Plan Your Weekend: February 24 to 27, 2022

Things to Do All Weekend Long

• HLSR’s World’s Championship Bar-B-Que Contest at NRG Park | Thursday to Saturday – More than 250 barbecue teams will compete as the Rodeo’s beloved annual cookoff returns. Tickets to the coveted tents remain invite-only, but anyone can get in on the action by visiting The Garden for live country music shows and ‘cue, plus the carnival for festival eats, rides and games. $20 for ages 13 and up; $5 for ages 3 to 12; free for ages 2 and under. Times vary.
• Mardi Gras of Southeast Texas at the Event Centre in Beaumont | Daily –Mardi Gras of Southeast Texas returns to downtown Beaumont with a four-day outdoor celebration of all-things-Mardi Gras at an outdoor, open-air fair ground that features a bustling carnival with games and rides, parades through downtown Beaumont, live music with special headliners—including Nelly, Tyler Carr, and Los Chicos del 512: the Selena Experience—and more. $10 to $15. Times vary.
• Comedian Matt Rife at Rudyard’s British Pub | Friday & Saturday – After appearances on MTV, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and in Lifetime originals, Rifebrings new material to the Montrose stage for three sets. $15 and up. Times vary.
• Comedian Brad Williams at Houston Improv | Friday to Sunday – Known for his critically acclaimed specials Fun Size and Daddy Issues, as well as appearances on Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Tonight Show, and others, Brad Williams lands back in H-Town. Starts at $50 for 2. Times vary.
• 111th Celebration of Mardi Gras! Galveston | Friday to Sunday – The biggest Mardi Gras celebration in Texas continues for its second weekend, leading up to the big day next Tuesday, with the usually parades, headliner performances and concerts, balcony parties, masked balls, and more. Prices vary for party passes, balcony tickets, and general admission. Times vary.
• Mosaic of Light by HYBYCOZO at Discovery Green | Ends Sunday, February 27 | FREE – The Downtown park says goodbye to the colorful fractal sculptures that have been on display in the Brown Promenade since November. Hanging from the trees overhead and on the ground, the works illuminate at night and cast mesmerizing shadows along the walkway. 9am to 11pm.

Mardi Gras, Dining, Markets, Museums & Other Destinations

• More Mardi Gras Events Around Houston | Daily – Mardi Gras doesn’t actually happen until Tuesday, but most celebrations are going down this weekend, and not just limited to the 2022 Mardi Gras of Southeast Texas in Beaumont, the free Mardi Gras on Main in La Porte, and the 111th Mardi Gras! Galveston.
• 10 Best Korean BBQ Restaurants in Greater Houston | Daily – Houston’s love of Korean BBQ shows no signs of abating, with people lining up for their turn at destinations from Asiatown and Sugar Land to Spring Branch and Midtown.
• 100+ Black-owned Restaurants, Food Trucks & Dining Destinations Around Houston| Daily – Savor the flavors of Black History Month and beyond at more than 100 tasty restaurants, eateries, food trucks, and more around H-Town.
• Outdoor Markets & Pop-Up Shopping Events Around Greater Houston | Daily | Most No Cover – With so many to choose from these days, you can browse, explore, and shop at one or all of Houston’s multiplying outdoor markets, many with live entertainment, food trucks, and other distractions.
• Limited Time Museum Exhibits & Art Installations Around Greater Houston | Daily | Many FREE – Explore the many striking, stunning, and diverse exhibits exploring history, science, art, culture, and creativity around the Greater Houston metro area.

New & Ongoing Theater Shows & Performances

Many plays, musicals, and other stage shows span multiple weeks. Scroll down to find new shows opening this week, then ongoing performances, followed by shows that are wrapping up this weekend.

• Broadway Across America presents Hamilton at Hobby Center | Daily | Opening Weekend – Lin-Manuel Miranda’s mega-hit returns, bringing with it a fresh take on the story of the Founding Fathers, including a score that blends rap, hip-hop, soul, and musical theater standards. $69 and up, but you may find better, cheaper, or hard-to-get seats on the online resale market. Dates and times vary.
• Amerikin at Alley Theatre | Daily | Ongoing Show – When new dad Jeff Browning, desperate for community, casually follows his buddy’s advice and signs up to join a white supremacist group, the results of his ancestry test prove surprising. Serious consequences come knocking and the line between “us” and “them” gets incredibly blurry.  Prices and showtimes vary.
• The Lawsons at Ensemble Theatre | Thursday to Sunday | Ongoing Show – The Midtown theater company debuts an original production telling the story of Bill and Audrey Lawson, who fell in love through letters during the Civil Rights Movement and the effort to start church and change the landscape of Third Ward. $44 and up. Showtimes vary.
• Stages presents MacGyver: The Musical at the Gordy | Daily | Ongoing Show − Delight as an audience member—including possibly you, if you volunteer in advance—and become MacGyver in a live production of this rock-n-roll musical comedy set in 1989 East Berlin. Starts at $25. Showtimes vary.
• Dirt Dogs Theatre presents A Steady Rain at MATCH | Friday to Sunday | Ongoing Show − Two lifelong best friends, and present day Chicago police partners, find their relationship and careers put to the test when a domestic disturbance call takes a turn for the worse. $25. Showtimes vary.
• Mother of the Maid at Main Street Theater | Daily | Final Weekend − See the debut of this play that reimagines Joan of Arc’s epic tale through the eyes of her mother, a sensible, hard-working, God-fearing woman who is making sense of her headstrong daughter. Starts at $42. Showtimes vary.
• Open Dance Project presents Wonka! at MATCH | Friday & Saturday | Final Weekend − Join Charlie Bucket in his search for a golden ticket at a lively, family-friendly dance interpretation of Roald Dahl’s classic tale, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. $25; $15 for ages 12 and under and for students with ID. Showtimes vary.
• 4th Wall Theatre Company presents Random Acts at Studio 101 | Friday to Sunday | Final Weekend − The moving one-woman, one-act show explores how past and present intertwine, when memories of witnessing the Civil Rights Movement in Chicago to dancing with Julie Andrews inform each other. $25. Showtimes vary.

Tickets to Houston Pro Sports Games

• Houston Rockets at Toyota Center | 2022 Tickets on Sale | Sponsored − Save on 2022 Rockets games with cheaper, better or hard-to-find seats on the online resale market.
• Houston Dynamo at PNC Stadium | 2022 Tickets on Sale | Sponsored − Save on 2022 Dynamo games with cheaper, better or hard-to-find seats on the online resale market.

• 10th Annual ReelAbilities Film Festival | Final Day | Virtual | FREE with RSVP – Tune in for the final day of this year’s streaming film festival, celebrating the successes and challenges of people living with disabilities. There’s still time to watch up to 16 films, documentaries, and shorts, plus live streamed discussions, and more until midnight.
• Shadow Puppet Theatre presents Dinosaur Mardi Gras at Woodlands Children’s Museum – Little ones age 1 and up can get in on carnival time at a short presentation of Dinosaur Mardi Gras by Dianne de Las Casas. Included with general admission; $7 for ages 1 and up. 11am.
• Book Talk: A Black Women’s History of the United States with Dr. Daina Ramey Berry at Holocaust Museum Houston | Virtual Option | FREE – Hear from author and chair of the history department at the University of Texas at Austin, Ramey Berry, in a presentation tying into the museum’s exhibit, Speaking Up! Confronting Hate Speech. 6pm.
• Exhibition Reception for Making Home: Artists & Immigration at Asia Society Texas Center | FREE – Explore the galleries and drinks in the garden when Asia Society Texas welcomes artist Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya, who will onsite painting a site-responsive mural as part of the center’s last exhibition. 6pm to 7:30pm.
• College Baseball: Houston Cougars vs. Texas Southern University Tigers at Schroeder Park – In their first home game of the baseball season, the Coogs host their Third Ward neighbors, the TSU Tigers. $5 to $20. 6:30pm.
• Mitski on the Lawn in Concert at White Oak Music Hall – Just a couple weeks after releasing her sixth studio album, Laurel Hell, the indie pop singer-songwriter graces the lawn stage. Tickets are sold out at the venue, but you may find hard-to-get tickets using the TicketNetwork online marketplace. 7pm.
• IDKHow in Concert at House of Blues – The indie pop duo brings their Thought Reform Tour to the stage at House of Blues, performing songs from their 2020 release, Razzmatazz. $27.50. 7pm.
• ReelAbilities Film Festival: The Feeling Through Experience | Virtual | FREE with RSVP – Wrap up the final day of the 10th Annual ReelAbilities Film Festival with a live stream discussion about the film The Feeling Through Experience, which explores life with ALS. 7pm.
• Drag Bingo Night at Eureka Heights Brew Co. | No Cover – Play for prizes at the monthly bingo night led by Dessie Love-Blake. Daubers are $2, or bring your own. 7pm to 8:15pm
• Designer Rap Tour Exhibit A at Social Beer Garden – Check out the works of James E! Walker at an unconventional music, art, and design exhibition pop-up at the popular outdoor Midtown bar. $25 to $50. 7pm to 10pm.
• Piñata Protest in Concert at Satellite Bar – The San Antonio-based accordion powered Tex-Mex punk rock band headlines, with NYC’s Ratos en Zuelo and HTX’s Huska opening. $15. 9pm to midnight
• Moksi at Stereo Live Houston| No Cover – Samir and Diego, the Dutch electronic dance duo better known as Moksi, take to the decks for a free show at the westside dance club.

• More Great Things to Do All Weekend Long – Some of the biggest things to do are happening all weekend long. Scroll up and see our list, or browse Houston Experiences to save on museum passes, tours, and more.