weekend event planner

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

Celebrate Popston's sweet one-year anniversary this weekend.

Popston/Facebook

This weekend sees a new music series, a tribute to our very own Deli Man, and the grand opening of a new restaurant/sports bar/cigar lounge.

Asia Society unveils a must-see new journey to five Asian countries with a free exhibit showcase and some choice theater starring pirates, Patsy Cline, and Maya Angelou takes the stage.

And what's more sweet than popsicle on a weekend afternoon or a Peanuts party? Why not try both?

Enjoy; here are your best bets for the weekend.

Thursday, July 20

Jax Grill & Bar presents Summer Texas Country Music Series

Beginning this weekend, country singer Rich O’Toole and Jax Grill & Bar will host free, live country music every Thursday. Singer-songwriter Paige Lewis will kick off each Thursday night performing alongside a rotating cast of the city’s best pickers before the week’s headlining act takes the stage. Jax will offer an array of food and drink specials each week, including a custom taco plate created by O’Toole – a noted taco connoisseur – in collaboration with the kitchen team. 6 pm.

Holocaust Museum Houston presents The Deli Man

In tandem with the exhibition, "I'll Have What She's Having: The Jewish Deli," Holocaust Museum Houston will host this movie screening. The documentary tells the story of local "deli man" Ziggy Gruber, who grew up in a family-owned deli in New York City, then went off to the Culinary Institute of America, Le Cordon Bleu in France and eventually a three-star Michelin restaurant. Ziggy moved back to the U.S. and eventually landed in Houston, where he opened Kenny & Ziggy's New York Delicatessen. 6:30 pm.

Musaafer presents “House of Illusions” Anniversary Party

For one night only, Musaafer will celebrate its third anniversary by transforming its walls into a realm of enchantment and allure. Guests will be invited to unleash their inner mystic with Tarot and fortune tellers, marvel at the beauty of live statues and elaborate digital projections, get lost in the rhythm of live DJs, and indulge in an array of delectable live food and cocktail stations. Each corner of the restaurant will transform into distinct themed experiences, ensuring an unforgettable experience for all attendees. 7 pm.

Friday, July 21

Asia Society Texas presents "Explore Asia" Grand Opening Weekend

Asia Society Texas presents the grand opening of an immersive exhibition highlighting five Asian countries across six unique experiences.The $4.6 million permanent exhibition focuses on Asian art and culture and transforms the experience of visiting AST’s Yoshio Taniguchi-designed center. The weekend will include free access to the new exhibition, made possible by generous funding from the Ling and George Yang family, along with lion dances and a variety of family-friendly activities. Noon (10 am Saturday and Sunday).

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston presents Squaring the Circle (The Story of Hipnogsis)

Whether or not you are a fan of Pink Floyd, chances are you recognize the album covers of The Dark Side of the Moon and Wish You Were Here. This documentary celebrates the creative duo behind those iconic images, Aubrey “Po” Powell and Storm Thorgerson, revealing the duo’s influence by revisiting their iconic album covers and tracing their career. The documentary features commentary from stars including Peter Gabriel, David Gilmour, Paul McCartney, and Robert Plant. 7 pm Friday (5 pm Sunday).

Quad HTX Restaurant & Sports Lounge Grand Opening Weekend

Quad HTX Restaurant & Sports Lounge, Houston’s hottest new Third Ward destination for sophisticated sports, dining, and leisure, is hosting a massive four-day, grand opening weekend celebration. Quad HTX kicks off its public festivities with a “Flirty Friday” evening of seductive fun, starting at 7pm. Legendary R&B artist Adina Howard will take center stage for this event, and DJ Gloss will provide the beats to dance the night away and enjoy an evening of food, drinks, and flirtatious fun. 7 pm.

The Ensemble Theatre presents Phenomenal Woman

This world premiere collaboration between North Carolina Black Repertory Theatre and The Ensemble Theatre is a profound musical about the life and works of Maya Angelou. Her constant pursuit of a home, true love, and the “right words” are evident in her labored desire, endless searching in the most remote places, heartbreaking failures, and awe-inspiring victories. Her journey culminates in profound epiphanies woven throughout this endearing story. Through Sunday, July 30. 8 pm (2 & 8 pm Saturday; 3 pm Sunday).

Saturday, July 22

Cothren Contemporary presents Texas Contemporary Art Brunch

Guests of the Texas Contemporary Art Brunch will be in the studio living space of Houston-based contemporary painter Janice Freeman. South Texas-born and Houston-bred, her colorful abstractions embrace her deep-rooted connection to/love for rivers and the duality of her nomadic nature. Soulful art & conversation, LALO tequila con paleta cocktails, lite Latin brunch bites and music by accordionist Alex Harover and upright bass player Max Winningham will be on the menu. 11 am.

Popston One-Year Anniversary Party

Locally owned-and-operated popsicle and gelato company Popston is celebrating the one-year anniversary of its brick-and-mortar location with the debut of a new Houston-themed ice cream, in collaboration with the iconic graffiti artist behind Houston’s famous BE SOMEONE mural. Inspired by the red artwork on the bridge while being stuck in a traffic jam, Traffic Jam ($10) is a creamy blend of cheesecake ice cream and strawberry jam with chunks of cheesecake and pie crust throughout. 11 am.

IgboFest Houston

IgboFest Houston, hosted by Ndi Ichie Cultural Club, has reigned for over 15 years in Houston, bringing in performers from across the United States and Nigeria. The 20th annual edition will consist of professional dancers of Nigerian and non-Nigerian descent who have embraced the Igbo culture to display an array of cultural dances and folklore with an educational twist. 3 pm.

Gilbert & Sullivan Society of Houston presents The Pirates of Penzance

The Gilbert & Sullivan Society of Houston presents this family-friendly comic opera filled with infectious melodies, colorful costumes, and dialogue. The story revolves around Frederic, who was mistakenly apprenticed to a band of tender-hearted pirates. Hoping to be released from his apprenticeship on his 21st birthday, Frederic soon realizes that having his birthday on February 29 means that he will have to serve for decades to come. What becomes of Fredric? Are the pirates as tender-hearted as they claim? 7 pm (2:30 pm Sunday).

Sunday, July 23

Lucy Meet & Greet at Houston Toy Museum

If you grew up a huge fan of Charlie Brown, Peppermint Patty, Snoopy, Woodstock, and the whole Peanuts gang, have we got an event for you. Visit the Houston Toy Museum this weekend for a chance to meet Melanie Kohn, one of the original voices of Lucy Van Pelt from the Peanuts cartoons. Guests who have paid museum admission that day ($18 for adults and kids will pay their age) will be able to meet the voice actor for free. Those wanting an autograph will pay just $10. 2 pm.

Stages presents Always...Patsy Cline

In 1961, country music legend Patsy Cline met Louise Seger, a fan from Houston, at a honky-tonk. The two struck up a friendship that continued via letter-writing, until the singer’s tragic death years later. First premiering at Stages 35 years ago, this show welcomes home the fans who made it a hit and invites new generations to discover Patsy and Louise. This timeless tale of friendship and great music features 27 of Patsy Cline’s biggest hits, such as “Walkin’ After Midnight,” “I Fall To Pieces,” and “Crazy.” Through Sunday, October 29. 2 pm.

Houston Museum of African American Culture presents Beats on Screen: House Party

The Houston Museum of African American Culture (HMAAC) and Emancipation Park Conservancy (EPC) closes out its Beats on Screen series, celebrating the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, with an outdoor screening of the beloved 1990 comedy. Rapping/dancing duo Kid ‘n Play made their big-screen debut as teenagers throwing a rowdy, indoor soiree full of rap battles, dance numbers and other wild, raucous stuff. After all these years, the movie is still hilarious, and way better than that weak reboot that came out earlier this year. 7:30 pm.

Movie Review

Final Destination: Bloodlines reboots cult favorite horror franchise

Photo by Eric Milner

Kaitlyn Santa Juana in Final Destination: Bloodlines.

On the surface, the Final Destination films really shouldn’t work. There is no villain other than the concept of death itself, and nearly every death that occurs is foreshadowed so heavily that it removes the normal suspense that comes in horror films. And yet the franchise was successful enough to spawn five films over 11 years in the early 2000s, and now a reboot, Final Destination: Bloodlines.

A fantastic opening sequence set in the 1960s sets both the tone and the plot of the film, in which Stefani (Kaitlyn Santa Juana) has a recurring nightmare about a disaster that her grandmother, Iris (Gabrielle Rose), helped to avert. A visit to the reclusive Iris convinces Stefani that she and her family should not exist, and that each one of them is destined to meet a grisly end in the near future.

Met with resistance from her family members, Kaitlyn is unsurprisingly proven right as the film goes along, with different people dying in a variety of bizarre ways. A visit to William Bludworth (the late Tony Todd), a mortician who’s been the one constant in the series, provides a glimmer of hope that they can cheat death. But will they figure it out before it’s too late?

Directed by Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein, and written by Guy Busick and Lori Evans Taylor, the film does not try to reinvent the wheel for the concept. The entire point is to get as creative as possible with the death scenes, and the filmmakers take that mandate seriously, with each successive death becoming increasingly gruesome. The Rube Goldberg-like manner in which each death occurs makes the scenes come off as entertaining instead of off-putting.

The idea of Death hunting down an entire family line due to the actions of the family elder is a solid twist on the series’ central premise, and that change keeps the film from feeling repetitive. The story also introduces the possibility that the entire series is connected due to Iris’ actions, with the character possessing a scrapbook that references well-known incidents from previous films, a fun Easter egg for longtime fans.

The creativity of the kill sequences does not carry over to the overall story, though. Almost every character in the film only exists in order to meet a horrific end, so anything that they have going on outside of being stalked by Death is purely window dressing. Consequently, it’s hard to really care about anybody, even if they are all related to one another.

Because characters are so easily dispatched in the film, the cast is devoid of well-known actors. This is by far Santa Juana’s biggest role to date, and she does well enough to want to see more of her in the future. Adults like Alex Zahara and Rya Kihlstedt are character actors who bring some history with them, while the younger group is composed of people still trying to make names for themselves.

Final Destination: Bloodlines is a solid return for the franchise, even if it feels more like a one-off film rather than a justification for more stories in the future. But given how easily the concept can be adapted into new circumstances, don’t be surprised if another movie pops up in a couple of years.

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Final Destination: Bloodlines opens in theaters on May 16.

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