white night, big city

Houston's guide to White Linen Night in the Heights: hot parties, Alto rideshare deals, and more

Partiers pack 19th Street in front of Manready Mercantile.

One of the hottest events in the hottest month of the year — in one of Houston's hottest neighborhoods — is back. White Linen Night, the annual outdoor bash that brings tens of thousands to main drags in the Heights — 19th Street and White Oak Drive — returns Saturday, August 5.

Heights-area officials tells us they expect 20,000 to even 30,000 revelers this year, which could eclipse the pre-pandemic era days.

Consider 19th Street the central gathering spot for most revelers; the street will be closed to vehicle traffic from the 200 to 300 block. Partiers on 19th street can stroll and check out white tents filled with local artisanal offerings, alongside food trucks an live music stages.

Skip driving and Alto FTW

Parking, is, well, insane, and as plenty will be driving in and getting tipsy, we recommend using a rideshare service. Fortunately, upscale rideshare service ALTO is a title sponsor and is offering a generous promo code. Enter code WLN2023 for $10 off two rides.

While things officially kick off at 6 pm, this is still August in Houston. Stay hydrated (plenty of free drinks will be on hand) with plenty of water before sipping cocktails, which should make for more liberal spending at all the participating Heights stores.

The totally pedestrian event takes visitors along 19th Street and White Oak Drive, where nearly every shop, bar, and restaurant will throw a themed party or event. Be sure to bring cash and get ready to tap and swipe those cards for food, drink, and discounted finds.

Dress hot

What to wear? Just look to the name of the event, which is a nod to the original celebration that started in New Orleans as locals donned white linen (perfect for the hot, humid NOLA weather) and celebrated the city's vibrant cultural and arts scenes. After Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, the thousands of transplants who relocated to our area launched a Heights version of their beloved festival in 2006 as a way to toast the eclectic Heights neighborhood charm and support local small businesses.

So, think thin white tops, tanks, or T-shirts and light linen pants or shorts, and shoes or sandals made for serious walking — and the occasional dancing. This is a party, after all.

Where to go

We've rounded up a list of participating bars, restaurants, and stores along 19th Street and White Oak Drive, but much of the charm — just like a visit to the Heights — is in strolling and discovering.

Heights & Co. will be serving up live music alongside delicious cocktails and a to-die-for summer dining menu. Enjoy spritzes, martinis, and refreshing seasonal cocktails. Noon.

Christian’s Tailgate will feature a food truck, a margarita truck, several local vendor pop-up tents, a DJ on the patio, a photo booth and, of course, free swag. 4 pm.

Goode Co. Kitchen & Cantina will include live music, limited-time street tacos of either barbacoa or pork carnitas and pint sized to-go margaritas, palomas, and Ranch Waters. 4 pm.

I Know the Owner will celebrate White Linen Night for the first time. They will have DJs, drink specials, giveaways, and a lot of fun. The kitchen will be open until 2 am. 4 pm.

M-K-T will have a White Linen Market. Get ready for a pet-friendly, outdoor family event filled with amazing local makers, growers, and sellers. 4 pm.

Casa Ramirez FOLKART Gallery will have art from Lizbeth Ortiz, music from BOSSA ll, Jesus and Maria Lozano & percussionist Stephen Araujo, and light refreshments, 5 pm.

Little Woodrow’s Heights will get in the spirit with a White Linen Glow Party. They will have DJ sets all night (starting at 6 pm), drink specials and more. 5 pm.

EZ’s Liquor Lounge will have live music from Western Jelly. There will also be drink specials, and the Tacos Tierras Calientes food truck will be in the parking lot. 6 pm.

Feges BBQ will get all smoky and meaty on this White Linen occasion. They will be serving bbq sandwiches, housemade sausage and more on 19th Street. 6 pm.

Harold’s Restaurant, Bar & Terrace will have a DJ spinning the hottest tracks. There will also be a photo booth to capture the fun-filled moments. 6 pm.

The Heights Theater will have a White Linen shindig, with music from DJ Aidan Kennedy. Enjoy local shopping, live music, great local eateries, and more along 19th Street. 6 pm.

Manready Mercantile, a Heights favorite, will let visitors make their own limited-edition White Linen Night leather coasters via a letter press from Manready Mercantile's production facility. The store will give away prizes and host a raffle for a year’s supply of soy wax candles, two tickets to a candle making class or a specially curated Whiskey Kits. 6 pm.

Moonshine Deck is gearing up to throw the biggest, White Linen party of the year, complete with an air-conditioned tent that will take over the entire lot. 6 pm.

Openair Company will get its White Linen on over at 19th and Ashland. More than 30 vendors will be on the premises, while C4 Energy Drink and Topo Chico will have free drinks. 6 pm.

The Whimsy Artisan Boutique is planning to have a “whimsy” White Linen shindig. Head over there for some of the best local art/music/drinks/fun Houston has to offer. 6 pm.

Eight Row Flint will have great drink and shot specials, as well as an outdoor disco bar with a DJ and a little to-go station set up so you can take the party home. 8 pm.

Onion Creek Cafe will have its annual White Linen Trash Disco. Denverado’s Movers & Shakers and DJ Melodic are scheduled to bring the noise. 8:30 pm.

Movie Review

Fawning Michael Jackson biopic Michael ignores the singer's complexities

Photo by Glen Wilson

Jaafar Jackson in Michael.

Michael Jackson remains among the most complicated figures in pop culture history. On one hand, he’s responsible for some of the most enduring music of all time, thrilling generations with his voice and dance moves. But his later years were marred by accusations of child sexual abuse and erratic behavior, including his premature death at the age of 50.

So the new biopic Michael is a tough one to judge from a critical standpoint, not least because director Antoine Fuqua and writer John Logan have elided — perhaps temporarily — the thornier parts of Michael’s history. Instead, this film focuses on the 20-year period in which Michael (played as an adult by Michael’s nephew Jaafar Jackson) goes from the prepubescent lead singer of the Jackson 5 to one of the biggest music superstars of all time.

That choice puts an overly sympathetic tint to Michael’s story, as he spends most of that time under the thumb of his domineering father, Joseph (Colman Domingo). Joseph has a vision for Michael and his brothers, and he pushes them hard in a quest to become rich and famous. Even when they achieve that goal, though, Joseph refuses to let up, holding onto Michael even when it’s clear he should go out on his own.

As a reminder of the enormous impact Michael Jackson had on the music industry and world at large, the film is successful. Fuqua and Logan include plenty of music, naturally, but they seem to be most interested in depicting Michael as a human being. They lay it on thick, whether it’s showing him spending time among his family members away from the stage, hanging out with bodyguard Bill Bray (KeiLyn Durrel Jones), or visiting sick kids in hospitals. The message that Michael is a harmless, good person couldn’t be clearer.

The film hints at but doesn’t really explore Michael’s oddities. His obsession with kids literature and movies, especially Peter Pan, are seen as inoffensive quirks, as is his menagerie of animals, including a creepy CGI version of Bubbles the chimp. His arrested development seems to be partially blamed on his parents treating him like a child well into his adulthood, and the resulting fallout is not (yet) addressed.

Many viewers will be most interested in the music sequences, and — save for some repetitive shots of fans fainting at the mere presence of Michael — they are handled well. Whether it’s at home, in the studio, on the set of the “Thriller” video, or at live performances, the film manages to fully get across just what a phenomenon Michael was at his peak. The staging and editing of each scene is dynamic, complementing Michael’s other-worldly abilities well.

If there is one reason to see the film, it is the performance of Jaafar Jackson. Whether he’s capable of doing any other kind of role is undetermined, but his portrayal of his uncle is compelling, as he demonstrates singing, dancing, and acting skills in equal measure. He’s aided by an equally great performance by Domingo, who — with the help of facial prosthetics — overcomes the trope of the bad father. Nia Long and Larenz Tate are also good in smaller roles, but Miles Teller is an odd presence as Michael’s manager.

There are reports that legal complications prevented the filmmakers from using previously-shot scenes delving into accusations against Michael, and there are rumors that a second film will be made about the last 20 years of his life. But that speculation can’t absolve Michael of showing all the positive aspects of Michael Jackson’s life and not even touching any of the negative ones.

---

Michael opens in theaters on April 24.

movies film

white night, big city

Houston's guide to White Linen Night in the Heights: hot parties, Alto rideshare deals, and more​

Movie Review

Fawning Michael Jackson biopic Michael ignores the singer's complexities

Houston's guide to White Linen Night in the Heights: hot parties, Alto rideshare deals, and more