original Greek Festival, a beloved Houston institution, is back for its 56th year. Expect more than 40,000 Houstonians to descend Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Montrose for three days of mouthwatering Greek food, traditional Greek dancing, must-buy shopping at the agora, and an opportunity to learn more about the Greek Orthodox faith and culture. Ridesharing is advised as is patience: expect long lines for the delicious Greek fare. Enjoy live music, Greek wines and beers, kid activities, and enchanting cathedral tours. $5 for adults; children under 12 admitted free; free admission between 11 am-3 pm on Friday.

FotoFest presents Fighting: Ukrainian War Photographers opening reception

Fighting: Ukrainian War Photographers is an exhibition featuring images captured by sixteen Ukrainian artists and photojournalists who are documenting the invasion of their country by Russia. Organized for the U.S. by FotoFest and curated by Jan Pohribný and Igor Malijevský, with support from the Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers, this exhibit offers a firsthand, in-depth view into the efforts of Ukrainian citizens and military to preserve their sovereignty. Through Saturday, November 18. 6 pm.

First Thursday Block Party: Benefitting BioHouston

This month, Mid Main Houston's First Thursday Block Party will benefit non-profit BioHouston. Make a $10 donation to this worthy organization for an all-access wristband to the biggest block throwdown in the Bayou City. There will be DJs like Avery Davis and live music from such acts as Western Bling and Houston’s A.S.S. Two art shows will be at MId Main Lofts Art Gallery and Sig’s Lagoon. Also, you can buy from local vendors, drink half-off frozen cocktails at Double Trouble, and get some face painting at The Fashion Time Machine. 6 pm.

Mala Vida Paradise Soft Opening

The folks of Gabriela’s Group will open the doors of Mala Vida Paradise, their latest nightclub/bar, in downtown Houston. The new space will serve as another sister concept complimenting the group’s existing nightclubs located in Austin. Clubgoers will be treated to a multi-level, fluorescent wonderland and weekend escape for local dance-lovers, while offering a rotating selection of DJs from across Texas spinning reggaeton, cumbia, perreo, corridos, hip-hop, and more. 9 pm.

Friday, October 6

Alta Arts presents "Gateway to the World" opening reception

The growth of Houston back at the turn of last century was unbridled. Opportunity could be found around every corner of the Bayou City. The photographs featured in the exhibit showcase the best of the best of commercial photography and photographers during the 1920s and 1930s. Using huge cameras that created an 8 x 10 inch, black and white negative, these skilled craftsmen captured day-to-day life in and around Houston with amazing clarity. Through Saturday, November 4. 6:30 pm.

Apollo Chamber Players presents Banned

Apollo Chamber Players' 16th season begins with a musical commentary on the “reasoning” behind book censorship and control, with nods to notable books that have been banned historically. Genre-fusing composer and flutist Allison Loggins-Hull, current Composer Fellow for the Cleveland Orchestra, and Houston-based composer Mark Buller join Apollo for a program all-too resonant with the current social and political moment. 7:30 pm.

DACAMERA presents Bill Frisell FIVE and Ambrose Akinmusire Owl Song

SIx-time Grammy nominee Bill Frisell’s career as a guitarist and composer has spanned more than 40 years. His newest collaboration doubles up on the bass and drums for a hard-hitting ensemble. Trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire is a jazz musician, and his new ensemble includes Frisell and the grooving New Orleans drummer Herlin Riley. His broad expressive palette will be showcased here as he paints new musical pictures with an ensemble. 8 pm.

University of Houston School of Theatre and Dance presents Big Love

Fifty women have fled to a villa on the Italian coast to avoid having to marry 50 of their cousins in this modern adaptation of Aeschylus’ Greek tragedy The Suppliants. Big Love brings a contemporary (and comedic) sensibility to one of the oldest plays in the Western tradition. When the 50 would-be husbands arrive to claim their resistant brides, the women create a shocking plan to fend off the men’s full-on, amorous onslaught and escape their ill-fated marriages. Through Sunday, October 15. 8 pm (2 & 8 pm Saturday; 2 pm Sunday).

Saturday, October 7

5K Events presents 5K Zombie Run

Zombie Run is a family-friendly run/immersive experience. Runners are not running against a clock — they are running from brain-hungry, virus-spreading, bloody zombies. Before the race, participants will be given a flag belt, very similar to flag football. These flags represent health. The zombies want to take flags and maybe eat brains; if a participant loses all his or her health flags, then he or she will receive the "Infected" medal at the finish line. If he or she finishes with a flag, then he or she will receive the "Survivor" medal at the finish line. 9 am.

Red River Showdown Tailgate Party at Patterson Park

Patterson Park, the dog-friendly, Heights-area patio bar boasting a 5,000-square-foot outdoor deck and treehouse vibes, is back with the popular college football Tailgate Party series. This week heats up with the Red River Showdown (the annual UT vs. Oklahoma matchup) meaning the bar will open at 10:30 am. Early arrivals (before kickoff) will receive a Roxor Gin Bloody Mary made with a carrot juice mix to fit the theme (and stay orange). Jump on a raffle for 2 tickets to the UT/Texas Tech game (November 24 in Austin) which include one free night at the Barton Creek Resort. (Raffle will be drawn at the end of the game; participants must be present to win.) Game Day Specials will be running all day $5 Bloody Marys & Mimosas until 5 pm plus big drink discounts all day. Feast on State Fair-style grub (po boys, corn dogs, churros, mozzarella sticks, cheese fries, fried pickles, and more).

Hands-On Houston: Inflatable Balloon Characters + Balloon House

This weekend, join Houston Center for Contemporary Craft to experience the captivating world of balloon-character sculpting, inspired by the inflatable sculptures on view in the new exhibition, RIPSTOP. Unleash your creativity, and explore various shapes and designs by inflating and twisting your own balloon, and bring your balloon characters to life. The event will also feature an outdoor bouncy house for visitors between the ages of 3 and 12. 11 am.

M-K-T Heights presents Poder Hispano

M-K-T Heights will be in a very caliente mood this weekend, with the in-person event known as Poder Hispano. Join them for a day filled with fun, music, delicious food, local vendors, and much more. This event is the perfect opportunity to connect with other members of the Hispanic community and celebrate Hispanic culture and traditions that you won't want to miss. Come and join the party at Poder Hispano. Noon.

Sugar Land Town Square presents Oktoberfest

Sugar Land Town Square's annual Oktoberfest will feature Bavarian music and dancing, beer, authentic German food, games & prizes, and more. Flying Saucer Biergarten will feature 50 different brews and The Boho Market will have local makers with vintage and handcrafted goods. There will be main-stage entertainment with a mix of traditional and modern tunes, sing-alongs, and dance-alongs. Oktoberfest games and contests include stein races, stein holding contests, and a bratwurst-eating contest. 4 pm.

Sunday, October 8

Museum of Fine Arts, Houston presents Robert Frank and Todd Webb: Across America, 1955 opening day

In 1955, two photographers received fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation for U.S. survey projects: Robert Frank and Todd Webb. Frank’s cross-country trip by car would result in the celebrated book The Americans. Webb was awarded a grant to walk, boat, and bike across the United States to depict “vanishing Americana, and the way of life that is taking its place.” Robert Frank and Todd Webb: Across America, 1955 brings together both 1955 projects for the first time. Through Sunday, January 7. 12:30 pm.

Korean American Society of Houston presents June (준) Fan Meet

Over at the Midtown Arts and Theater Center Houston (MATCH, for those in the know), Korean American Society of Houston will host a fan meet with Korean Festival artist June. For those not fully immersed in the Asian pop world, this solo R&B singer is Korean by birth, but he mostly does Japanese music and soundtracks for anime. Guests will get the chance to play games with the artist, participate in a Q&A session, take group photos, and even get a hi-touch experience. Noon.

Moores School Symphonic Band and Symphonic Winds Concert

The Moores School of Music’s Symphonic Winds and Symphonic Band will hold a concert that will showcase the pinnacle of standard and new concert band literature. The Moores School of Music Symphonic Winds is the University of Houston’s second concert ensemble, conducted by Cameron Kubos. The Symphonic Band is the University of Houston’s third concert ensemble, conducted by Sean Phelan. 7:30 pm.

Movie Review

28 Years Later revives zombie franchise for new generation

Photo by Miya Mizuno

Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Alfie Williams in 28 Years Later.

The 2000s brought two of the best zombie movies ever made in 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later. Both films, despite being made by different filmmakers, featured intense action with fast-moving zombies, harrowing sequences, and real emotional connections with their main characters. Now the original director and writer — Danny Boyle and Alex Garland — have returned with the first of a possible three sequels, 28 Years Later.

The rage virus from the first two films that turns humans into insatiable monsters has successfully been contained to the United Kingdom, and one group of survivors has managed to band together on a small island off the coast of England. We’re introduced to the group through Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), his wife, Isla (Jodie Comer), and his son, Spike (Alfie Williams).

Isla is sick with an unknown illness, while Jamie is set to take the 12-year-old Spike on his first trip to the mainland to hunt zombies. That trip not only gives Spike an education as to the different types of feral zombies that now populate England, but also a clue that other people have survived there. When he discovers that one of them may be a doctor, he makes plans to take his mother there in hopes of finding a cure for whatever ails her.

While the first two films were notable for their brisk pace that kept the potency of the stories high, Boyle and Garland almost go in the opposite direction for much of this film. The first 90 minutes are relatively slow, with only a couple of sequences that raise the blood pressure. The final half hour or so go a long way toward filling that void, so it’s clear that the filmmakers were biding their time for the story to come in the sequel. A bit more balance in this film would have served them well, though.

What they do show involves some weird, wild stuff that is objectively upsetting, even for fans of the genre. The zombies have evolved in strange ways, giving them a variety of body shapes and abilities to suit the environment in which they live. These storytelling choices may thrill some and have others scratching their heads. Another human character living on his own (played by Ralph Fiennes), appears to have gone the way of Colonel Kurtz in Apocalypse Now, with a revelation that is bone-chilling.

Boyle, who’s directed everything from Trainspotting to Slumdog Millionaire, doesn’t have a signature style, and he makes some choices in this film that test your patience. He occasionally employs an odd technique in which the film stutters, for a lack of better term. It’s a bit jarring, especially since it doesn’t seem to improve the storytelling. He also inserts scenes from older films involving medieval warfare that emulate the bow-and-arrow weaponry used by characters in this film, but the exact connection he’s trying to make is unclear.

The young Williams has a lot put on his shoulders in the film, and he proves to be up to the task of carrying the story. He isn’t precocious or annoying, instead reacting almost exactly like you’d expect a boy of his age to do when faced with extreme situations. Taylor-Johnson and Comer are good complements for him, drawing him out with their polar opposite characters. Fiennes makes a huge impression in the final act of the film, while Jack O’Connell makes a very brief appearance, teasing a bigger role to come.

It’s difficult to fully judge 28 Years Later because it’s designed to only give you part of the story; part 2, The Bone Temple, is due in 2026, while a third film will follow if the first two do well. This film has its moments and winds up on the positive side of the ledger, but it’s also a frustrating experience that could have used a more stand-alone story.

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28 Years Later is now playing in theaters.

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