The 15 Best Things to Do in Houston This Weekend: March 31 to April 2, 2023

Take a tour of H-Town’s weekend highlights with our 365 Houston guide to the best things to do in Houston this weekend, from Friday, March 31 to Sunday, April 2, 2023.

Every weekend, Houston has plenty of happenings to be found around town—but which ones are the highlights that can help you plan an enjoyable weekend of outings?

We’ve whittled down our extensive Weekend Guide to offer you some of our favorite things to look forward to from Friday to Sunday.

Looking for more things to do? Dig deeper for all of our weekend picks with the 365 Houston Weekend Guide, or comb through our Calendar for even more events, activities, and things to do this weekend.

The 15 Best Things to Do in Houston This Weekend: March 31 to April 2, 2023

• Houston Hoops House at Bayou Music Center | Wednesday, March 29 to Friday, March 31 – In the lead up to the Final Four, Bayou Music Center becomes the Hoops House for three days of riveting basketball competitions, where the future stars of the courts display their prowess at nationally-televised events. The trio of competitions begins with the all-new State Farm College Team Skills & 3X3U Championships on Wednesday, followed by the State Farm College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships main event on Thursday, and wrapping up with the Rocket Mortgage High School Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships on Friday. $20 and up, but you can save 25% on tickets when you use promo code 365HOU by selecting “Unlock” in the upper right corner before choosing your seats. Times vary.
• Opening Day: Houston Astros vs. Chicago White Sox at Minute Maid Park | Thursday, March 30 to Sunday, April 2 – The Astros run it back for a shot at dynasty greatness with a four-game series against Chicago that kicks off with a World Series celebration on Opening Day. $130 and up for Opening Day; prices vary for all other games. Times vary.
• Venardos Circus at Dry Creek Social Club | Thursday, March 30 to Sunday, April 2 – Back by popular demand, the Venardos Circus returns to Richmond with their all-new Let’s Build a Dream tour, offering an animal-free, Broadway-style circus under an expanded red and white–striped big top tent. Circus shows run through Sunday, April 9. $27.95; $16.95 for ages 11 and under. Save 10% on general admission tickets with promo code HOU365 at checkout. Times vary.
• ROAR Story Slam at Asia Society Texas Center | Friday, March 31 – Six finalists from Korean American Story have six minutes to share stories in this competition, adhering to this year’s theme of “What the Heck.” Stick around at 9:30pm for an after party event with light refreshments and mingling. $35; $25 for students. 7pm to 11pm.
• March Madness Music Festival at Discovery Green | Friday, March 31 to Sunday, April 2 | FREE with Registration – One of the main events throughout Final Four weekend, the March Madness concert series brings heavy-hitting headliners to Discovery Green, including Houston’s own Megan Thee Stallion at Friday’s AT&T Block Party; Lil Nas X and Maggie Rogers on Saturday; and a stacked Sunday country lineup with Tim McGraw, Keith Urban, Little Big Town and Mickey Guyton. Free, but you must register for tickets. Times vary.

• Men’s Final Four Fan Fest at George R. Brown Convention Center | Friday, March 31 to Sunday, April 2 – The four-day Fan Fest in Downtown offers a weekend of skill tests for fans of all ages, plus a chance to see thrilling championship highlights, snag autographs from former NCAA players, professional athletes and coaches, win prizes and more. Advance tickets are $8; free for ages 12 and under, Capital One cardholders, and Final Four ticketholders. Times vary.
• Old, Weird Houston! at the Orange Show | Saturday, April 1 | FREE – The Orange Show Center for Visionary Art presents a local history fair spotlighting oddball ephemera from collections both public and private. Area archives and individuals from across the Southeast Texas region will showcase the oldest, weirdest curiosities from their collections alongside vendors offering Houston Proud swag, bites, and beverages. 10am to 5pm.
• Craft Community Day at Houston Center for Contemporary Craft | Saturday, April 1 | FREE – The annual spring day of community crafts returns to HCCC, offering an afternoon of all-ages demonstrations, hands-on activities, a look at current exhibitions, studio visits and more. 11am to 3pm.
• Lyons Avenue Renaissance Festival in Fifth Ward | Saturday, April 1 | FREE – The 10th annual edition of this festival celebrates the history, art and culture of Houston’s Fifth Ward. Expect stages playing authentic blues, hip-hop, rock and gospel, plus down-home cooking, soul food, Creole cuisine and BBQ. This family-friendly festival also features an Easter egg drop by helicopter, where kiddos can scramble for more than 50,000 goodie-filled eggs. Noon to 5pm.
• Neighborhood Community Day at Menil Collection | Saturday, April 1 | FREE – Back for its second year, the Menil hosts the local community in a celebration of the neighborhood with art, music, poetry and family activities across the campus. Noon to 5pm.

• Festival of Colors: Pearland Holi Extravaganza at Pearland Town Center | Saturday, April 1 | FREE – A huge Holi celebration descends on Pearland to kick off April, complete with plenty of color play, DJs, games, kids activities, and a market featuring food, shopping and local vendors. No ticket required for festivities; $6 for admission to color play zone. Noon to 5pm.
• Men’s Final Four Semifinals Games 1 & 2 at NRG Stadium | Saturday, April 1 – The first of two game days arrives at NRG Stadium, offering ticketholders a chance to catch both Final Four Semifinals ahead of Monday’s Championship game. Advance tickets are sold out; tickets as part of a hospitality package are $495.25 and up. Limited tickets will be made available for fans of competing teams when Semifinals are set. Resale tickets start at $225, but you may find better, cheaper or hard-to-get seats using the TicketNetwork online marketplace. Game times TBA.
• Sugar Land Arts Fest 2K23 at Smart Financial Centre Plaza | Saturday, April 1 & Sunday, April 2 – This two-day arts festival showcases more than 1,000 visual artists from across the country, plus you can enjoy live music, food, wine and more. Single day tickets are $10; $15 for both days. 10am to 4pm.
• Galveston Steampunk Festival at Galveston Railroad Museum | Saturday, April 1 & Sunday, April 2 – Fans of the steampunk aesthetic will assemble for this two-day fest that celebrates the sci-fi subgenre that crosses Victorian-era tech with retrofuturism. Throughout the first day, fans can take in live music and special performances, participate in a costume contest and enjoy games like archery, axe throwing and more. Then, on Sunday, festival goers can stroll through home and history tours of the Galveston area, plus two evening walking ghost tours. $35 and up; $15 for kids. Noon to midnight.
• 10th Annual Houston Barbecue Festival at Humble Civic Center | Sunday, April 2 – Expert smokers from across the Texas and Southeast region descend on the Humble Civic Center for an afternoon of delicious ‘que. Grab a pass and hit up as many as you can fit with unlimited sample portions from each barbecue joint. $60 and up; free for ages 6 and under. 1pm to 4pm.