Shelby About Town

Local TV news personality spills her wedding secrets, NY Knicks star celebratesat Texans & hot restaurant buzz

Miya Shay and Gene Wu celebrated their marriage during a long weekend bash inPuerta Vallarta.
Photo by Jillian Mitchell
Chloe Dao, pictured here at her own wedding last September, designed Miya Shay'sgown and that of her attendants.
New York Knicks' Amar'e Stoudemire held his son's sixth birthday party at theGrille.
Houston Texans Grille/Facebook
Party animals Tod Eason, left, and Mark Sullivan, pictured here at New Year'sEve, rocked on Tod's recent birthday.
Photo by © Michelle Watson/CatchLightGroup.com

We could hardly believe our eyes when we saw Miya Shay reporting the news for KTRK Channel 13 on Wednesday. Why, she just got married on Saturday and she was already back on the job!

She might have returned to reporter's mindset, but the three-day Puerta Vallarta bash is still fresh in her thoughts as well as the thoughts of the 50 friends that joined her and Gene Wu at Villa Verano for the poolside wedding.

We love that she wore a gown designed for her by close friend Chloe Dao and that he wore linen slacks and shirt, shirttail out and sandals (as did all the groomsmen). The bridesmaids wore tangerine-colored gowns also designed by the Project Runway star. "The boys had it easy . . . I just went to Macy's," Miya emailed.

In the wedding party —Whet Smith, Jason Luong, Kim Padgett, Stephen Louis, Courtney Zubowski, Toby Hamrick, Jessica Rossman, Windy Hamrick, Jeff Shell and Laurette Veres.

The non-denominational commitment ceremony (they wrote their own vows) was performed by LyAnna Smith, a United Methodist seminarian and long-time friend of the groom. The previous week, the couple were officially wed by U.S. District Judge David Hittner in his courtroom in the Bob Casey Federal Courthouse.

For Gene, it's back to the business of running for State Representative.

A NY Knicks bash

In town to beef up his game under tutelage of Basketball Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon at the Big Man Camp, New York Knicks forward Amar'e Stoudemire took time out from the court play to help celebrate Amar'e Jr.'s birthday at the Houston Texans Grille.

In honor of the 6-year-old, the Grille had a special birthday cake made and decorated the private room in a Texans theme complete with beads, hats, noisemakers and balloons. Never mind that adults outnumbered the kids by a long shot. The eatery surprised young Amar'e with his own kid-sized Houston Texans helmet and jersey.

Sight 'ems

Contemporary Arts Museum Houston director Bill Arning lunching with CAMH board chair Sissy Kempner at Brasserie 19 where the midday crowd included Joyce Echols, Lora Clemmons, Elizabeth Petersen, Erin Florescu, Irene Robertson, Ghyda Midani and loads more . . .

A clear sign that summer travels are shutting down: Alan Crain, Bill Wright, David Solomon, Hiram Butler, Dancie Ware, David Wuthrich and so many others in the business crowd lunching at La Griglia . . .

Tod Eason and pals celebrating his birthday at the Foundation Room at House of Blues, where the group grooved to the sounds of MTA: A Tribute to Metallica and THAT 80z BAND, which with its ribald '80s-hair rock tribute just screamed TOD EASON! Joining in the retro wild fun were Lonnie Schiller, Nick Florescu, the newly hitched Jillian and Andrew Seerden, Andrew Rentz, Jason Reeves, Matt Moriarty, Fleming's GM and all-around-cool-guy Sam Governale and Dean Giuffre . . .

Bill Boyar, founder of boutique law firm BoyarMiller, with the firm's chairman, Chris Hanslik at the Tasting Room-Uptown Park where they presented SEARCH Homeless Services executive director, Thao Costis with a big surprise of dozens of pairs of shoes!

Back in July, BoyarMiller and the Tasting Room co-hosted a fundraising drive for school uniforms for SEARCH, which raised $28,000. To ensure that the SEARCH kids had new shoes along with their new clothes, Bill and Chris chipped in extra funds to buy shoes.

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long live the king

Texas Renaissance Festival founder George Coulam has died at 87

Film still from Ren Faire

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George Coulam, the founder and owner of the Texas Renaissance festival, was found dead in his home on Tuesday. He was 87, according to media reports.

Coulam’s death comes two weeks after a Grimes County judge found against him, forcing the sale of the festival to new owner Meril Rivard. Although untimely, Coulam’s death is unlikely to affect the new ownership deal, according to Anthony Laporte, lead counsel on the case.

“Because this deal is primarily with corporate entities, everything should progress without too much interruption,” Laporte tells CultureMap. “Obviously this is a sad day for those of us who knew George. We all mourn together, but it is unlikely to affect the way the new Renaissance Festival deal proceeds.

Rivard issued a brief statement following the news.

“We are shocked and deeply saddened to hear of the death of George Coulam,” it reads. “Our thoughts go out to his loved ones. Like everyone else who loves the Texas Renaissance Festival, we remain committed to ensuring that the festival lives on, and we are working steadfastly to make that happen.”

The Texas Renaissance Festival also issued a statement.

We are deeply saddened by the loss of George Coulam, founder of the Texas Renaissance Festival. For more than 50 years, he built a community that has become a cherished tradition for generations of performers, staff, and guests.

At this time, we ask for respect and privacy for Mr. Coulam’s family and the extended Texas Renaissance Festival family as they grieve. As this is a deeply personal matter, we are not offering additional comments at this time.

The cause of death is currently unknown. Grimes County sheriffs were notified of his death at 9 am Tuesday morning. Bystanders reported seeing an ambulance leave Coulam’s home, which is known as Stargate Manor. The Navasota Examiner, which was first to report the news, includes an account of gunshots being heard near the home.

Regardless of the circumstances, Laporte said that after the recent judgment that forced the sale, everyone, including Coulam, seemed relieved and happy that the matter had been resolved.

Coulam’s death ends a long and sometimes toxic reign over the Texas Renaissance Festival. Over the past two decades, Coulam was sued multiple times for sexual harassment of employees. The HBO docuseries Ren Faire showcased Coulam’s mercurial nature in dealing with potential buyers of the festival while also offering glimpses into his “sugar daddy” dating life.

Following the release of Ren Faire, several corporate entities sued Coulam for breach of contract. The case came to a close this month, with a judge saying the $60 million sale must go through. Coulam also owes Rivard and the other plaintiffs $22 million in damages and $1 million in lawyer fees.

As CultureMap has previously reported, the Texas Renaissance Festival is expected to proceed as planned, with an opening in October 2025.

obituary deaths texas renaissance festival