Top 20 Festivals & Events in Houston This Month: April 2023

Make the most of your month with our list of the 20 biggest and most notable festivals and events in Houston in April 2023.

Springtime brings a slate of signature Houston fun to the city.

Events are listed chronologically by week, and are not in a ranked order. Events that span multiple weeks are carried over into the following week where appropriate.

Top 20 Festivals & Events in Houston This Month: April 2023

• 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.
• 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.
• 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. On Sunday, festival-goers and the general public can hop in a Model T and cruise through Galveston’s Victorian history, or goin in two evening walking ghost tours. $35 and up; $15 for ages 7 to 12. Times vary.
• Galápagos Islands Exhibit Opening Day at Houston Zoo | Friday, April 7 – At long last, the Zoo unveils their latest exhibition, the major Galápagos Islands exhibit which showcases the remarkable wildlife of the legendary islands with new animal additions like a colony of Humboldt penguins. $22.70 and up. 9am to 5pm.
• Heads & Tails Festival at 8th Wonder Brewery | Saturday, April 8 | No Cover – The annual all-ages crawfish festival hits the spacious back patio of 8th Wonder in East Downtown, offering mudbugs from Clutch City Crawfish and live music from Ruben Moreno’s Zydeco Re-Evolution. Noon to 5pm.
• Houston Margarita Festival at the Water Works in Buffalo Bayou Park | Saturday, April 8 – Returning for its tenth edition at the Water Works at Buffalo Bayou Park, the Houston Margarita Festival features more than 17 flavored margs for tasting, live music, DJ tunes, dancing, food vendors, and more. Advance tickets are $15 and up; $30 at the gate. Noon to 10pm.
• Houston Dash vs. Mexico Women’s National Team at Shell Energy Stadium | Tuesday, April 11 – The Dash host the women’s national team of Mexico in a cross-border friendly at the EaDo pitch. $15 and up. 7pm.
• 2023 Tall Ships Festival in Galveston | Thursday, April 13 to Sunday, April 16 – Serving as one of three Gulf Coast ports, this annual festival brings a fleet of tall ships traveling across the Gulf of Mexico, offering a chance to see these historic vessels and enjoy numerous events, plus sail-away excursions, music, food and family-friendly fun. Festival admission is $15; $10 for ages 7 to 12; free for ages 6 and under. Admission that includes boarding of boats is $25; $15 for ages 7 to 12; free for ages 6 and under. 10am to 6pm.
• 36th Annual Houston Art Car Parade on Allen Parkway | Saturday, April 15 | FREE – One of Houston’s most beloved events—and the largest celebration of its kind in the world with over 250 cars—gets rolling on Allen Parkway for its 36th edition. Come early from 9am to 11am to see the cars lineup and enjoy a mini music festival with food trucks and beverages. Parade begins at 2pm.
• Puranava Indian Art & Culture Fest at Pearland Town Center | Saturday, April 15 | FREE – Celebrate Indian culture with an afternoon of arts performances, art exhibits, hands-on activities, a bazaar with food and local vendors, plus youth competitions in chess, art, trivia and more. 4pm to 8pm.
• Love Street Music Fest at Karbach Brewing | Saturday, April 15 – The Spring Branch brewery returns with another year of its annual music festival, featuring the Grammy-nominated rockers Spoon, Jukebox the Ghost, and Mind Shrine. $40 and up. 5pm to 10pm.
• Taste of the Nation at the Water Works in Buffalo Bayou Park | Sunday, April 16 – With 100% of event proceeds benefiting the No Kid Hungry campaign to end childhood hunger in Texas and across the U.S., Houston’s Taste of the Nation returns for 2023, featuring dozens of the city’s top culinary talents—including Ryan Pera, Bobby Mattos, Alba Huerta, Leonard Botello IV, Evelyn Garcia, Rebecca Masson, and more. Guests can expect an afternoon of unlimited bites, curated drinks and entertainment to the backdrop of the city skyline. $95; $35 for youth admission; $115 for early admission at noon. 1pm to 4pm.
• Taylor Swift in Concert at NRG Stadium | Friday, April 21 to Sunday, April 23 – Spend the weekend with the 11-time Grammy winner and best-selling pop icon, Taylor Swift. Tickets are sold out, but you may find hard-to-get seats using the TicketNetwork online marketplace. 6:30pm.
• Earth Day Celebration & Water Works Festival at Discovery Green | Saturday, April 22 | FREE – One of Discovery Green’s signature events, the annual family-friendly festival returns with a full afternoon of interactive exhibits and educational experiences, plus live music, art installations, face painting, crafts and activities. Noon to 5pm.
• Houston LatinFest at Crown Festival Park | Sunday, April 23 – Moving from its usual location in Downtown to Sugar Land, this annual music and culture festival is a family-friendly gathering with live Latin music along with local vendors and delicious Latin foods. $12 and up; free for ages 12 and under. 1pm to 10pm.
• Broadway Across America presents To Kill A Mockingbird at Hobby Center | Tuesday, April 25 to Sunday, April 30 – Aaron Sorkin’s adaption of the international bestseller and beloved story by Harper Lee explores the explosive tensions in small town Alabama in the 1930s when white lawyer Atticus Finch agrees to defend Tom Robinson, a Black man at the center of a trial with his life on the line. $40 and up. Showtimes vary.
• The Grand Kids Festival in Downtown Galveston | Saturday, April 29 | FREE – Hosted in the Cultural Arts District of Downtown Galveston, this family festival from the Grand 1894 Opera House features a full day of fine arts for kids, along with hands-on projects, dance performances, shows, inflatables, a petting zoo, pony rides and more. 10am to 5pm.
• 18th Annual Frida Festival at MECA | Saturday, April 29 | FREE – Celebrate all things Frida Kahlo at a Sixth Ward festival featuring lively music, performances, vendors, food trucks, and plenty of people dressed up as one of Mexico’s most beloved and legendary artists. 11am to 7pm.
• Houston Zydeco Fest at Emancipation Park | Saturday, April 29 – The Third Ward park space hosts an afternoon of Zydeco tunes and food vendors that make up a Creole party with games, contests and more activities. $10 and up. 2pm to 10pm.