Plan Your Weekend: December 1 to 4, 2022

Things to Do All Weekend Long

• Harry Potter: A Yule Ball Celebration | Daily – Immerse yourself in a whimsical wintertime ball honoring the iconic Triwizard tradition, complete with amazing performances, photo opps, themed food and drink to purchase, dancing, and more. Costumes and/or cocktail attire encouraged. Times vary.
• 2022 World Cup Watch Parties at Social Beer Garden | Daily | No Cover – The Midtown beer garden hosts every game of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, including those early eye-openers at 4am. Times vary.
• Comedian Dan Soder at Houston Improv | Thursday to Saturday – Best known as Mafee on Showtime’s hit series Billions, Soder’s comedy specials Son of a Gary and The Standups are currently streaming. Tickets are sold by the table; $50 for 2, and up. Times vary.
• WinterFest at Galveston County Fair & Rodeo | Friday & Saturday | FREE – The family-friendly WinterFest will feature a gingerbread house contest, the Christmas pajama fun run, a holiday market, and more at Galveston County Fairgrounds. Friday 5pm to 9pm; Saturday 10am to 4pm.
• Home for the Holidays Market at Humble Civic Center | Friday & Saturday – Humble hosts more than 100 local merchants doling out one-of-a-kind Christmas gifts and festive decor for you to deck out the home ahead of the final holiday push. Tickets are $6. 10am to 6pm daily.
• The Riot Comedy Club presents Daniel Weingarten at Rudyard’s British Pub | Friday & Saturday – The upstairs stage in Montrose hosts the LA-based comedian, who offers his unique insights on culture, family, relationships and everything in between, built on experiences as the song of Mexican, Argentinian and Jewish immigrants. $17 and up. Times vary.
• Hollydays Market at Fort Bend County Fairgrounds | Friday to Sunday – Get your holiday shopping done with weeks to spare at this Rosenberg market that brings together more than 100 merchants, crafters and small businesses doling out all sorts of winter and Christmas-themed goods. Tickets are $6; good for all three days. Friday and Saturday 10am to 6pm; Sunday 11am to 4pm.
• 49th Annual Dickens on the Strand in Downtown Galveston | Friday to Sunday – The holiday tradition returns with family programming, live entertainment, special events and more. The weekend festival features parades, non-stop entertainment on four stages, new additions like Tiny Tim’s Play Land, Shopkeeper Skills Village, and roaming characters throughout the festival. Free on Friday evening. Saturday and Sunday tickets are $18; $13 for ages 7 to 12. VIP options are $75; $30 for ages 7 to 12. Times vary.
• La Vida Es Cortos/Life Is Shorts Festival at MATCH | Friday to Sunday – TEATRX presents a weekend of live performances and film screenings in Spanish and English as part of the La Vida Es Cortos Festival. Pay-what-you-can; starting at $10. Times vary.
• Òrêké By TAMRIS Holiday Pop-Up at Post Houston | Saturday & Sunday | No Cover – The Indigenous fashion brand, TAMRIS, presents their annual mega holiday market featuring more than 50 local brands at Post. 11am to 10pm.
• 2022 Holiday Festival at Levy Park | Saturday & Sunday | FREE – This 2-day festival returns to Levy Park, offering plenty of family fun with a holiday market, crafts station, live music performances, a free photo booth with Santa, and more. Noon to 5pm.

Holiday Things to Do, World Cup & More Destinations

• Holiday Shows & Christmas Performing Arts in Houston – Mark the season with our guide to 25 holiday performing arts shows taking place in Houston through the end of 2022.
• Holiday Concerts in Greater Houston – A bevy of local and international talent bring the holiday cheer to stages across Houston for concerts that celebrate the season.
• Holiday Markets in Greater Houston – Get in the spirit of the season with our guide to 25+ holiday markets offering Christmas decorations and seasonal shopping opportunities across Greater Houston.
• Where to Watch 2022 World Cup in Houston – We’ve highlighted some of the best soccer pubs and bars that will open their doors for the biggest matches of the 2022 World Cup—and some that will be open even for those earliest kick-off times at 4am. Dates, times and locations vary.
• 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.

Ongoing Theater Shows & Arts 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.

Keep track of more openings with our weekly roundup of Performing Arts events.

• A.D. Players presents A Texas Carol at the George Theater | Daily | Opening Weekend – This Lone Star take on the holiday classic finds the whole family heading to Mee-Maw Jane’s ranch in East Texas for what might be her last Christmas. When they arrive, she’s already gone. How will they save Christmas? Recommended for ages 10 and up. $30 and up. Showtimes vary.
• A Beatles Holiday Cabaret at Music Box Theater | Friday & Saturday | Opening Weekend – Singers take to the stage for this Beatles/Christmas mash-up show that features holiday traditional carols alongside Fab Four faves. Look for renditions of the iconic music group’s “In My Life/Christmas Canon,” “O Come All Ye Faithful/Revolution” and more. $35 and up. Showtimes vary.
• What-A-Christmas at Alley Theatre | Friday to Sunday | Opening Weekend – In this brand-new, adult holiday comedy written by H-Town’s own Isaac Gómez, Margot is a Tejana Scrooge, on the Christmas Eve overnight shift. When her dead best friend Jackie Marley turns up and warns her about some spirits coming to visit, Margot is in for a wild night. $55 and up. Showtimes vary.
• Opera in the Heights presents The Elixir of Love at Lambert Hall | Saturday & Sunday | Opening Weekend – Nemorino is infatuated with Adina. Dr. Dulcamara sells him a phony love potion. Hijinks ensue in this beloved operatic comedy by Donizetti, which opens the Opera in the Heights season at their home of Lambert Hall—recently saved from development by a coalition of community members and organizations. $42.50 and up. Showtimes vary.
• A Motown Christmas at Ensemble Theatre | Daily | Ongoing – Get into the groove that only the signature sound from Detroit can deliver. This Motown revue in Midtown blends traditional holiday carols with soulful sounds from Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and more. $44 and up. Showtimes vary.
• The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley at Main Street Theater | Daily | Ongoing – Jane Austen fans and lovers of drawing room comedy will delight in this holiday bonbon that takes places in the servants hall at Pemberley, Mr. Darcy’s estate. As the Darcys and their guests enjoy the holiday upstairs, hijinks are afoot downstairs, especially when Lydia’s incorrigible husband arrives. $44 and up. Showtimes vary.
• Stages presents Houston for the Holidays With DeQuina Moore at the Gordy | Daily | Ongoing – The Houston native, who starred in Stages’ Plumshuga, hits the stage for a holiday-themed cabaret-style evening of song and story. $30 and up. Showtimes vary.
• A Christmas Carol at Alley Theatre | Daily | Ongoing – The beloved Charles Dickens Christmas story returns, telling the tale of the miserly Scrooge visited by three spirits who compel him to change his ways, in a new production adapted and directed by Alley artistic director Rob Melrose. $41 and up. Showtimes vary.
• Catastrophic Theatre presents They Do Not Move at MATCH | Thursday, Friday & Sunday | Ongoing – Imagine a future where American democracy is vanquished and monarchist forces roam the land seeking out waifs and strays. Descending into the absurd, this play features a beauty pageant, a sitcom, and is full of references to horror movies, Texas law and other pop culture nods. Tickets are pay-what-you-can. Times vary.
• Stages presents Panto Snow White & the Seven Dorks at the Gordy | Friday to Sunday | Ongoing – The Panto tradition returns with an all-new holiday show, this one delightfully skewering the Snow White tale. The Evil Queen has a high-tech virtual mirror and she’s banished Snow White to the wilds of Silicon Valley, where she encounters seven dorky hackers. Expect hilarity to ensue. $30 and up. Showtimes vary.
• Main Street Theater for Youth presents Cinderella at MATCH | Saturday | Ongoing – The beloved story comes to life as a musical, backed by music and lyrics by Rodgers and Hammerstein. This stage adaption is based on the popular teleplay, and captures the romance of Cinderella and her prince, the capers of her stepsisters and the magic of her fairy godmother, who shows that impossible things happen every day. $30 and up. Showtimes vary.
• Houston Ballet presents The Nutcracker at Wortham Center | Saturday & Sunday | Ongoing – The Tchaikovsky classic returns to the stage, as only the Houston Ballet can deliver it. Stanton Welch’s take on this beloved story of young Clara and the nutcracker she receives as a gift on one magical Christmas Eve offers grand sets, gorgeous costumes and stunning dance. $35 and up. Showtimes vary.

Tickets to Houston Pro Sports Games

• Houston Texans Home Games at NRG Stadium | 2022 Tickets on Sale | Sponsored – Save on 2022 Texans games with cheaper, better or hard-to-find seats on the online resale market.

• Mindful Morning at Houston Arboretum & Nature Center – Ease into the month of December with a weekly mindfulness lesson in nature, inspired by the “forest bathing” movements of South Korea and Japan. $15. 9:30am to 10:30am.
• Shadow Puppet Theatre presents The Very Snowy Christmas at the Woodlands Children’s Museum – See a shadow puppet performance of The Very Snowy Christmas by Diana Hendry at the Woodlands Children’s Museum. Little Mouse worries that the sky “is coming undone” when he sees big white flakes falling down, but Big Mouse helps him discover the magic of snow and the holiday season. $7.50 for ages 1 and up. 11am.
• Winter Sound Series & Film Screening: Hydeheart & Mija at Contemporary Arts Museum Houston | FREE – Enjoy DJ tunes from Hydeheart and catch a screening of the acclaimed 2022 documentary film, Mija, which follows two daughters of immigrants from Mexico that navigate their careers in the music industry. 5pm to 8pm.
• Christmas on Main in La Porte | FREE – The annual Christmas on Main event returns to the streets of La Porte, ringing in the holiday season with music performances by LPISD choirs and bands, more than 100 holiday vendors, pictures with Santa Claus, a free kid’s zone, food trucks and more. 5pm to 8pm.
• Energy Corridor’s 2nd Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony at Hyatt Regency Houston West | FREE – Oh come all ye Christmas lovers to the annual tree lighting event that features the district’s 50-foot tree powered with renewable energy. It will also kick off the District’s 12 Days of Christmas donations and feature Santa Claus photo ops, plus more than 20 local vendors offering hand-crafted, unique gifts and goodies along Candy Cane Lane. 5:30pm to 8:30pm.
• Holly Jolly Jingle at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion | FREE – Student musicians from Conroe ISD are hitting the Pavilion to perform a musical holiday program chock full of holiday jingles and Christmas classics. 7pm. 
• The Grinch Movie Screening at Discovery Green | FREE – Catch an outdoor screening of the 2018 animated film, The Grinch, when it rolls into Discovery Green. 7pm to 10pm.
• Men I Trust in Concert at House of Blues – The Canadian indie band heads to Downtown, touting a forthcoming release. $23 and up. 7:30pm.
• Chadd Black Day Benefit Concert with Ro James at Rise Rooftop – Celebrate Chadd Black Day in Houston with a performance by Grammy-nominated Ro James, joined by Liz Vaughn, Marium Echo and more. $50 and up. 8pm.
• Pat Green in Concert at The Rustic Post Oak – The Texas country music singer-songwriter make an appearance at the Uptown location of the belly-filling live music venue. $27 and up. 8pm.

• 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.