weekend event planner

Top things to do this weekend in Houston: Beyoncé brunch, a lit downtown party, and more

Houston Ballet celebrates its visionary artistic director in a special performance.

Photo courtesy of Houston Ballet

This weekend, SNL alum and famous funnyman Pete Davidson comes to town to bring the laughs and dish on his very public private life.

Houston Ballet celebrates its visionary artistic director Stanton Welch in a Jubilee of Dance, while the whole city can celebrate Queen Bey at a Beyoncé-themed brunch to toast her new movie.

And speaking of city celebrations, don't miss the Mayor's Holiday Spectacular as light it up. Enjoy; here are your best bets for the weekend.

Thursday, November 30

DASH Holiday Market at the Houston Design Center

One of Houston's boutique markets is partnering with the Houston Design Center to present DASH Holiday Market. The four-day market will give Houston shoppers an all-inclusive experience as they discover the finest home accessories, art, jewelry, clothing, and gifts under one roof. Ove 75 local and national dealers will bring Houston shoppers the newest in trending decor and unique holiday gifts for everyone. 6 pm (10 am Friday, Saturday, and Sunday).

Bayou Music Center presents Pete Davidson

Actor, comedian, and professional rizzmaster Pete Davidson will be down here to do some stand-up. Davidson was a cast member on NBC’s Saturday Night Live from 2014-2022, and is the creator, executive producer, writer and star of the new Peacock comedy, Bupkis. But, of course, you mostly know him as the guy who somehow can get any A-list dimepiece any time he wants. Yeah, it boggles our minds too. 7 pm.

The Doll Foundation presents Model of the Year

The 2023 Model of the Year Awards will embrace the glamorous atmosphere of Studio 54, encouraging attendees to dress up as their favorite '70s icons. The occasion will honor individuals recognized as “Women of Influence”: Dr. Vanessa Barrow, Jessica Hatch Farrokhza, Dr. Cheryl Murphy Haseeb, LeBrina Jackson, Staci LaToison, Malaika Mukoro, Milka Waterland, and Susan Hough. Additionally, the event will salute Cheryl Creuzot, recipient of the "Model of a Lifetime" award, for her significant achievements. 7 pm.

Friday, December 1

University of Houston School of Theatre and Dance presents Emerging Choreographers Showcase

For over 20 years, the UH School of Theatre & Dance has presented the three-day Emerging Choreographers Showcase to introduce audiences to rising student talent. UH School of Theatre & Dance students produce, choreograph, perform, and design the entire evening, showcasing their performance, design, and production skills in a professional theater setting. Noon & 7:30 pm (7:30 pm Saturday).

Sawyer Yards presents Ray Jiang: "Life" opening reception

Sawyer Yards presents "Life," a solo exhibition of oil paintings on canvas by artist Ray Jiang. Jiang's work explores deeply felt themes such as life, love, death, sex, and dreams. His approach is between surrealism, minimalism, and symbolism; and his goal is to express the profound essence of the human experience, going beyond culture through the use of abstract and concrete forms, and brilliant colors. Through Saturday, January 20. 6 pm.

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston presents Farewell My Concubine (Ba wang bie ji)

On its 30th anniversary, experience this influential Chinese film, restored and uncut for the first time. Dieyi (Leslie Cheung) and Xiaolou (Zhang Fengyi) are classmates at the Peking Opera Academy. The boys mature and their dramatic identities become real for Dieyi when he falls in love with Xiaolou, who fails to reciprocate his affections and marries a courtesan (Gong Li), This genre-bending love story captures the historical scope of a changing country and features performances showcasing the remarkable tradition of the Peking Opera. 7 pm.

Houston Ballet presents Margaret Alkek Williams Jubilee of Dance: A Celebration of Stanton Welch

This year’s Margaret Alkek Williams Jubilee of Dance celebrates the 20th anniversary of Stanton Welch as artistic director for one special night only. The evening will begin with a selection of highlights of Welch's work created in Houston over the past 20 seasons. Audiences will be introduced to four world premieres — three new ballets by soloist Jacquelyn Long, demi-soloist Jack Wolf and Corps de Ballet dancer Jindallae Bernard, capped off by a one-act ballet from Welch. 7:20 pm.

Saturday, December 2

2023 Comic Indie Con

Whether you're a die-hard indie media fan or curious about the world of indie comics, board games, arts and crafts, this event will have something for everyone. You'll have the opportunity to explore a wide range of independent comics and discover unique stories that push the boundaries of traditional storytelling. Explore some self-published novels and get a chance to see and play with some indie board games. Don't leave without purchasing some unique indie arts and crafts. 10 am.

The Union Kitchen presents Bubbles & Beyoncé

All five of The Union Kitchen’s Houston-area locations will celebrate Beyoncé with a themed brunch, coinciding with the release of Bey’s newest concert film Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé. Chef James Lundy and his team have curated a themed menu just for the day, including a handful of cocktails and decadent dining options. Brunch fare includes The Blue Ivy (blueberry muffins with blueberry compote) and The Disco Cakes (classic fluffy pancake stack, topped with colorful sprinkles and housemade honey butter). 10 am.

Reliant Lights Mayor’s Holiday Spectacular

$Reliant Lights Mayor\u2019s Holiday Spectacular$ Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner will preside over his final Reliant Lights Mayor's Holiday Spectacular. Photo courtesy of City of Houston

Mayor Sylvester Turner and Reliant will kick-off the holidays with one of Houston’s favorite family events of the season. This annual free event will feature live music, dance performances, the lighting of the holiday tree, and other festive activities for all ages. American Idol star and Grammy nominee Jordin Sparks will headline the event. There will also be performances by Eduardo Trevino, Houston Children’s Chorus, Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts’ theater department, and more. 6 pm.

The Orange Show presents Negativland featuring SUE-C

Does technology help connect people? Or does it replace them? In "We Can Really Feel Like We’re Here," a collaboration between legendary sound collage group Negativland and live cinema video artist SUE-C, this live performance project is about our nervous systems, our realities, and the evolving forms of media and technology that inevitably insert themselves between them, with original music, found sounds, unique visuals, and a few surprises. 7 pm.

Sunday, December 3

Super Happy Christmas Toy Show and Art Market

Super Happy Incredible Toys, the premier vintage toy store in Houston, presents the annual Christmas Toy Show and Art Market. Held at the famous Saint Arnold Brewery, this all-ages event will combine the amusement of a toy show and creativity of an art market with the opportunity to purchase many examples of both. If that wasn't enough, it'll all be dressed up as one of the year's best Christmas parties with a special appearance by Santa Himself. 11 am.

The Winning Wonderland: Black Girl Christmas Market

For the next two Sundays, The Black Girl Christmas Market will be the best place for holiday shopping, supporting women- and minority-owned businesses. Sponsored by Wins For Black Girls, this holiday mark is back for its third year. The shopping experience will spotlight about 20 brands, including StirTEAse, a luxury honey-stirrer brand, and Sania Ameris, a crochet couture brand. The market will feature clothing, accessories, hair care, skincare, candles, art, and more. Noon.

Asia Society Texas presents Alka Joshi: The Perfumist of Paris

New York Times' bestselling author Alka Joshi joins Asia Society Texas for an author talk on her latest novel, The Perfumist of Paris. As the third entry in Joshi's J'aipur Trilogy, The Perfumist of Paris takes readers to 1970s Paris where Radha’s budding career as a perfumer competes against the growing demands of her family and the secrets of her past. With her signature evocative storytelling, Joshi invites readers on a transformative journey through the deep meaning of family, identity, goals, and dreams. 2 pm.

Movie Review

Cookie Queens goes behind the scenes of Girl Scout Cookie season

Photo courtesy of Roadside Attractions

Girl Scouts in Cookie Queens.

Few people are strong enough to resist the lure of Girl Scout cookie season every year, with the cookies’ limited availability and unique flavors a strong incentive to indulge. But only the girls and their families who have sold the cookies know the joys and stresses of trying to get people to buy them, a process that is detailed in the new documentary, Cookie Queens.

The film by documentarian Alysa Nahmias uses the stories of four different girls to represent the nationwide ritual for the Girl Scouts. They include 12-year-old Olive in Charlotte, North Carolina, a longtime top seller; 8-year-old Shannon Elizabeth in El Paso, Texas, who wants to earn the reward of going to camp; 5-year-old Ara in San Diego, California, whose goal is modest compared to most other girls; and 9-year-old Nikki in Chino, California, who has to compete with her older sisters in the cookie-selling bonanza.

The girls represent a cross-section of both ages and backgrounds, with some girls coming from wealthy families and some girls dealing with more limited means. And how much money your family has makes a big difference, as not only does someone richer have more freedom with their time and supplies, but all scouts are required to reimburse the organization for every box they take in, regardless of whether they’re able to sell it or not.

That caveat makes the journeys of the four featured girls feel wildly different. It’s clear from the start that Olive and Nikki’s families don’t give a second thought to the personal economics of selling cookies, with each girl taking in thousands of boxes at the beginning of the six-week selling season. With both Olive and Nikki rightfully confident that they’ll have no problem offloading their supply, their stories turn to how selling is personally affecting them, with each trying to reconcile the fun of doing it with the pressure they feel from their family members.

Shannon Elizabeth’s story is more harrowing, as her parents feel a strong desire to help her accomplish her lofty goal, but worry that the cost might literally be too high for the family as a whole. More than once, the parents are shown fretting that they won’t have the money to pay back what they owe should they fall significantly short in their sales. Their selling approach, which includes walking through an empty swap meet and standing outside a chain restaurant at night, only adds to their stress.

The most fun story to watch is that of Ara, whose innocence is matched by her confidence. Her parents teach her how much money they’ll owe with her small goal of 55 boxes, but right away she takes on more responsibility than expected. She’s shown making sales pitches and tallying the total number of boxes she’s sold with little-to-no help from either her mom or dad. With her high voice, glasses, and a monitor on her arm to manage her diabetes, she becomes the cute and sympathetic part of the film.

There are times that the film starts to feel more than a little manipulative, however. While many of the moments documented come off as organic, some of them seem like Nahmias is actively guiding the participants in order to get a better story. This is especially evident with Shannon Elizabeth and her family, whose early struggles turn into a miraculous feel-good story by the end, a turnaround that seems implausible at best. Everything with them might have been aboveboard, but Nahmias and her team edit the family’s journey in a way that pushes a bit too hard for emotion.

Cookie Queens, which was produced by a company owned by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, helps to give insight into the business of selling Girl Scout cookies for those who’ve only been on the purchasing end of the transaction. The dedication of each girl toward selling their allotted supply proves fun and interesting, even if the filmmaker tries to gild the lily on occasion.

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Cookie Queens is now playing in theaters,