weekend event planner

Here are the top 15 things to do in Houston this weekend

Yeah, it’s Super Bowl weekend. Houstonians who aren't watching at home have options for catching the game.

Chapman and Kirby, Bayou Heights Bier Garten, and The Savoy are just some of the spaces that will be having touchdown-filled throwdowns, complete with food (all those wings!) and drink specials.

But if you’re not down with the pigskin, there are other things going down this weekend, including a home and garden show, two Black History Month-themed art shows, a visit from the father of New Jack Swing, and the HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS!!!

Thursday, February 5

Anderson Center for the Arts presents “HOMEcoming: The Fire We Inherit”
“HOMEcoming: The Fire We Inherit” is an immersive group exhibition featuring works by former artists-in-residence, curated by Allison Retina Stewart-Creeks. Rooted in memory, lineage, and the emotional architecture of home, the exhibition explores what is passed down, what is preserved, and what we carry forward across generations. Through portraiture, abstraction, fashion, and object-based works, “HOMEcoming” invites viewers into intimate, lived-in spaces where personal history and collective memory intersect. Through Saturday, February 28. 6 pm.

Atmosphere in concert
Atmosphere couldn’t have picked a more important time to head out on the road, in support of their new album Jestures. Ever since their Overcast! debut album in 1997, the Minneapolis-bred duo of rapper Ant and DJ/producer Slug have been reminding hip-hop listeners – for decades – that folks in the Twin Cities shouldn’t be trifled with. They may be respectful folk but, as recent events (as well as Atmosphere’s whole discography) have shown, Minnesotans aren’t afraid to get in your grill and call you out. 7 pm.

Barbacana x EaDough Dessert Collab
Downtown Houston fine-dining destination Barbacana, led by chef Christian Hernandez, will partner with EaDough Pastries & Provisions, the beloved EaDo bakery and coffee shop from chefs Kripa and Kirthan Shenoy, for an exclusive dessert tasting event celebrating cross-cultural pastry craft. Shenoy and Barbacana pastry chef Priscilla Treviño will co-create a limited-time dessert menu that blends Houston-forward flavors with classic technique. Tickets are $65 per person. 7 pm.

Friday, February 6

Marketplace Events presents Houston Home + Garden Show
The Houston Home + Garden Show brings renovation ideas, innovative products, and local home and garden experts together under one roof for three days. From remodeling and landscaping to pools, decks, and outdoor living, attendees can connect face-to-face with trusted pros to kick-start their project plans. The event will feature special guest Richard Karn (aka Al from Home Improvement), a plant market presented by PlantCon International, food trucks, adoptable pets from the Houston Humane Society, and more. 10 am. (10 am Saturday and Sunday).

The Dream Affect Foundation presents "The Black Experience: Past, Present and Future"
Curated by The Dream Affect Foundation, "The Black Experience: Past, Present and Future" is a group exhibition, presented during Black History Month, that considers Black artistic practice as both an archive and a catalyst. The exhibition brings together six contemporary artists whose works reflect the enduring influence of history while asserting bold, forward-thinking visions of Black life, identity, and imagination. Through Saturday, February 28. 5 pm.

Chardon presents Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler with chef Dominick Lee
The French restaurant in the Thompson Hotel is hosting a one-night-only pop-up dedicated to all things Mardi Gras. Chardon chef E.J. Miller is teaming up with New Orleans native Dominick Lee to create a three-course, $95 dinner (optional beverage pairing, $55) that includes choices such as escargot Rockefeller, Creole bucatini, suckling pig porchetta “muffuletta,” and chicken-fried rabbit. 5 pm.

Photo courtesy of Harlem Globetrotters

The Original Harlem Globetrotters return to Houston this weekend.

CLASS Bookstore and National Association of Black Bookstores present An Evening with Teddy Riley
R&B/pop-producing icon (and creator of the musical genre known as New Jack Swing) Teddy Riley is coming to Houston's DeLuxe Theater to promote his new book Remember The Times. Known for crafting hit for artists such as Michael Jackson, Bobby Brown, and Keith Sweat, Riley will be signing books and meeting/greeting the attendees after his conversation with moderator/The Breakfast Klub owner Marcus Davis. 7 pm.

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston presents Frida
Salma Hayek scored a Best Actress nomination for her performance as Frida Kahlo, who was able to channel the pain of a crippling injury and her tempestuous marriage to Diego Rivera (Alfred Molina) into her art. Directed by Julie Taymor, this 2002 biopic explores Kahlo’s complex relationship with Rivera, her controversial affair with Leon Trotsky, and provocative, romantic entanglements with women. Shown in glorious 35mm! – and in conjunction with the MFAH’s Frida: The Making of an Icon exhibit. 7 pm.

Saturday, February 7

Jeni’s Ice Creams presents Ice Cream for Breakfast Day
Jeni’s marks the return of Ice Cream for Breakfast Day, the cult-favorite holiday that encourages customers to show up in pajamas, grab a spoon, and start the day with something sweet. Scoop shops across Houston will open early for the debut of a newly reimagined House Coffee flavor, the return of the Maple Soaked Pancakes flavor, special breakfast-inspired menu pairings, in-shop surprises, and a chance to win free ice cream and coffee for a year. 9 am.

The Harlem Globetrotters 100 Year Tour
The world-famous Harlem Globetrotters will be in Houston as part of the team’s 100 Year Tour. The current team of elite men and women, holders of an unprecedented over 60 Guinness World Records, including 18 set just last year, the most of any team in any sport, will bring a fresh look of gravity-defying dunks and game-changing tricks against their renowned rivals, The Washington Generals. 1 and 6 pm.

Houston Public Library presents Lunar New Year Storytime with Monique Truong
Houston Public Library’s Alief-David M. Henington Regional branch will host Lunar New Year Storytime, with Vietnamese American novelist/essayist Monique Truong. An Alief Hastings High School alumna, Truong is the co-author of the children’s picture book Mai’s Áo Dài, with celebrity fashion designer Thai Nguyen and bestselling illustrator Dung Ho. The free, family-friendly program invites children and families to celebrate Lunar New Year (Tết) through storytelling, culture, and community. 3 pm.

Company OnStage presents The Importance of Being Earnest
Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest follows the escapades of two charming bachelors, Jack and Algernon, who lead double lives to escape their social obligations. Their intricate web of deception becomes increasingly complicated when both men fall in love, leading to a series of comedic misunderstandings and absurd situations. (Note: Alley Theatre and Houston Cinema Arts Society will screen the 2002 movie adaptation at River Oaks Theatre on Sunday afternoon.) Through Saturday, February 21. 8 pm (2 pm Sunday).

Sunday, February 8

Houston Friendship Circle Inc. presents Houston Friendship 5K
Runners, walkers, and families from across Houston will gather for the Houston Friendship 5K & 1-Mile Fun Walk, a way to kick off Super Bowl Sunday before an afternoon of festivities. Going down at Godwin Park, the event aims to support Friendship Circle of Houston, an organization that is dedicated to reducing isolation and building genuine connections for families raising children with special needs. 11 am.

City Place presents The Galentine’s Edit: Sip • Sculpt• Savor with Ōra Pilates Studio
Join Ōra Pilates for a Galentine’s Pilates pop-up designed for movement, connection, and a little caffeine-fueled joy. This 45-minute, all-levels class blends intentional flow, core work, and mindful movement. Come solo, bring your best friend, or meet new faces in the community of women who believe in pouring into themselves. Complimentary coffee from Memory Lane Coffee Co. and açaí bowls by Delightful Cravings HTX available after the class. Space is limited and requires reservation. 1 pm.

Meow Wolf Houston presents Glitter, Glue & U
Celebrate connection, creativity, and a little cosmic sweetness at Glitter, Glue & U, a family-friendly, Valentine’s Day card-crafting experience inside Meow Wolf Houston’s Theta Theater. Led for the first time by Meow Wolf Houston’s art and scenic teams, this come-and-go event invites guests of all ages to slow down, get crafty, and make one-of-a-kind Valentine’s cards inspired by Meow Wolf’s immersive, otherworldly universe. 2 pm.

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welcome home, wes

Wes Anderson's Houston homecoming supports historic theater restoration

A fancy, eccentric-looking crowd showed up for the Wes Anderson Homecoming Soirée, held on Friday, July 17, at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts’s Zilkha Hall.

Fans of the Houston-born, Oscar-winning auteur paid hundreds of dollars to attend this benefit event. Guys dressed up like characters from The Royal Tenenbaums. Others wore red skull caps and low-top Adidas, like the characters from The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. Some people working the event even wore “Lobby Boy” hats, looking like the bellboy character from The Grand Budapest Hotel.

The people gathered for two reasons: 1) to get a chance to see Anderson in person; and 2) to raise money to renovate and restore the Garden Oaks Theater, a project spearheaded by local nonprofit Arthouse Houston. Top-tier “Founders Experience” ticketholders got a chance to meet Anderson onstage for pics. The St. John's School alum also received a proclamation from Mayor John Whitmire declaring it “Wes Anderson Day.”

After that, he and actor/fellow SJS alum Michael Maggart (who has appeared in several Anderson films) held a half-hour discussion where they reminisced about making Rushmore here in Houston, Anderson’s days working at the Bookstop on W. Alabama (now a Trader Joe’s), and how he and frequent collaborator Owen Wilson used to sneak into the River Oaks Theatre. (It involved pretending to lose a pair of glasses.)

Of course, the conversation shifted to Anderson coming back home to support the Garden Oaks project. “I always say you can't build an old building,” Anderson said. “First of all, I mean, a beautiful old place has history, and has people's experiences tied into it, and it has stories involved in it. And I think an old cinema — these things are kind of endangered all over the world, and it's not just an architectural thing. It's not even just a community thing. It's a sort of delivery system for something that’s, to me, deeply important to our country.

“It’s one thing we can access these things on all these devices,” he continued. “It's a different thing when you go to a place that's designed to help you share the experience of a movie together. It's such a powerful art form. And, anyway, for me, it's worth making a bit of an effort to try to save a place like the Garden Oaks.”

After the convo, he introduced the quintet of films he curated for the event. (Unfortunately the DCP file for his 2007 short Hotel Chevalier had some technical difficulties and was cut short.) “We wanted to do a screening here, and I don't have a new movie to show,” he said. “I don't have something hot off the presses. So, I thought I'd put together a little something that just was different from what anybody else will see. So it's a sort of mixture… This is just for Texas, this little collection.”

He eventually left the stage, leaving Arthouse Houston co-founder/director Maureen McNamara and Houston Public Media host Ernie Manouse to auction off perks & gifts and encourage the audience in helping revive another legendary, local movie palace. Among other items, attendees bid for treasures such as a special John Waters backstage VIP experience at his upcoming Christmas Show, dinner with John Cameron Mitchell, and a rare set of photo portraits of a young Anderson and friends, circa Bottle Rocket. Others paid $5,000 for select seats in the future theater and $5,000 to restore one foot of the venue's neon sign.

Photo by Alan Nguyen

Mayor John Whitmire declared Friday as Wes Anderson day in the director's honor.

So far, the effort has raised approximately $1.3 million of the $4 million required to begin the renovation project. The organization needs to raise $4 million by July 30 for the project to move forward. Those interested in securing naming rights will find more information here.

“River Oaks has 245 seats,” McNamara informed the crowd. “The Garden has over 700, and that is a place that we don't have in Houston. We have a need for that, for premieres, for performances in your life, for music, for a dynamic learning & exhibition space… So, we're building new on the shoulders of our history. I hope you guys will join us, and we need people to join us in a big way today.”

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