Halloween 2022

These are the best Halloween happenings to scare up serious fun in Houston

Decked-out dogs show off at the Howl-O-Ween Dog Parade.

Photo courtesy of MUTTS Canine Cantina

This year, Halloween in Houston comes as our beloved Astros kick off their World Series championship quest. Fans of All Hallow's Eve, meanwhile, can enjoy four days of spooky fun, including city and community events, costumed fun in parks, and even bar affairs and mystery-themed dinners.

With that in mind, we've rounded up your best bets to scare up some fun this season.

Friday, October 28

Color Factory's cleverly titled Haunted Hues boasts interactive installations and immersive rooms with ghoulishly good goodies, Instagram-worthy photo opportunities, pumpkin decorating, and a refreshing partnership with JuiceLand. Bring your boo, the little ones, or the whole family for vivid Halloween fun through November 1. 10 am.

Join Rice Village District for a Halloween block party. Stop by and check out our maze, live music, tailgate games, and complimentary refreshments. Kids can celebrate by wearing their costumes and trick-or-treating. 5:30 pm.

Discovery Green will be getting into the scary swing of things with “Scream on the Green.” Houston’s citywide Halloween celebration returns with a costume contest, music, and a screening of Monster House. 6 pm.

The San Jacinto Battleground has been a final resting place for Texans for at least 200 years. On Friday and Saturday, a special candlelight tour of two of its cemeteries will be held to illuminate the real stories of the men and women who lived, fought and died here. 6:15 pm.

Houston SPCA’s annual Howl-O-Ween Ball will feature costumes, entertainment, auction experiences, cocktail hour, and a seated dinner by City Kitchen. The covered equine arena will be transformed into a grand ballroom with ghoulishly delightful décor. 6:30 pm.

Saturday, October 29

Lagoonfest Texas will have a Halloween Trunk or Treat in the parking lot. Children of all ages are invited to go car-to-car for candy, play in a bounce house and compete in costume contests for prizes. 10 am.

Over at Woodlands Children’s Houston, the annual SpookTacular Halloween Monster Mash Party will be filled with children’s carnival-type games, magic shows, live music with children’s musician Mr. Will, science monster slime, and face painting. 10 am.

M-K-T will get creepy and outdoorsy with its Hike, Bike & Fright Fest. It will feature a Trick or Treat Trail, a Shop Local Market, and live performances. 4 pm.

At the Houston Arboretum’s Sip & Stroll, guests can walk along the Arboretum’s dimly lit trails, where they may encounter creatures of the night. The final destination will incorporate music and mingling with light bites and beverages, including wine and Saint Arnold beer. 7 pm.

Sunday, October 30

At Cole’s Flea Market’s Trick-or-Treat event, kids are encouraged to dress up in Halloween costumes for trick-or-treating through the market. Families also can enjoy face painting, a balloon artist, free candy, and pumpkin bucket raffles. 9 am.

Urban South HTX will host its first Halloween market. Bring the entire family out for a fun-filled day, including a bounce house, pumpkin carving, a costume contest, raffle prizes, a cookie-decorating class, market vendors, candy, and more. 1 pm.

Discovery Green’s fifth annual Dia de Los Muertes festival will feature the movie Coco, followed by live performances and music. Visitors are invited to place images or recuerdos of their loved ones on the community altar. Families will enjoy hands-on art activities, artist demos, and vendors. 3 pm.

Levy Park will present the fifth annual Howl-o-ween Dog Parade and Costume Contest. Later in the evening, there will also be a Family Movie Night screening of Hocus Pocus. 4 pm.

Monday, October 31

Bungalow Heights will have an All Hallows’ Eve murder-mystery dinner. Tickets are $100 and must be purchased in advance. It will include dinner, a multi-course dinner, a specialty cocktail, and a tip for the server. 6 pm.

Friends of River Oaks Theatre will hold an outdoor screening of Nosferatu, with live musical score accompaniment. There will also be a a blood drive, vampire costume contest, and short films by local filmmakers. 7:30 pm.

Numbers Nightclub will continue its Halloween tradition with a costume contest where people can win $1000 in cash and prizes. DJ Wes Wallace will provide the music, and drink specials will be available until 9 pm. 8 pm.

Over at Emmit’s Place, James Wilhite will host the Spooky Halloween Monday Night Jam. Come out and enjoy the music. All musicians are welcome, and there’s no cover. There’s usually something to munch on, and tons of great drink specials too. 8:30 pm.

Movie Review

Michelle Pfeiffer visits Houston in new Christmas movie Oh. What. Fun.

Photo courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios

Michelle Pfeiffer in Oh. What. Fun.

Of all the formulaic movie genres, Christmas/holiday movies are among the most predictable. No matter what the problem is that arises between family members, friends, or potential romantic partners, the stories in holiday movies are designed to give viewers a feel-good ending even if the majority of the movie makes you feel pretty bad.

That’s certainly the case in Oh. What. Fun., in which Michelle Pfeiffer plays Claire, an underappreciated mom living in Houston with her inattentive husband, Nick (Denis Leary). As the film begins, her three children are arriving back home for Christmas: The high-strung Channing (Felicity Jones) is married to the milquetoast Doug (Jason Schwartzman); the aloof Taylor (Chloë Grace Moretz) brings home yet another new girlfriend; and the perpetual child Sammy (Dominic Sessa) has just broken up with his girlfriend.

Each of the family members seems to be oblivious to everything Claire does for them, especially when it comes to what she really wants: For them to nominate her to win a trip to see a talk show in L.A. hosted by Zazzy Tims (Eva Longoria). When she accidentally gets left behind on a planned outing to see a show, Claire reaches her breaking point and — in a kind of Home Alone in reverse — she decides to drive across the country to get to the show herself.

Written and directed by Michael Showalter (The Idea of You), and co-written by Chandler Baker (who wrote the short story on which the film is based), the movie never establishes any kind of enjoyable rhythm. Each of the characters, including competitive neighbor Jeanne (Joan Chen), is assigned a character trait that becomes their entire personality, with none of them allowed to evolve into something deeper.

The filmmakers lean hard into the idea that Claire is a person who always puts her family first and receives very little in return, but the evidence presented in the story is sketchy at best. Every situation shown in the film is so superficial that tension barely exists, and the (over)reactions by Claire give her family members few opportunities to make up for their failings.

The most interesting part of the movie comes when Claire actually makes it to the Zazzy Sims show. Even though what happens there is just as unbelievable as anything else presented in the story, Showalter and Baker concoct a scene that allows Claire and others to fully express the central theme of the film, and for a few minutes the movie actually lives up to its title.

Pfeiffer, given her first leading role since 2020’s French Exit, is a somewhat manic presence, and her thick Texas accent and unnecessary voiceover don’t do her any favors. It seems weird to have such a strong supporting cast with almost nothing of substance to do, but almost all of them are wasted, including Danielle Brooks in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo. The lone exception is Longoria, who is a blast in the few scenes she gets.

Oh. What. Fun. is far from the first movie to try and fail at becoming a new holiday classic, but the pedigree of Showalter and the cast make this dismal viewing experience extra disappointing. Ironically, overworked and underappreciated moms deserve a much better story than the one this movie delivers.

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Oh. What. Fun. is now streaming on Prime Video.

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