Plan Your Weekend: July 20 to 23, 2023

Things to Do
All Weekend Long

• Summer Shakes Showcase: Julius Caesar at Studio 101 | Daily – This 4th Wall Theatre event joins Julliard Drama School students with Houston-area high schoolers for a rigorous Shakespearean actor training program. The culmination of their work is this four-day run of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, performed in the Sawyer Yards theater space. $20. Times vary.
• Comedian Aries Spears at Houston Improv | Daily – Known as a long-running cast member for MADtv, as well as numerous appearances in film and television, Aries Spears heads to the Houston Improv for four nights of uproarious stand-up. $60 for 2, and up. Times vary.
• Latin Restaurant Weeks at Multiple Location | Thursday & Friday | Final Days – The two-week dining event comes to a close, offering one last chance to eat through dishes from a wide variety of cuisines, including Colombian, Ecuadorian, Mexican and across Central and South America. Prices and times vary.
• TUTS presents 1776 at Hobby Center | Thursday to Saturday – Straight from Broadway, this national tour makes a stop in Houston for a production that Variety called “exuberant” and “thought-provoking.” It’s the story of how the Declaration of Independence came to be, as performed by a cast comprised of female, transgender, and non-binary actors playing all of the roles. $40 and up. Showtimes vary.

Latin Restaurant Weeks
Multiple Locations
^{Thursday & Friday}

The two-week dining event comes to a close, offering one last chance to eat through dishes from a wide variety of cuisines, including Colombian, Ecuadorian, Mexican and across Central and South America.

Prices & Times Vary

• The Riot Comedy Club presents Trixx at Rudyard’s Pub | Friday & Saturday – Taboo-shattering, searingly honest, and painfully funny, Frankie “Trixx” Agyemang is one of North America’s rising comedic stars and he’ll deliver two nights of headlining sets in Montrose. $17 and up. Times vary.
• Houston World Series of Dog Shows at NRG Center | Friday to Sunday – See a field of four-legged friends compete in a series of events, across 150 different breeds, vying for the coveted “Best in Show.” Competitive events include flyball, creative grooming, a frisbee exhibition, and canine musical freestyle. $15; free for ages 12 and under. Times vary.
• Explore Asia Grand Opening Weekend at Asia Society Texas Center | Friday to Sunday | FREE – An exhibition several years in the making, Explore Asia sends visitors on a journey through the art, food and cultures of China, India, Japan, South Korea and Vietnam, while highlighting these communities that can be found in Houston and across the broader United States. The immersive exhibition will be open for free to the public during the grand opening weekend celebration, allowing guests a chance to check out the new permanent installation while taking in lion dances, delicious treats, and family-friendly activities. Times vary.
• 2nd Annual Wizard’s Summerfest at the Ballroom at Bayou Place | Friday to Sunday – Returning to Downtown, A Wizard’s Summerfest invites avid fans of the wizarding world to embark on a limited-time magical journey with a whimsical marketplace, a four-course feast in the Great Hall with live performances, and a chance to win coveted prizes by playing a fan favorite wizarding sport. $79 and up. Times vary.

Ongoing Live Theater & Performing Arts in Houston

• NobleMotion Dance presents Power Play at MATCH | Friday & Saturday | Opening Weekend – The acclaimed dance company kicks off its 15th season with this performance featuring three world premieres that blend artificial intelligence and multimedia design, built on NobleMotion’s signature physicality. Tickets are pay-what-you-can (suggested prices of $20 and up). 8pm.
• The Murder of Roger Ackroyd at Alley Theatre | Friday to Sunday | Opening Weekend – The Alley’s popular Summer Chills series is back with this Agatha Christie story that finds detective Hercule Poirot investigating secrets and blackmail to solve a murder. This production runs through Sunday, August 27. $46 and up. Showtimes vary.
• Gilbert & Sullivan Society of Houston presents The Pirates of Penzance at Hobby Center | Saturday & Sunday | Opening Weekend – This sparkling gem of an operetta explores the story of Frederic, apprenticed to a band of pirates. He’s expecting to be released from his obligation on his 21st birthday—but, because he’s born on February 29, his birthday only comes every four years. With another 63 years left to serve, will his love wait for him? $44.85 and up. Saturday 7pm; Sunday 2:30pm.
• Present Laughter at Main Street Theater | Daily | Ongoing – Noel Coward’s sparkling comedy about a self-obsessed actor going through a midlife crisis draws on the playwright’s own life. This production runs through Sunday, August 13. $39 and up. Showtimes vary.
• Phenomenal Woman, Maya Angelou at Ensemble Theatre | Daily | Ongoing – This musical showcases the remarkable life of the iconic writer and activist Maya Angelou, and demonstrates why her life and words continue to inspire. $53 and up. Showtimes vary.
• Catastrophic Theatre presents Tamarie’s Totally True Revue (Plus Lies, Too) at MATCH | Daily | Ongoing – The irrepressible Tamarie Cooper is back for this year’s summer revue spectacular. Cooper and her band of misfits explore twisted encounters with Tinkerbell, Ben Franklin, Pinocchio, Kenny Rogers and more on this epic, all-musical journey. Tickets are pay-what-you-can; suggested $35. Showtimes vary.
• Stages presents Thunder Knocking on the Door at the Gordy | Daily | Ongoing – This musical fable explores what happens to a small Alabama town when a blues guitar-playing stranger arrives, with a challenge that will pit family members against each other. $30 and up. Showtimes vary.
• AD Players presents Smoke on the Mountain at the George Theater | Daily | Final Weekend – It’s 1938 in a small North Carolina town nestled in the Smoky Mountains, where the Saunders Family, a traveling musical group, is making an appearance after a five-year absence. This family-friendly musical incorporates two dozen bluegrass tunes folded around stories told by the Saunders family. This production runs through Sunday, July 23. $28 and up. Showtimes vary.
• Creative Movement Practices presents The Secret in the Wings at MATCH | Thursday to Saturday | Final Weekend – When a young girl is left at home with an amorous ogre, he tells her six tales, all darker than the one before. Will she be caught up in the darkness of his spell? $40. Showtimes vary.
• Art Park Players present The Music Man at Deer Park Municipal Court | Friday & Saturday | Final Weekend – Meredith Wilson’s classic musical comes alive at this dinner theatre in Deer Park, offering the tale of salesman Harold Hill who cons the people of River City into organizing a boys’ band—despite not knowing a trombone from a treble clef. This production runs through Saturday, July 22. $20; $40 with dinner. 8pm.

Classic Eats, Family Summer Fun & Other Destinations

• Classic Houston Restaurants | Daily – Take a tasting tour of Houston’s oldest restaurants with 15 of our picks for places that have been serving up delicious dishes for more than 50 years.
• Things to Do in Houston When It’s Too Hot | Daily – Summer has firmly arrived in Houston, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make the most of it. Check out our guide to more than 150 things to do and places to go when the temps top out in H-Town.
• Things to Do this Summer for Kids & Families in Houston | Daily – Enjoy the latest museum exhibits, head out on an outdoor adventure, make a splash, and savor much more that will make this summer one to remember with our guide to keep families entertained and cool this summer.
• Snow Cone Shops in Greater Houston | Daily – Chill out with a shaved ice treat from our 20+ picks for the coolest snow cone shops in Greater Houston this summer.
• Day Passes for Pools in Greater Houston | Daily – Pool weather is officially here and we have 10+ of the best hotel pools where you can spend a day making a splash.

• IYKYK AF Happy Hour at Swallow’s Nest – Join in a showcase of alcohol free and zero or low proof cocktails and spirts at a new happy hour series from Mixed Without with beats by DJ Mike Bondz, happening inside Finn Hall in Downtown. $35 includes drink tickets and more. 5pm to 8pm.
• Steak Night at Eureka Heights Brew Co. | No Cover – Steak Night returns to the Shady Acres brewery with Korean-style steaks from the grill, courtesy of Yong. Steak prices vary. 5:30pm ’til sold out.
• The Zydeco Dots, with Sean Lucy in Concert at Menard Park | FREE – The second-to-last free concert of the Save the Locals series in Galveston sees a night of Cajun tunes courtesy of the Zydeco Dots, joined by Sean Lucy. 6pm to 9pm.
• Summer Camp All Grown Up at Houston Arboretum & Nature Center – Take to an evening of summer camp fun for adults when the Arboretum hosts this session with hands-on nature activities, crafts and outdoor exploration along with a snack and beer from Saint Arnold. This session’s theme is insects. $35. 6:30pm to 8:30pm.
• The Deli Man Film Screening at Holocaust Museum Houston | FREE – See the story of Ziggy Gruber, of longtime Houston deli Kenny & Ziggy’s, in this documentary that touches on his life from growing up in New York City to stops at the Culinary Institute of America and Le Cordon Bleu in France, eventually landing at a 3-star Michelin restaurant. Free with RSVP. 6:30pm.
• Dan Solomon in Conversation with Mimi Swartz at Blue Willow Bookshop | FREE – The author and Texas Monthly senior writer will talk about his YA novel The Fight for Midnight, in which a teen boy finds himself at the Texas Capitol during Wendy Davis’ historic filibuster of abortion bill HB2. Free to attend; but books for signing must be purchased from the bookstore. 7pm.
• Blanket Bingo at Market Square Park – Bring a blanket or a lawn chair for a night of music, great prizes and bingo at the historic Market Square Park. $10. 7pm.
• The Ritchie Boys Movie Screening at the Menil Drawing Institute | FREE – In conjunction with the exhibition Si Lewen: The Parade, the Menil hosts a screening of the moving documentary The Ritchie Boys, a film about young Jewish refugees who fled then Nazi-controlled countries, only to return as soldiers with the United States Army. 7pm.
• House of Illusions 3rd Anniversary Party at Musaafer – The Indian fine dining destination at the Galleria celebrates three years with a palace-themed event featuring unlimited food, cocktails, performance art, DJ sets, and more at an epic evening party. $225 includes foos and three cocktails. 7pm to 10pm.

Salsa Night
Post Houston
^{Thursday, July 20}

Join Love Dance HTX for a night of salsa moves, Latin dance lessons and tasty beverages in the X Atrium.

FREE | 7pm to 10pm

• Salsa Night at Post Houston | FREE – Join Love Dance HTX for a night of salsa moves, Latin dance lessons and tasty beverages in the X Atrium. Free with RSVP. Class is 7pm to 8:30pm; social dancing follows until 10pm.
• An Evening with Bob Gomel at MATCH – Legendary LIFE Magazine photographer Bob Gomel is, for once, the subject of this evening that includes a documentary screening of Bob Gomel: Eyewitness, as well as a Q&A session with Gomel and director David Scarbrough. $10. 7:30pm.
• Enuff Z Nuff in Concert at Warehouse Live – The glam rock band of the ’80s and ’90s returns to touring with a stop in Houston on the Glam Slam Metal Tour. $15 and up. 7:30pm.
• Three’s Company: Nick Guerra, Edi Gibson & Cat Alvarado at the Secret Group – Touring the country together, these three comedians’ credits include appearances at the Hollywood Fringe Festival, Glee, and Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. Now, they’ll deliver straight sets at the EaDo laugh house. $12 and up. 8pm.
• Summer Dean & Brennen Leigh in Concert at the Heights Theater – Enjoy an evening of country singer-songwriter tunes from acclaimed recording artists Summer Dean and Brennen Leigh when they perform in the Heights. $20 and up. 8pm.
• A Mid Summer ’90s Dream Concert at the Continental Club – A trio of ’90s tribute bands take the stage in Mid-Main for a night of nineties jams, featuring Residents of the USA, Billie Joe Must Die, and ’90s rockers The Oneders. $10. 9pm.

• More Great Things to Do All Weekend Long – Some of the biggest things to do in Houston are happening all weekend long. Scroll up to explore events and shows spanning multiple days, or browse Houston Experiences to save on museum and brewery passes, tours, and more.