Top 20+ Festivals & Events This Week in Houston: May 6 to 12, 2024

Updated on Thursday, May 9, 2024 at 11:30am.

Make the most of your week with our top festivals, events, and things to do this week in Houston from Monday, May 6 to Sunday, May 12, 2024.

This week features can’t-miss art openings, a final farewell to a Sawyer Yards marketplace, plus hot sauce, crawfish and Mother’s Day happenings.

We’ve whittled down all the happenings in H-Town to our picks for the week, but you can always check out the extended calendar for more things to do in Houston.

Top 20+ Festivals, Events & Things to Do This Week in Houston

• Houston Dash vs. NJ/NY Gotham FC at Shell Energy Stadium | Wednesday, May 8 – Stars of the NWSL arrive for a clash against the Dash in EaDo. US Soccer stars Kelley O’Hara, Rose Lavelle and Crystal Dunn highlight the Goths. $12 and up. 7pm.
• Kenny Chesney in Concert at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion | Thursday, May 9 – Sing along to the chart-topping hits of country headliner Kenny Chesney, along with Megan Maroney, who gets the crowd ready for the big show. $48.75 and up. 7:30pm.
• Wes Archer Opening Reception at Reeves Art & Design | Friday, May 10 | FREE – A Houston native, Wes Archer has a storied career as an animation director and painter that has had a hand in the development of primetime animated shows like The Simpsons, Rick & Morty, King of the Hill, and more. His first ever gallery exhibition will take place at the Montrose gallery, highlighting his illustrious career and other creative work. 6pm to 9pm.
• Pushing Up Daisies Market at National Museum of Funeral History | Friday, May 10 – The market series returns to the North Houston museum with an evening of local vendor shopping, plus drinks and cocktails, light bites and more. $20 and up; VIP available for $75 and includes a commemorative tumbler and earrings set. 7pm to 10pm.
• Don’t Call Me Sweetie: 7th Annual Women’s Art Showcase at Hardy & Nance Studios | Friday, May 10 | FREE – This 7th annual showcase brings together dozens of women artists for a wide-ranging exhibition. Complimentary beverages will be on hand from City Orchard, Bad Astronaut, Equal Parts and Eureka Heights, as well as wine and batched cocktails. 7pm to 11pm.

• Mother’s Day Serenade at Hobby Center for the Performing Arts | Friday, May 10 – The Houston Latin American Philharmonic returns with its annual concert performing a Mother’s Day program of Spanish-language songs like “El Milagro de tus Ojos,” “Caballo Viejo,” and “Nave del Olvido,” joined by special guests. $33.40 and up. 8pm.
• Houston Ballet presents A Night of Celebration at Miller Outdoor Theatre | Friday, May 10 & Saturday, May 11 – The internationally acclaimed company of dancers head to the Hermann hill for a magical night of their incredible athleticism and artistry. 8pm.
• Big As Texas Music Festival at Montgomery County Fairgrounds | Friday, May 10 to Sunday, May 12 – This three-day music fest offers a stacked lineup of performers, including Thomas Rhett, Dierks Bentley, Billy Strings, Dwight Yoakam, Midland, Los Lobos, Morgan Wade and many more. Plus, you can check out live mural art, pig races, a varnival, car show, food trucks and plenty of other Texas-sized fun. Single day passes are $139 and up; $249 for a 3-day pass; free for ages 10 and under. Times vary.
• Houston Art Bike Parade & Festival at MacGregor Park | Saturday, May 11 | FREE – This annual celebration from Houston Parks Board and the Orange Show invites members of the community and youth programs for a day of creativity on two wheels. The festival opens at 10am with music, community, and art activations, followed by the parade rollout at 10:15am, and ending with the awards ceremony and community activations from noon to 1pm. Anyone can participate. 10am to 1pm.
• The Market at Sawyer Yards | Saturday, May 11 | FREE – Join dozens of local vendors and Houston artists to celebrate the 8th anniversary of this affordable folk art-centric Arts District marketplace, which also marks its final pop-up appearance. Come by one last time to spend an afternoon with local artists, learn about their work and add a new piece to your collection. Second Saturday Open Studios, inside the Sawyer Yards warehouses, also coincides with the event. 11am to 5pm.

• Mother’s Day Market at Heights Mercantile | Saturday, May 11 | FREE – Still need the perfect gift, but running out of ideas? Shop to your heart’s delight with a huge variety of vendors offering unique products at this annual all-day market. 11am to 6pm.
• Crawfish & Brews at Project Row Houses | Saturday, May 11 – The annual celebration of Creole and Cajun culture returns to Third Ward, offering a community boil and tasty craft brews to benefit the mission of Project Row Houses. $25 and up. Noon.
• Art Ramble at Sawyer Yards | Saturday, May 11 | FREE – Hit up the six art studio buildings of Sawyer Yards for the chance to see more than 100 artists, engage with their artwork, and bring some home from various price points. Noon to 7pm.
• Galveston Island Hot Sauce Fest in Downtown Galveston | Saturday, May 11 | FREE – Just in time for summer, the island hosts an inaugural hot sauce festival with local and regional vendors, live music, a hot pepper eating contest, delicious food vendors, and plenty of ice cold drinks to wash it all down. 2pm to 8pm.
• Ice House Radio: Department of Black Phenomena at Lawndale Art Center | Saturday, May 11 | FREE – The weekly Texas Tradition returns for another edition of the Department of Black Phenomena, which celebrates the diversity of Black music every month. Open to all, the afternoon and evening event features DJ sets by Brother Jackson and J.O.O.T.H., plus live performances by DJ Melodic, Beau Yé Roc, Wheards and .rael_one. This also will be one of your last chances to catch Tay Butler’s A Friendly Game of Basketball, which closes at the arts gallery a week later. 3pm to 8pm.
• American Quarter Horse Races & Corgi Dog Races at Sam Houston Race Park | Saturday, May 11 – Some of the fastest corgi dogs in town hit the track at an evening of races that also feature American quarter horse action. $5; free for ages 5 and under. 6:30pm.

• No-No Boy in Concert at Asia Society Texas Center | Saturday, May 11 – This immersive concert joins headliner No-No Boy with Emilia Halvorsen Saporiti to illuminate hidden Asian American histories through folk songs, sound pieces, live projections and more. $25. 7:30pm.
• BYOB (Bring Your Own Beamer) at Menil Collection | Saturday, May 11 | FREE – Expect the unexpected as the museum offers another year of the BYOB experience where community members bring their own projections to illuminate the museum’s façade. Picnics and blankets encouraged. 8pm to 10pm.  
• Sugar Land Jazz Festival at Crown Festival Park | Saturday, May 11 & Sunday, May 12 – For back-to-back days, this jazz fest in Sugar Land offers evenings of music from performers like Boney James, Robert Glasper and Tower of Power, among others. $54 and up. 5pm to 10:30pm.
• Mother’s Day Walk at Houston Botanic Garden | Sunday, May 12 – Make memories at this special nature and nurture walk for Mother’s Day. The focus at this event will be for families to unwind, be inspired and connect while enjoying the outdoors with captivating art installations, complimentary wellness treatments, and more. $25 and up; $15 and up for ages 4 to 17. 10am to 2pm.
• USPA Regional Classic Southwest: Mother’s Day Edition at Houston Polo Club | Sunday, May 12 – Gallop along with the ponies for Mother’s Day with a special edition that features a Ladies Best Hat contest along with live music, a player parade, and delectable bites from the Lymbar. $18 and up. 5pm.

---

Don’t Miss Out on Tomorrow’s Fun!