Is It Fall Yet?

Markets, music, and more are on tap for Houston's East River this fall

It's not too early to start dreaming about fall, especially when there are so many awesome events already lined up at East River.

The 150-acre mixed-use development — the largest in Houston — will soon be home to eateries, shops, and a residential multifamily community, along with the Houston Maritime Education Center + Museum. And it's all located along a mile of gorgeous Buffalo Bayou waterfront. The Laura residences are currently open and giving tours.

As East River's first phase opens to the public, everyone is invited to stop by, get excited for the new shops and restaurants, and check out these free fall events:

Beats on the Bayou
Music lovers, get ready for free concerts on the first Friday of each month, happening from 6-9 pm September through December.

The series kicked off on September 6 with a rock/pop night featuring Outsiders Band and Rozy Band — the two bands were a hit, with people bringing lawn chairs and picnic blankets to listen to the music on the lawn.

Beats on the Bayou is happening now through December 6.Photo courtesy of East River

October 4 brings Latin-inspired covers from Rapture, while November 1 celebrates Dia De Los Muertos with CTS Band's Queen of Tejano and Latin Tribute.

The series concludes on December 6 with a '90s night/Christmas beats theme featuring DJ Yung Chris.

BLCK Market
On the second Saturday of each month, from September to December at 11 am-3 pm, East River is showcasing more than 30 Black-owned small businesses, entrepreneurs, artisans, and vendors from around the country.

Shop a unique selection of clothing, art, candles, skincare, books, and more at the well-known pop-up, which is the largest gathering of Black-owned businesses in the nation.

Each event also features live music, fitness activities, food trucks, and the opportunity to support these dynamic vendors. To make planning even easier, the market's remaining 2024 dates are September 14, October 12, November 9, and December 14.

East River Fall Farmer's Market
A new addition to East River's event calendar, the Fall Farmer's Market will take place on the fourth Saturday of September, October, and November from 10 am-2 pm. Hosted by Harris County General Store BBQ Co., the beloved East End institution, this is your chance to pick up fresh, local produce and artisanal goods on September 28, October 26, and November 23.

All events are free and open to the public, and lawn chairs and picnic blankets are encouraged while enjoying the musical acts. For the most up-to-date information on event details, parking, and any potential changes, visit www.eastriverhtx.com or follow @EastRiverHouston on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Photo courtesy of East River

BLCK Market is coming up soon.

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The Holidays Are Brutal

Free holiday rage room lets Houstonians smash the stress of the season

Photo courtesy of Pluto TV

Get ready to drop-kick that pile of presents.

Be honest: Are the holidays getting to you yet? Does the stress of shopping, wrapping, traveling, visiting, cooking, baking, decorating, and moving that darn Elf around have you ready to break something?

Instead of attacking your lawn decorations like Clark Griswold, channel that festive frustration into a safe and controlled catharsis. For one day only, Pluto TV, the free streaming service from Paramount, is bringing a free pop-up rage room experience to Houston. Yes, free (though you do have to RSVP).

On Thursday, December 11, from 4-10 pm, visitors can step into a holiday-themed rage room and unleash their inner action star by smashing ornaments, drop-kicking wrapping-paper disasters, and “decking” the halls.

The tie-in is Pluto TV’s new “Holidays Are Brutal” collection, an assembly of 70-plus action films including Charlie’s Angels, Bad Boys, Rush Hour, The Expendables, Gladiator, and others that are featured all December long.

It's all going down at Break Life, a year-round rage room located at 5805 Centralcrest St., Houston.

Four rage rooms are available for the holiday experience on December 11. Each session is 30 minutes and accommodates up to four people, who must all be 18 and over. Reserve your slot here.

Rage rooms were invented in Japan in 2008, first as art installations before opening as commercial endeavors worldwide in the mid-2010s.

They really had a moment pre-pandemic, with The Real Housewives of Dallas even visiting one in 2018 (season 3, episode 6, in case you're interested) and The Bachelorette's Becca and Blake smashing it up in season 14 with some help from rapper Lil Jon.

The Houston holiday rage room is one of several that Pluto TV is hosting around the country this season; they're also popping up in Chicago, New York, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., Fort Worth, Phoenix, Philadelphia, and Raleigh-Durham. Find out more on their website.

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