Plan Your 5-Day Thanksgiving Weekend: November 24 to 28, 2021

Things to Do All Thanksgiving Weekend Long

• Thanksgiving Dine-In Reservations & To-Go Orders | Most Reservations End by Wednesday – And if you want to skip the meal prep, or dine-out this year, there are still chances to book dine-in and to-go Thanksgiving feasts. Reservation options decrease by the day.
• Thanksgiving Celebrations & Events Around Houston | Wednesday & Thursday – Share your gratitude and big heart with family, friends, and the world as live Thanksgiving events return to H-Town in a big way, including the BakerRipley Houston Turkey Trot at the Waterwall, the free 72nd annual Thanksgiving Day Parade and the free Uptown Lighting Celebration (complete with showstopping fireworks), amongst many more.
• Maná in Concert at 713 Music Hall | Wednesday & Friday – Let your hair down as Mexico’s crowd-pleasing pop rock group comes to 713 Music Hall, at the new Post HTX in Downtown, for shows before and after Thanksgiving. $120 to more than $275, but you may find better or cheaper seats using the TicketNetwork online marketplace. 8pm both nights.
• 61st Annual Autorama at George R. Brown Convention Center | Thanksgiving Day, Thursday to Sunday – Check out hot rods, customs, trucks, imports, high performance domestics, motorcycles, and all things auto, with special appearances and more. Prices and times vary.
• The Riot Comedy Show presents Alex Hooper at Rudyard’s British Pub | Friday & Saturday – Comedian, actor, and professional roaster Alex Hooper brings his blend of dark humor and silly positivity to the upstairs comedy room at the Montrose mainstay. Starts at $15. 7:30pm both nights.
• Magician Ben Jackson’s Magic, Music & Mayhem at Four Seasons | Friday & Saturday – Possibly HTX’s favorite magician, Ben Jackson holds court at the Four Seasons in Downtown to present his latest crowd-pleasing marvel. $55 to $75. Showtimes vary.
• Black Friday Holiday Flea at M-K-T in the Heights | Friday to Sunday | No Cover – Ditch the crowds at big box retailers and opt for some Black Friday shopping from more than 75 local vendors and artisans doling out leather goods, handmade jewelry, gourmet foods, home decor and more. 10am to 5pm daily.
• 47th Annual Texas Renaissance Festival: Celtic Christmas in Todd Mission | Friday to Sunday – For its final weekend of 2021, Renfest becomes a yuletide wonderland around the theme Celtic Christmas. In addition to a holiday overlay and spirited cos-play, expect to find Father Christmas greeting the little ones near the festival entrance. Prices vary. 9am to 8pm each day.
• BrickLive Houston: Animal Paradise at Railway Heights | Friday to Sunday –Take a good, close look at wild animals built by one million bricks. It’s striking, paws-worthy, and perfect for all families. $12; $7 for ages 4 to 12; free for 3 and under. Advance purchase required. Times vary by day.
• Houston Symphony presents Thanksgiving Weekend: Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty at Jones Hall | Friday to Sunday, November 28 | Virtual Option – Soak up a soaring, family-friendly program that celebrates bounty and joy at Jones Hall, with enchanting selections from Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty ballet, and more. Showtimes vary.
• Comedian Deon Cole at Houston Improv | Friday to Sunday – Comic, actor, and writer—best known for his role as Charlie on Black-ish—takes the Improv stage for  five shows. Prices and times vary.
• Love & Make DIY Workshops in Rice Village | Wednesday, Friday to Sunday – Grab a friend, date, or just take yourself to one of Love & Make’s multiple DIY workshops, including the popular Home Fragrance Design and Candle-making hands on classes. Times and prices vary.

Holiday Fun & Chanukah Events

• Holiday & Christmas Light Displays in Houston Neighborhoods & Other Light Destinations | Daily | Many FREE – Pile in the car and explore some of Houston’s favorite neighborhoods for holiday lights, with many light displays debuting this week and into early December. Or grab your tickets and explore the countless pop-up light installations and events at attractions around Houston.
• Chanukah 2021 Events Around Houston | Starts Sunday | Many FREE – Mark the start of the Jewish festival of lights, which kicks off on Sunday evening, with menorah lightings, celebrations, a parade, and more. 

Limited Time Museum Exhibitions, Art Installations & Pop-Up Markets

• 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.
• Outdoor Markets & Pop-Up Shopping Events Around Greater Houston | Daily | Many 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.

Ongoing Theater & Arts Performances

• Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol at Alley Theatre | Tuesday to Sunday – The Alley’s holiday tradition returns to the stage with a brand new production of the classic tale featuring Ebenezer Scrooge and his wintry visits from the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. Showtimes vary.
• A.D. Players presents The Christmas Shoes at the George Theater | Opens Wednesday – Catch the world premiere of the heartwarming adaptation of the New York Times bestseller about how two people from very different backgrounds affect each other and a greater humanity. Prices and showtimes vary. 
• Houston Ballet presents The Nutcracker at Wortham Theater Center | Opens Friday – Return with Clara to the Kingdom of Sweets when Houston Ballet returns to the stage with Choreographer Stanton Welch’s The Nutcracker. Prices and showtimes vary.
• Motown Christmas at Ensemble Theatre | Opens Thursday – Celebrate the start of the holiday season with an ensemble of traditional Christmas carols paired with the soulful sounds of Motown musicians like Marvin Gaye, the Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder, and the Supremes. Prices and showtimes vary.
• Stages presents Sister’s Christmas Catechism: The Mystery of the Magi’s Gold at the Gordy | Opens Friday – Stages’ comic favorite Sister ​​returns to tackle the mystery that’s intrigued historians for ages: whatever happened to the Magi’s gold? Prices and showtimes vary.
• Grease: The Musical at the DeLuxe Theater | Friday to Sunday– If you’re not feeling the holiday spirit, but want to revisit an old favorite, Moore Vision Entertainment’s new production will have you singing “Summer Nights”, “Greased Lightening”, “You’re the One that I Want”, and more. Prices and showtimes vary.
• Catastrophic Theatre presents 4.48 Psychosis at MATCH  | Friday to Sunday – Poet and performance artist T. Lavois Thiebaud heads this show that explores identity, depression, dysphoria and the body/soul dilemma, with the show’s final performance happening this Sunday. Showtimes vary.
• A Little House Christmas at Main Street Theater | Daily – Journey back to the prairie with Laura Ingalls Wilder in this family-friendly holiday play based on her novel Little House on the Prairie. $18 to $28. Showtimes vary.
• Cirque du Soleil‘s Allegría at Sam Houston Race Park | Daily – Cirque du Soleil continues to please audiences with its classic show, Allegría, reimagined for a new generation. $50+; VIP and other packages available, but you may find cheaper or better seats on the online resale market. Showtimes vary.

Tickets to Houston Pro Sports Games

• Houston Rockets Tickets on Sale | Sponsored − Save on 2020 Rockets games with cheaper, better or hard-to-find seats on TicketNetwork’s resale market.
• Houston Texans Tickets at NRG Stadium | Sponsored – Hit the gridiron with seats to cheer on the Texans. Search for cheaper, better, or hard-to-find seats so you can see Houston Texans at home, with the TicketNetowork online marketplace.

Neighborhood & Destination Highlights

• Must Do Things in Upper Kirby & Greenway Plaza – Explore both stylish and casual Inner Loop eateries—not to mention Urban Harvest’s Saturday Farmers Market—along with first class cocktail bars, shopping, the family-pleasing Levy Park, and more. 
• Must Do Things in Spring Branch – Rack up the near Loop value of Spring Branch, with inspired authentic dining from around the world—along with great Texas barbecue—, world class comedy, and more minutes from Memorial Park.  
• Must Do Things in San Leon – Explore the ocean views, fresh gulf oysters, fresh seafood, seaside cocktails, freshly distilled rum, and more all 40 miles southeast of Houston in the peaceful, bayside town of San Leon.

Wednesday, November 24, 2021

• Thanksgiving Farmers Market & Celebration of Bakers at Braeswood Farmers Market | No Cover – Find fresh produce, local grass fed wagyu beef, organic poultry, unfiltered Texas honey, fresh gulf seafood, and pasture raised organic chicken, duck, and goose eggs not to mention the works of 50+ amateur bakers. 10am to 3pm.
• Selfies with Santa at Children’s Museum Houston – Snap a jolly pic with St. Nickolas himself before you head into Thanksgiving prep. $12 for ages 1 and up as part of general admission. 11am to 1:30pm.
• Tribute to the Woodlands Music Festival at Town Green Park – Rock ‘n roll in to the T-Day weekend with a full day and evening of cover bands, food trucks, a kids zone, artists, vendors, and more. $10; free for ages 12 and under; $65 VIP. Noon to 10pm.
• 2 Year Anniversary Thanksgiving Luau at Tikila’s – Grab your Hawaiian shirt for a tropical take on Turkey Day and mark the Heights’ popular tiki destination, with a pig roast, fire dancers, drink specials, patio games and more. 3pm to 11:45pm.
• Breakeven Wednesday: Michter’s 10 Year Single Barrel Rye at Trash Panda Drinking Club – The Near Northside dive bar offers up pours of the Louisville, Kentucky distillery’s annual release for just $5.38 an ounce in the 18th edition of its weekly Wednesday Breakeven tasting event. $5.38 pours while supplies last. Bar hours 6pm to 2am. 
• Jive Turkeys Comedy Show at Houston Improv – Start your long holiday weekend with a night of comedy featuring Houston’s Ali Saddiq, along with Billy Sorrells, Marcus D. Wiley, Dave Lawson, Terry Grossman, and Se7en the Poet for the Improv’s annual Thanksgiving comedy tradition. 7:30pm and 9:45pm.
• Houston Rockets vs. Chicago Bulls at Toyota Center – Cheer on the Rockets as they defend the home court against the Bulls led by Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan. $25 to more than $800, but you may find better or cheaper seats using the TicketNetwork online marketplace. 7pm.
• Drinksgiving at Little Woodrow’s Midtown – Perhaps best known for its turtle racing, Little Woodrow’s Midtown brings back turkey bowling on the eve before Thanksgiving promptly at 8pm, with DJ Gobble Gobble spinning all night. 8pm to 2am.

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

• Houston Turkey Trot at the Waterwall in Uptown – The annual Thanksgiving tradition returns to an in-person event for 2021, sending hundreds of runners from the Waterwall, through Uptown and Tanglewood, and ending just north of Westheimer Road. If the Galleria area isn’t convenient, you’ll also find Turkey Day runs across Greater Houston. Houston Turkey Trot registration varies. 7:30am.
• 72nd Annual Thanksgiving Day Parade in Downtown | FREE – Get outside and go big with the live, in-person return of one of Houston’s favorite holiday traditions, with floats, giant balloon characters, marching bands, performers, and more that are sure to please holiday lovers of all ages. 9am.
• Parks Around Greater Houston | FREE – Although most places are closed for the holiday, there’s plenty of fun to be had in the great outdoors at some of the region’s best parks and playgrounds. 
• Uptown Holiday Lighting on Post Oak | FREE – Houston’s unofficial handoff from Thanksgiving to the winter holidays returns to Uptown with an evening marked by a visit from Santa, a new lightshow, fireworks, and the lighting of 300 all-new, 20-foot holiday trees along Post Oak. 4pm to 7pm.
• The Riot Comedy Show presents Live Laugh Love: Thanksgiving Special at Rudyard’s British Pub – Belly up with a date, family, or friends as Houston comedians riff on holiday dating and relationships. $10 to $75. 8pm and 10pm.
• Best Bars Around Greater Houston – Once the day is done, you’re likely to find a watering hole open near you. Browse through our collection of best bars around Greater Houston, organized by neighborhood and city, for some inspiration. (Note: These lists were compiled before the pandemic. Most are still open, but it’s worth double-checking a venue’s social media account before you make the trip. And stay tuned, we’ll be relaunching the series with fresh updates in early 2022).

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