weekend event planner

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

Well, it’s Labor Day Weekend, which means summer is just about over. Close out this freakin’ hot summer by checking out a lot of cool things this weekend.

Squeeze and Boy George will be in town to take you back to the ‘80s. Dustin Nickerson and Beth Stelling will be around to give you some laughs. Jūn and Donkeeboy will provide a day of art and pastries. A Roald Dahl classic will hit the stage. A Japanese Vocaloid artist will provide some experimental grooves. And a Francis Ford Coppola classic will play at the Alamo Drafthouse.

As Jim Morrison sang in that movie, this is the end, beautiful friend. Read on for this weekend’s best bets.

Thursday, August 29

Sawyer Yards and Sabine Street Studios presents "Dance of Gesture" artist talk
As part of the "Dance of Gesture" exhibition, Houston-based Colombian artist Loriana Espinel will host a conversation and live demonstration of her production, Caligrafitis. In her exhibition, Espinel draws inspiration from pre-Columbian pictographs from Chiribiquete National Park in Colombia, as well as Japanese and European calligraphic styles to develop a new visual system. Through Saturday, August 31. 6:30 pm.

Improv Houston presents Dustin Nickerson
Described as “a Seattle native now suffering in Southern California,” Dustin Nickerson describes himself as “the world’s most average person” but is far from it when on stage. He brings audiences into his life through his jokes about the struggles of parenting, marriage, and being generally annoyed by most people. In 2020, he released his debut comedy special, Overwhelmed. Nickerson also has a podcast, Don’t Make Me Come Back There, and a book, How to be Married to Melissa. 7:30 pm.

Squeeze in concert with Boy George
Prepare to take a trip to the new-wave/post-punk days of the ‘80s when UK band Squeeze comes to Houston this weekend. The band, fronted by the great songwriting team of Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook, has released 16 albums in their career, most recently The Knowledge in 2017. So, prepare to be tempted (sorry about that!) by their classic hits. They'll be joined by former Culture Club frontperson Boy George, another veteran of the Thatcher-era new-wave scene. 7:30 pm.

Friday, August 30

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston presents Nostalghia
Andrei Tarkovsky explained that in Russian the word nostalghia conveys “the love for your homeland and the melancholy that arises from being far away.” Andrei, a Russian intellectual doing research in Italy, becomes obsessed with the Botticelli-like beauty of his translator, as well as with the apocalyptic ramblings of a self-destructive wanderer. Newly restored in 4K from the original camera negative, this cult favorite is a mystical and mysterious collision of East and West, shot with the tactile beauty that only Tarkovsky can provide. 7 pm.

Moore Vision Entertainment presents Matilda
Moore Vision Entertainment and Broadway Bound Youth Musical Theatre will present Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical. Matilda, a brilliant little girl with a big heart and even bigger dreams, goes on a journey of self-discovery. She takes on the formidable Miss Trunchbull, champions the power of books, and inspires everyone to stand up for what they believe in. Packed with laughter, heartwarming moments, and unforgettable songs, the adaptation brings Dahl's beloved classic to life like never before. 7:30 pm (2:30 & 7:30 pm Saturday and Sunday).

Russian Cultural Center "Our Texas" presents Marianna Karpinos: "The Beginning" opening reception
Born in Kiev, Ukraine, Marianna Karpinos, a full-time Houston neurologist, quickly discovered that art was an integral part of her life after completing her medical training and obtaining board certification. She relies on her extensive professional and personal experiences to express her inner thoughts on canvas: “In a world full of rigid structure, I view the canvas as an opportunity to be free and express my innermost feelings and desires in a safe and constructive way.” On display through Monday, October 21. 7:30 pm.

Tee-Zee Productions presents Papa Où T'es?
Papa Où T'es? is a coming-of-age story set in Houston that follows four high school friends: Ahmad, Aly, Zain, and Maaria, all second-generation Americans. They grapple with identity crises and the clash between cultural and religious expectations and their personal aspirations. How does the absence of a father impact it all? 8:30 pm (11:30 am & 8:30 pm Saturday; 11:30 am & 3:30 pm).

Saturday, August 31

Running Alliance Sport presents Beneeezy Purple Monkey Fun Run
Running Alliance Sport will present the 20th annual Beneeezy Purple Monkey Fun Run, featuring a 1k kids run, 5k, and 10k. This fun run has been going on thanks to The Ben Garcia Memorial Fund, which has raised over $330,000 over the past 19 years in memory of Ben. His life was a radiant source of joy that is now the spirit of the Beneezy Purple Monkey Fun Run. All proceeds fund college scholarships for graduating Alvin ISD seniors. 7:30 am.

Donkeeboy + Friends at Jūn
Jūn will welcome Donkeeboy and friends for an art show and pastry pop up. Guests will be able to enjoy art curated by Donkeeboy featuring local artists like Donkeemom, Little Poems By Kim, Trispeace, Jatziri Barron, Vanessa Sanez, 87 Collective, and Noke, as well as handmade treats crafted by Jūn. Pastries include a pumpkin spice cupcake with Salvadorian coffee frosting; a chorizo and egg danish with housemade chorizo and pico de gallo; a burger bao with charred onions and oaxaca cheese; and ube and taro concha with brioche and ube capricho. 11 am.

Mercury Chamber Orchestra presents "Vivaldi and Telemann"
Mercury Chamber Orchestra presents "Vivaldi and Telemann," which will include Baroque gems by Vivaldi, Telemann, and Handel in a concert featuring recorder virtuoso Vincent Lauzer. This performance will showcase the recorder in a unique audience experience, unveiling sonic beauty and musical fireworks. Additionally, the concert will include Baroque compositions by Telemann, Haydn, and Purcell, all performed on historical instruments, recreating the composers’ intended sounds. 8 pm.

Rockefellers presents Beth Stelling
Beth Stelling is a comedian, writer, and actress based in Los Angeles. She has two stand-up specials; her latest, If You Didn’t Want Me Then, premiered on Netflix last year. Before that, she was an on-set writer on the Universal movie Good Boys, and wrote for seasons 1 and 2 of Crashing for HBO, Seth Rogen’s Hilarity for Charity, and Sarah Silverman’s Hulu show I Love You, America. Beth’s half-hour special currently streams in The Standups series for Netflix. 8 & 10 pm.

Sunday, September 1

Alamo Drafthouse LaCenterra presents Alamo Time Capsule 1979: Apocalypse Now
At the height of the Vietnam War, Captain Benjamin Willard (Martin Sheen) is sent on a dangerous mission that officially "does not exist, nor will it ever exist." His goal is to locate – and eliminate – mysterious Green Beret Colonel Walter Kurtz (Marlon Brando), who has been leading his personal army on illegal guerrilla missions into enemy territory. Recently restored to Francis Ford Coppola's "perfect vision" (and different from the 2001 Redux edition), see Apocalypse Now the way it was meant to be seen, in all of its grandiose splendor. 1:15 pm.

Chicano Boulevard presents “Funkysoulistic Sunday” with Joey Quinones of Thee Sinseers
Chicano Boulevard presents this free family-friendly “Funkysoulistic Sunday” event that includes deejay tunes, live music from Joey Quinones of Thee Sinseers, and lowriders celebrating Chicano culture, inside and outside of Rabbits Got the Gun. And Hou Got Eatz will be providing the grub. So get your firme outfits pressed up & shine up those ranflas, because it’s going down once again on Hogan St. Early arrival strongly suggested. 5 pm.

Home Run Dugout presents Kikuo
Globally acclaimed Japanese Vocaloid artist Kikuo will be coming through Houston as a part of his highly anticipated world tour. Known for his boundary-breaking approach, Kikuo has been captivating audiences with his innovative use of Vocaloid technology and experimental music since he began sharing his original works online in 2003. Internationally, he’s one of the most listened-to names in this style, with his song “Aishite Aishite Aishite” being the first Vocaloid track to ever surpass 100 million streams on Spotify. 8 pm.

Photo by Danny Clifford

Squeeze perform with Boy George on Thursday.

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RIP, Chuck

Actor Chuck Norris, star of 'Walker, Texas Ranger,' dies at 86

Courtesy photo

Chuck Norris, star of "Walker, Texas Ranger," has died at 86.

Chuck Norris, the martial arts grandmaster and action star whose roles in “Walker, Texas Ranger” and other television shows and movies made him an iconic tough guy — sparking internet parodies and adoration from presidents — has died at 86.

Norris died Thursday, in what his family described as a “sudden passing.”

“While we would like to keep the circumstances private, please know that he was surrounded by his family and was at peace,” the family said in a statement posted to social media.

Before he would become a star in movies and on TV, Norris was wildly successful in competitive martial arts. He was a six-time undefeated World Professional Middleweight Karate champion. He also founded his own Korean-based American hard style of karate, known sometimes as Chun Kuk Do, and the United Fighting Arts Federation, which has awarded more than 3,300 Chuck Norris System black belts worldwide. Black Belt magazine ultimately credited Norris in its hall of fame with holding a 10th degree black belt, the highest possible honor.

Born Carlos Ray Norris in Ryan, Oklahoma, on March 10, 1940, he grew up poor. At age 12, he moved with his family to Torrance, California, and joined the U.S. Air Force after high school, in 1958. It was during a deployment to Korea that he started training in martial arts, including judo and Tang Soo Do.

“I went out for gymnastics and football at North Torrance high,” he told The Associated Press in 1982. “I played some football, but I also spent a lot of time on the bench. I was never really athletic until I was in the service in Korea.”

After he was honorably discharged in 1962, he worked as a file clerk for Northrop Aircraft and applied to be a police officer, but was put on a waitlist. Meanwhile, he opened a martial arts studio, which expanded to a chain, with students including such stars as Bob Barker, Priscilla Presley, Donnie and Marie Osmond, and Steve McQueen, whom he later credited with encouraging him to get into acting.

From one studio to another
Norris made his film debut as an uncredited bodyguard in the 1968 movie “The Wrecking Crew,” which included a fight with Dean Martin. He had also crossed paths with Bruce Lee in martial arts circles. Their friendship — sometimes, as sparring partners — led to an iconic faceoff in the 1972 movie “Return of the Dragon,” in which Lee fights and kills Norris' character in Rome's Colosseum.

He went on to act in more than 20 movies, such as “Missing in Action,” “The Delta Force” and “Sidekicks.”

“I wanted to project a certain image on the screen of a hero. I had seen a lot of anti-hero movies in which the lead was neither good nor bad. There was no one to root for,” Norris said in 1982.

In 1993, he took on his most famed role, as a crime-fighting lawman in TV's “Walker, Texas Ranger.” The show ran for nine seasons, and in 2010, then-Gov. Rick Perry awarded him the title of honorary Texas Ranger. The Texas Senate later named him an honorary Texan.

“It’s not violence for violence’s sake, with no moral structure,” Norris told the AP in 1996, speaking about the show. “You try to portray the proper meaning of what it’s about — fighting injustice with justice, good vs. bad. … It’s entertaining for the whole family.”

Norris also made a surprise comedic appearance as a decisive judge in the final match of the 2004 movie “Dodgeball.” He only on occasion has taken acting roles in recent years, including 2012's “The Expendables 2” and the 2024 sci-fi action movie “Agent Recon.” He's due to appear in “Zombie Plane,” an upcoming film starring Vanilla Ice.

Chuck Norris: the man, the meme, the legend
It was around the time of “Dodgeball” that his toughman image became the stuff of legend, literally: “Chuck Norris Facts” went viral online with such wildly hyperbolic statements as, “Chuck Norris had a staring contest with the sun -- and won,” and, “They wanted to put Chuck Norris on Mt. Rushmore, but the granite wasn’t tough enough for his beard.”

Norris ultimately embraced the absurdity of the meme craze, putting together “The Official Chuck Norris Fact Book,” which combined his favorites with supposedly true stories and the codes he aimed to live by. He would also write books on martial arts instruction, a memoir, political takes, Civil War-era historical fiction and more.

“To some who know little of my martial arts or film careers but perhaps grew up with 'Walker, Texas Ranger,' it seems that I have become a somewhat mythical superhero icon,” Norris wrote in the forward to the fact book. “I am flattered and humbled.”

That book raised money for a nonprofit he founded with President George H.W. Bush that promoted martial arts instruction for kids.

The intentionally outlandish statements featured in the 2008 Republican presidential primary, when Norris endorsed Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and shot an ad playing on the “Chuck Norris facts.”

President Donald Trump's supporters later promoted Trump Facts in the same vein, and political pundits tried it as well, describing the commander-in-chief's decision to seize Venezuela's sitting president, Nicolas Maduro, as a “Chuck Norris Moment,” and its initial effect on oil prices a “Chuck Norris Premium.”

Norris was outspoken about his Christian beliefs and his support for gun rights, and backed political candidates for years — he even went skydiving with Bush for the former president's 80th birthday. As for Trump, Norris endorsed him in the 2016 general election and wrote guest columns praising him without explicitly endorsing him the in the days before the 2020 and 2024 elections.

Norris has five surviving children: stunt performers Mike and Eric with his late ex-wife Dianne Holechek, twins Dakota and Danilee with his wife Gena Norris, and Dina, the result of an early 1960s “one-night stand” revealed in his autobiography.

Norris celebrated his birthday just over a week before his death, posting a sparring video on Instagram.

“I don't age. I level up,” he wrote.

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