a night to remember

Where to eat, drink, and party on White Linen Night in the Heights

We strongly suggest wearing white.

Photo courtesy of White Linen Night in the Heights

One of summer’s most popular evenings takes place this Saturday, August 4. White Linen Night returns to the Heights this weekend.

The original festival on 19th Street is still going strong. As CultureMap reported back in April, the nonprofit 19th Street Merchants Association is charging $10 this year, which helps defray expenses associated with security and logistics from the massive party. All of the street’s shops will be open, restaurants will be running specials, and bands will perform on the closed off section of 19th Street between Yale and Ashland.

One thing to note: It is important to take the name seriously when deciding on what to wear.

“You want to wear all white. You will stick out like a sore thumb if you do not join the crowd,” The Feel Good Group founder Casey Barbles said in April. “Linen is a good idea, because it breathes. It’s hot, but when the sun sets it’s a perfect evening.”

But of course, 19th Street isn’t the only place where people will be partying on Saturday night. White Linen Night has spread across the Heights and even to adjacent neighborhoods like Shady Acres and Garden Oaks. We’ve rounded up more than a dozen options for those who want to make it a White Linen Day, White Linen Night, and White Linen Late Night.

Bauhaus will have a WLN afterparty. Machine Elves will take over the patio, along with Flight Controllers, Rick Arter and Tré, with special guest Colton Cameron. You will have access to that event and SOSA in the main room. 10 pm.

Christian’s Tailgate will hold its first beer die tournament on WLN. Experience fun entertainment and deals like live DJs, food trucks, karaoke, photo booth opportunities, and local vendors. 4 pm.

Dan Electros suggests that you might wanna wear white dashikis for their WLN party. Roots reggae legends DEM Roots and longtime homies GALVEZTON will jam the music all night. Food will be provided by the food dudes. 8 pm.

Elevate Creative Studios will have an unforgettable fusion of creativity and margaritas at Agave and Art. Enjoy complimentary margaritas as you immerse yourself in a gallery filled with bright and captivating artistry. 3 pm.

EZ’s Liquor Lounge will be all geared up and ready for White Linen Night revelers. Western Jelly will provide live entertainment from 7-10 pm. 11 am.

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Heights & Co. will have a complimentary mimosa with any brunch order and $7 Bloody Marys from noon to 1 pm. To get you ready for the nighttime festivities, sip on $10 espresso martinis until 6 pm. Noon.

Heights Antiques on Yale will celebrate WLN with a storewide sale, full of items that’ll be 20-50% off. There will also be a sidewalk sale as well as complimentary appetizers and a drinks buffet. 10 am.

Heights Grocer will host a wine tasting with David Mayfield Selections. Stop by between 2-4 pm to sample three tasty wines.

The Heights Theater wants people to enjoy local shopping, live music, great local eateries, and more along 19th Street this WLN. They also hope that people will eventually stop by the theater, where DJ G-Funk will have a destined-to-be-funky set. 7 pm.

Little Woodrow’s in the Heights will have what they call a WLN glow party. They’ve got DJ sets all day and night, drink specials, and plenty of surprises in store. 1 pm.

Moonshine Deck says it will have the most epic party on 20th Street. There will be non-stop beats from some of Houston’s best DJs, including Ak Ya Daddy and DJ Palmo. Add to that photo ops, sips, bites, and surprises galore. 11 am.

Onion Creek Cafe says their WLN will be served up carnival style. Denverado’s Movers & Shakers will be performing, along with DJ Melodic & some go-go dancers. Deck yourself out in a cool white outfit and come dance under the giant disco ball with your friends. 7:30 pm.

Permission Whiskey interior Permission Whiskey will be full on White Linen Night. Courtesy of Permission Whiskey

Permission Whiskey goes all out for WLN by tenting its parking lot, booking DJs, and keeping the party going until 2 am. Look for drink specials and a special toast at midnight. James, the bar’s companion speakeasy, will host a champagne takeover beginning at 6 pm. 4 pm.

Re•Vive Salon & Spa will be hosting a free event. Come meet all the beauty professionals that are housed at Re•Vive. They will have music, a food truck, local vendors, photo booth, hookahs and 100 swag bags to the first 100 visitors. 6:30 pm.

Shady Acres Saloon will have a lot of things going down. We’re talking arts and crafts vendors, beer specials courtesy of Saint Arnold, giveaways & new product samples, and live performances from Patrick B. Ray and Walker County Line. 5 pm.

The Stomping Grounds and Jim Beam have teamed up for a free event to celebrate WLN. Pop Shop America will have a market with 30 local makers and artists, while Bayou City Funk and DJ Good Soul will provide the grooves. 6 pm.

fesivals white linen night the-heights

Movie Review

Michelle Pfeiffer visits Houston in new Christmas movie Oh. What. Fun.

Photo courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios

Michelle Pfeiffer in Oh. What. Fun.

Of all the formulaic movie genres, Christmas/holiday movies are among the most predictable. No matter what the problem is that arises between family members, friends, or potential romantic partners, the stories in holiday movies are designed to give viewers a feel-good ending even if the majority of the movie makes you feel pretty bad.

That’s certainly the case in Oh. What. Fun., in which Michelle Pfeiffer plays Claire, an underappreciated mom living in Houston with her inattentive husband, Nick (Denis Leary). As the film begins, her three children are arriving back home for Christmas: The high-strung Channing (Felicity Jones) is married to the milquetoast Doug (Jason Schwartzman); the aloof Taylor (Chloë Grace Moretz) brings home yet another new girlfriend; and the perpetual child Sammy (Dominic Sessa) has just broken up with his girlfriend.

Each of the family members seems to be oblivious to everything Claire does for them, especially when it comes to what she really wants: For them to nominate her to win a trip to see a talk show in L.A. hosted by Zazzy Tims (Eva Longoria). When she accidentally gets left behind on a planned outing to see a show, Claire reaches her breaking point and — in a kind of Home Alone in reverse — she decides to drive across the country to get to the show herself.

Written and directed by Michael Showalter (The Idea of You), and co-written by Chandler Baker (who wrote the short story on which the film is based), the movie never establishes any kind of enjoyable rhythm. Each of the characters, including competitive neighbor Jeanne (Joan Chen), is assigned a character trait that becomes their entire personality, with none of them allowed to evolve into something deeper.

The filmmakers lean hard into the idea that Claire is a person who always puts her family first and receives very little in return, but the evidence presented in the story is sketchy at best. Every situation shown in the film is so superficial that tension barely exists, and the (over)reactions by Claire give her family members few opportunities to make up for their failings.

The most interesting part of the movie comes when Claire actually makes it to the Zazzy Sims show. Even though what happens there is just as unbelievable as anything else presented in the story, Showalter and Baker concoct a scene that allows Claire and others to fully express the central theme of the film, and for a few minutes the movie actually lives up to its title.

Pfeiffer, given her first leading role since 2020’s French Exit, is a somewhat manic presence, and her thick Texas accent and unnecessary voiceover don’t do her any favors. It seems weird to have such a strong supporting cast with almost nothing of substance to do, but almost all of them are wasted, including Danielle Brooks in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo. The lone exception is Longoria, who is a blast in the few scenes she gets.

Oh. What. Fun. is far from the first movie to try and fail at becoming a new holiday classic, but the pedigree of Showalter and the cast make this dismal viewing experience extra disappointing. Ironically, overworked and underappreciated moms deserve a much better story than the one this movie delivers.

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Oh. What. Fun. is now streaming on Prime Video.

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