SATURDAY
September 16, 2023
- Market Square Farmers Market at Historic Market Square Park | FREE – Calling back to the markets held here over a century ago, this new farmers market spotlights local growers and makers, offering access to seasonal fruits and veggies, as well as meats and prepared goods. Enjoy live music and other entertainment as you stroll the market. 9am to 1pm.
- Jaipur Literature Festival Houston at Asia Society Texas – Modeled after the Jaipur Literature Festival in India’s Rajasthan, this literary event brings internationally acclaimed authors and thinkers to the Bayou City. The day of events includes Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, author of the globally regarded novel Independence, in conversation with Tyyba Maya Kanwal; Parini Shroff, author of The Bandit Queens, and Aruni Kashyap, author of The House With A Thousand Stories, in conversation with Namita Gokhale; an author reception and more. $20. 10am to 6pm.
- Viet Cultural Fest at NRG Center – Immerse yourself in a full day of Vietnamese culture at this festival celebrating Houston’s Viet community with traditional dance and music performances, Vietnamese games and trivia, pageants, a phở-eating contest, and plenty of delicious dishes. $10 for ages 3 and up; $15 at the door. 10am to 7pm.
- Latin Festival at Pearland Town Center | FREE – The Pearland outdoor shopping destination hosts a Latin Festival with cultural dances, live music, small business shopping, and the presentation of Latino Hero Scholarships to local students and teachers. 10am to 8pm.
- Texas Bonita Market at The Esplanade at Navigation | FREE – Shop from a curated selection of local vendors at the East End Esplanade, while you take in DJs, ballet folklorico and photo backdrops. 11am to 4pm.
- First Saturday Arts Market in the Heights | FREE – Rescheduled from the beginning of the month due to weather, this arts market spreads out on 19th street, offering the public a chance to shop directly from local artists and enjoy live music, food trucks, beer and wine. 11am to 6pm.
- HTown Market at Post Houston | FREE – The Downtown shopping and dining hub hosts more than 200 vendors offering vintage clothing, jewelry, candles, crafts, flowers, food and more. Plus, you can groove to a live DJ set and grab food from Post’s restaurants at a la carte prices. 11am to 7pm.
- Houston Creole Festival at Emancipation Park – The ninth annual festival celebrating Houston’s Creole heritage returns to Emancipation Park in Third Ward with a family-friendly day of Zydeco and dancing, plus a local vendor market, kids zone and flavorful foods like cookies, barbecue, brisket, gumbo and more. $10 and up; free for ages 11 and under. 11am to 10pm.
Viet Cultural Fest
NRG Center
Saturday, September 16
Immerse yourself in a full day of Vietnamese culture at this festival celebrating Houston’s Viet community with traditional dance and music performances, Vietnamese games and trivia, pageants, a phở-eating contest, and plenty of delicious dishes.
$10 | 10am to 7pm
- Studio Practice with Nestor Topchy at the Menil Collection | FREE – Artist Nestor Topchy, the subject of Menil’s exhibition The Iconic Portrait Strand, invites the community to share in his studio process of making icon portraits in the Byzantine style. Noon to 4pm.
- Latino Block Party at Karbach Brewing Company | FREE – The Spring Branch brewery hosts a block party filled with Latin food trucks, local vendors and live music from Tejano artists EZ Band along with Cumbia group Son Bayou. Noon to 11pm.
- Self-Portrait Drawing at CAMH | FREE – This Saturday drop-in experience at Contemporary Arts Museum Houston invites the public to stop by and participate in a self-portrait session, inspired by artist Ming Smith’s portraits and storytelling. 1pm to 4pm.
- Visible Mending Workshop at HCCC – Houston Center for Contemporary Craft leads this workshop with fiber artist Molly Koehn, who will you simple stitching techniques using contrasting yarn, scrap fabric and stitching motifs to help breathe life into even the dullest items. $65. 2pm to 5pm.
- Dance | Hunger | Action at MATCH – Social Movement Contemporary Dance Theater presents this evening of dance performance that helps draw awareness to the mission of Houston Food Bank and its work to combat food insecurity around Houston. $25. 2:30pm and 7:30pm.
- Author Bob Ruggiero at Cactus Music | FREE – Author Bob Ruggiero swings by iconic Houston record shop to sign his new book, The Classic Rock Bob Reader, which collects 130 interviews with rock musicians over the past 35 years. 3pm.
- 2023 Trap Wine Fest Houston at Guadalupe Plaza Park – Taste through 30 wines while listening to DJs spinning trap hits alongside local vendors, games and trendy local chef offerings. $15. 3pm to 8pm.
Party on the Plaza
Avenida Houston
Saturday, September 16
The Downtown plaza hosts a night celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with Mexican Norteño tunes from Grupo Vadenagi and Latin music by Shekere Band. Stop by Discovery Green across the street and you can also shop local vendors at the Flea by Night event.
FREE | 6pm to 9pm
- Sankofa 23 Opening Reception at Lawndale Art Center | FREE – Participating artists of the three-year Sankofa Project, which has adorned the Main Street windows of Lawndale, assemble for an evening that revisits their works and looks forward to new artwork on the way. The art project aims to shed light on events that have been censored or ignored in historical narratives in order to reinforce the racial oppression of Black Americans. 4pm.
- Mexico’s Independence Day at Memorial Park Eastern Glades | FREE – Sprawl out at Memorial Park’s Eastern Glades with an evening of delicious food, ballet folklorico, mariachi, crafts, refreshments and more. 5pm to 7pm.
- Botanic Bingo at Houston Botanic Garden – The South Houston garden celebrates Hispanic heritage with a night of botanic bingo, highlighting the plants of Central America and doling out garden-themed prizes. Eureka Heights will also be on-site with tasty brews. $35. 5:30pm to 7pm.
- Party on the Plaza at Avenida Houston | FREE – The Downtown plaza hosts a night celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with Mexican Norteño tunes from Grupo Vadenagi and Latin music by Shekere Band. Stop by Discovery Green across the street and you can also shop local vendors at the Flea by Night event. 6pm to 9pm.
- Dia de la Independencia at East End Backyard | FREE – The sprawling East End patio welcomes a Dies y Sies celebration, complete with mariachi, loteria games, a vendor market, drink specials, food from La Esquina food truck and more. 6:30pm to 2am.
- Football: UH Cougars vs. TCU at TDECU Stadium – The Coogs host their first Big 12 opponent of the season when the nationally-ranked TCU comes to town. $50 and up. 7pm.
- Fiesta de Independencia 2023 at Axelrad | FREE – Celebrate Diez y Seis at the outdoor garden of Axelrad, which hosts a night of music from Felipe Galvan, Vanita Leo, and Strawberry Jams alongside local vendors, cocktails and more. 7pm.
Mo Amer
Bayou Music Center
Saturday, September 16
The comedian returns for his biggest performance yet in Houston on the officially recognized Mo Amer Day, and you’ll need to act quickly to secure solid seats before they’re gone.
$38 and up | 8pm
- Tangled Movie Screening at Discovery Green | FREE – Enjoy a film screening under the shadow of skyscrapers when the Downtown park space plays the 2010 Disney musical adventure, Tangled. 7pm.
- Houston Dynamo FC vs. St. Louis City SC at Shell Energy Stadium – La Naranja face the top dogs of the Western Conference with playoff seeding on the line. $21 and up. 7:30pm.
- Comedian Mo Amer at Bayou Music Center – Born in Kuwait and raised in H-Town, the comic most recently made his mark with the successful first season of his Houston-shot Netflix comedy, Mo, which loosely follows his life growing up as a Palestinian refugee in the Alief area. The comedian returns for his biggest performance yet in Houston on the officially recognized Mo Amer Day, and you’ll need to act quickly to secure solid seats before they’re gone. $38 and up. 8pm.
- Twin Shadow in Concert at White Oak Music Hall – Indie musician Twin Shadow celebrates the 10th anniversary of albums Forget and Confess with an acoustic performance at White Oak. $25 and up. 8pm.
- Dwight Yoakam at Smart Financial Centre – The legendary Grammy Award—winning country star and bonafide actor Dwight Yoakam will be taking Sugar Land’s stage by storm when he stops by with his new album, Swimmin’ Pools, Movie Stars… $50 and up. 8pm.
- Devotional: The Depeche Mode Experience in Concert at Numbers Nightclub – The Montrose nightclub hosts a special tribute performance filled with the songs of Depeche Mode, including “Enjoy the Silence” and “Personal Jesus.” $25 and up. 9pm.
- Anna DJ Set at Stereo Live – Brazilian techno DJ Anna takes to the decks of West Houston’s headquarters for EDM. $15. 10pm.
- More Great Things to Do All Weekend Long – Some of the biggest things to do in Houston are happening all weekend long. Check out this week’s list, local attractions and destinations, or browse Houston Experiences to save on museum and brewery passes, tours, and more.
SUNDAY
September 17, 2023
- The 2nd Chance Run at Minute Maid Park – Starting from inside Minute Maid, this all-ages run honors organ, eye and tissue donors while pounding pavement in Downtown through 5K and 1-mile courses. Runners receive a commemorative shirt, swag bag and event medal. Registration starts at $40 for the 5K, $30 for the 1-Mile. 7:30am.
- 713 Walks: Cultural Walk in East End Arts District | FREE – Join with Urban Paths for a walking tour of the cultural arts found throughout East End, including historic architecture, public art, the Buffalo Bayou Park Silos, Talento Bilingüe de Houston, the Navigation Esplanade, and more. 9am to 11am.
- Twin Shadow DJ Set at El Segundo Swim Club – Take a late summer dip at the Second Ward swimming spot while listening to tunes from indie musician Twin Shadow. $20. 11am.
- Houston Texans vs. Indianapolis Colts at NRG Stadium – The Texans hit the field for their home opener in the 2023 NFL season, hosting division rivals in the Colts. $60 and up. Noon.
- Meow & Bow-Wow Brunch Bash at Houston Arboretum & Nature Center – Rescued Pets Movement celebrates their 10th anniversary with a brunch bash that features a Bloody Mary bar, free-flowing mimosas, brunch plates and more. $150 and up. Noon to 3pm.
- Sunday Funday: Fall Fling at M-K-T | FREE – The Heights destination celebrates all things fall with a trailside outdoor market. Shop cozy wares from local vendors including candles, wine, home goods, fashion, pet accessories, fall-inspired baked goods, and sweet treats galore. Plus, enjoy hands-on activities, live DJs, the latest releases from Holler Brewing, and more. Noon to 4pm.
- Fiestas Patrias at Traders Village | FREE – Celebrate Diez y Seis de Septiembre at this free event in Northwest Houston featuring mariachi, regional Mexican music, Aztec dancers, ballet folklorico and more. Free to attend; $5 for parking. Noon to 5pm.
- Godard Cinema Movie Screening at MFAH – Museum of Fine Arts Houston hosts a screening of this documentary film that profiles the iconoclastic film director, Jean-Luc Godard. $9. 2pm and 5pm.
Texans vs. Colts
NRG Stadium
Sunday, September 17
The Texans hit the field for their home opener in the 2023 NFL season, hosting division rivals in the Colts.
$60 and up | Noon
- King’s Cup at Houston Polo Club – Polo season is back and the fall is kicking off with the King’s Cup. Enjoy world class polo, a player parade, live music, a Champagne divot stomp at halftime, a special trophy presentation, and delicious Argentine and Brazilian—inspired fare by David Cordúa’s Lymbar. $18 and up; Box seats for 2 to 20 guests range from $100 to $995. 5pm.
- Letsdothishouston: Night Light Bike Ride at 3rd Ward Tours – Hop on two wheels and cruise the city to the tunes of a curated playlist. Meet up on Emancipation Avenue, then head out through a scenic route featuring well-known Houston stops. $11 and up. 6pm to 8pm.
- Boards are My Jam: Charcuterie Class At Lyric Market – The Downtown food hall hosts a Sunday evening workshop where you’ll learn the art of crafting beautiful and delicious charcuterie boards. $65. 6:30pm.
- Comedian Hannah Berner at House of Blues – After bursting onto the comedy scene through social media, Hannah Berner went on to feature for multiple seasons in Bravo’s Chat Room and Summer House. Now, she hits the road to deliver her comic chops at the Downtown stage. $40 and up. 7pm.
- LSDXOXO DJ Set at Bauhaus – The Sunday Gulp session at the Downtown EDM venue welcomes the Berlin-based musician, LSDXOXO. $20. 7pm.
- Islands in Concert at White Oak Music Hall – Canadian rockers Islands headline a night at White Oak, supporting their brand new release, And That’s Why Dolphins Lost Their Legs. $20. 7pm.
- Drake & 21 Savage in Concert at Toyota Center – Drizzy’s rescheduled June show is finally here and the multi-platinum pop star is performing with 21 Savage on their co-headlining It’s All a Blur tour in celebration of their joint release Her Loss. A second performance also takes place on Monday, September 18. $74.50 and up. 8pm.
- Switchfoot in Concert at the Heights Theater – The Grammy-winning rock band celebrates the 20th anniversary of their triple-platinum record, The Beautiful Letdown with the first of two shows at the Heights Theater. Their second performance will be on Friday, September 22. $42 and up. 8pm.
- More Great Things to Do All Weekend Long – Some of the biggest things to do in Houston are happening all weekend long. Check out this week’s list, local attractions and destinations, or browse Houston Experiences to save on museum passes, tours, and more.
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