weekend event planner

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

We're not kidding: goat yoga is back.

Photo via National Today-Goat Yoga Month

Call this weekend a block party, as LEGO stacks up a massive, playable stadium experience, and Roblkox fans can get their blox on at Children's Museum Houston.

Miller Outdoor Theatre celebrates hip-hop's 50th anniversary, goat yoga stretches into a local bar, and Alamo Drafthouse hosts a Drop Dead Gorgeous experience.

Enjoy; here are your best bets for the weekend.

Thursday, August 17

CityPlace Plaza presents City Place Farmers Market

Are you looking to stock up your refrigerator and pantry with some all-natural freshness? City Place’s new farmer’s market will feature products from local farms and artisanal producers. Guests will be able to shop organic, locally grown produce, grass-fed meats, pasture-raised eggs, artisan cheeses, fresh baked goods and juices, specialty prepared food, plants, natural pet treats, and more. 11:30 am.

Pantera in concert

Pantera, one of the most successful and influential bands in heavy metal history, has made their long-awaited return to the stage. They’re currently touring North America with Lamb of God and Flesh Hoarder as special guests. One of the most anticipated tours of 2023, this celebration tour includes original members Philip Anselmo and Rex Brown, joined by Zakk Wylde (guitar) and Charlie Benante (drums). So, all you Houston metalheads can head over to the Woodlands this weekend and watch these guys rock hard. 7 pm.

Rooftop Cinema Club Uptown presents Goodfellas

Oscar-winning actor, director and new dad Robert De Niro will turn 80 this weekend. To honor the man and his cinematic legacy, Rooftop Cinema Club Uptown will screen Martin Scorsese’s 1990 gangster classic Goodfellas. Sure, that movie is mostly known for Joe Pesci’s Oscar-winning turn as the psychopathic pal of lead protagonist Henry Hill (Ray Liotta). But don’t forget that De Niro killed it (figuratively, of course) as their mob mentor Jimmy “The Gent” Conway. 10 pm.

Friday, August 18

LEGO Play Stadium Houston

At the LEGO Play Stadium Experience, families can set their imaginations free in a 6,500 square foot play space. The event features photo opportunities, digital interactions, games, and LEGO brick building activities. Kids receive an RFID wristband that brings the experience to life and unlocks LEGO surprises as they explore, build, and play their way through several play zones before adding their LEGO minifigure likeness to the ranks of Team Unstoppable. 1 pm.

Miller Outdoor Theatre presents Summer Mixtape Series: Hip Hop Night

Although the 50th anniversary of hip-hop happened last Friday, Miller Outdoor Theatre will host an evening of hip-hop this weekend to kick off the Miller Summer Mixtape Series. Celebrating the 50-year legacy of hip-hop, this event showcases Houston's vibrant music scene with an all-star lineup of talented local artists. Performers will include Paul Wall, DJ Mr Rogers, Lanell Grant, AJ McQueen, Phill Wade, and Doeman. 7:30 pm.

Musiqa & NobleMotion presents Unchained

Musiqa will present Unchained: A Collaborative Intermedia Tribute to Women’s Stories of Resilience. This two-night event showcases Iranian-American composer Badie Khaleghian, along with an array of talented artists and performers. The unique experience, brought to life through an innovative combination of live music, digital & physical art, and dance, offers a fresh perspective on the narratives of women through a diverse array of artistic mediums. 7:30 pm.

Ghost Files Live!

Experience the excitement of ghost hunting with the ghoul boys through a special screening of a never-before-seen episode of Ghost Files, followed by an exclusive Q&A session with the hosts themselves, Ryan Bergara and Shane Madej. The audience will have their burning questions answered as the hosts take the stage to share behind-the-scenes stories, discuss their most memorable investigations, and maybe even talk to a ghost or two. 8 pm.

Saturday, August 19

Children’s Museum Houston presents Blox Stars

Hey now, you’re a Blox star! Feel like you’ve stepped into a video game when you come out to Children Museum Houston’s Roblox-themed event. Bring your A-game and cameras as you tackle all things inspired by the hit game and power up your imagination. Snap selfies with fun Roblox characters, play Roblox games at an exhilarating mobile spot, and get creative with Roblox-inspired dioramas. 10 am.

National Aviation Day & Bussey Hot Air Balloon Event at Lone Star Flight Museum

Calling all aviators! Enjoy a day that is all about aircraft. From helicopters and drones to warbirds and space shuttles, it’s a special day to celebrate aviation. There will be hands-on activities, plane tours, cockpit sneak peaks, tinkering with tools and don’t forget the flight simulators. The Bussey Hot Air Balloon Display is also complete and will be joining the museum’s permanent collection. You can build your own mini version of the Bussey balloon, while experimenting with the fundamentals of flight. 10 am.

Hardy & Nance Studios presents The Abstract Art Show

Hardy & Nance Studios will be getting back in the abstract swing of this weekend with its sixth-annual Abstract Art Show. The theme will be abstract art that explores the relationships of shape, form, color, and line to create a composition that breaks away from the traditional representation of physical objects. So, expect a lot of pieces that’ll bring to mind such abstract legends as Piet Mondrian, Wassily Kandinsky, Mark Rothko, Frank Ammerlaan, and Liam Everett, just to name a few. 5 pm.

GRAJJ Presents Houston All-Stars

Be ready to watch amazing artists perform live at GRAJJ's latest Houston All-Stars event. Scheduled to perform will be Jimmy Static, Trapstar AR, T-Rose, Saint Jordo, KVTHEGREATEST, Jay Siliezar, Dyllyn, and many more. Before that, there will be a fashion showcase – called Una Noche De Verano – at 5 pm, where such designers as 8 by Zaratures, Ombligo and Zena Temperz will provide a show with their variety of models. 9 pm.

Sunday, August 20

Goat Yoga at Little Woodrow’s

Baaaamaste! Join Little Woodrow’s for some goat yoga under their covered patio. Come meet the pygmy "goats" while they roam through yoga classes and even join you for a pose or two. Inhale in to relax and breathe in the beautiful Texas air, then exhale out the laughter that is sure to follow with this activity. There will be complimentary mimosas after class, so this is an event you definitely don’t wanna miss. 10 am.

Flying Saucer Draught Emporium presents 23rd Year Celebration

Flying Saucer Draught Emporium celebrates 23 years in downtown Houston with a blowout. Marking the milestone for the craft beer pioneer, Flying Saucer will tap several brews from area breweries, including Firestone Walker, Other-Half, Evil Twin and Jester King, and offer exclusive pours from Celestial and Pinthouse. The new summer cocktail list will be featured and showcases both draft and crafted libations. Karaoke is open to the public and will include a Houston Brewery Karaoke Contest with Brash, Eureka Heights, and others. 11 am.

Alamo Drafthouse Cinema presents Champagne Cinema: Drop Dead Gorgeous

What do you get when you mix the absurdity of The State with the status-hungry sociopathy of teen beauty pageants? If Kind Hearts and Coronets had a riot-grrl soundtrack and an abundance of home-sewn culottes, it might look a little something like Michael Patrick Jann’s 1999 cult mockumentary, starring Kirsten Dunst and Denise Richards as rival pageant contestants. Raise a glass as our local Alamo Drafthouse celebrates this unique example of ‘90s excellence – with plenty of champagne available to order. 6:15 pm.

Movie Review

Cheesiness undermines Whalefall's intense survival story

Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios

Austin Abrams in Whalefall.

Austin Abrams has been a professional actor for 15 years, but the 30-year-old seems to just now be getting his due. After years of mostly supporting roles in films like Paper Towns, Brad’s Status, and Weapons, he has been charged with leading two films in 2026 where he’s largely acting by himself: First Resident Evil and now Whalefall.

Abrams plays Jay Gardiner, who has returned home to California a year after the death of his hard-ass father, Mitt (Josh Brolin). The two had a tempestuous relationship, and while his mom (Elisabeth Shue) and sisters (Jane Levy and Emily Rudd) reminisce fondly about him, Jay finds it difficult to come up with good memories. The two did share a connection with the ocean, and Jay decides to honor him by going scuba diving.

Ignoring warnings of whale activity in the area, Jay makes his way out into a notoriously dangerous part of the ocean near their home. Soon after he starts swimming, he encounters a sperm whale chasing after a giant squid. Jay inadvertently gets sucked into the enormous creature’s mouth and, ultimately, inside its body. Faced with a seemingly inescapable situation, Jay’s only hope lies in the lessons his father taught him.

Directed by Brian Duffield and adapted by Duffield and Daniel Kraus from Kraus’ book of the same name, the film is at its best when it depicts Jay struggling to survive within the whale. The claustrophobic nature of the setting and the various obstacles (multiple contracting chambers, the squid, and more) he faces make every scene inside the whale feel as intense and cover-your-eyes scary as any great horror movie.

Naturally, the entire movie can’t be about his survival efforts, and so the filmmakers toggle back and forth between Jay’s ordeal in the whale to memories of times with his father. Not so coincidentally, these remembrances come with subtle or overt wisdom from Mitt that would serve Jay well in his current situation. More often than not, these flashback scenes are so on-the-nose that they come off as cheesy instead of inspirational.

It’s also difficult to derive any big emotions from the story other than revulsion at the way Jay’s body is brutalized while he’s inside the whale. None of the characters in the film receive a notable introduction to the audience before big events start happening. It’s next-to-impossible to be invested in their stories when their personalities are being revealed in bits and pieces throughout the movie.

Abrams does well enough in bringing out the terror Jay feels in the whale and the sullenness/anger he has toward his father in other scenes. But whether it’s because his lines in the whale are hard to understand (he’s often talking around a scuba mouthpiece) or the disconnect the character has with father, there’s just something missing in his performance. Brolin’s performance is one-note, and Shue, Levy, Rudd, and John Ortiz don’t appear enough to make a big impact.

With Kraus onboard as the co-writer of the film, it may be the case that Duffield was not given leeway to change the story of Whalefall too much. What might have worked in the book doesn’t seem to translate equally to the film, and while Jay’s nightmare in the whale is effective, the rest of his story doesn’t come across as successfully.

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Whalefall is now playing in theaters.

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