Plan Your Mother’s Day Weekend: May 11 to 14, 2023

Things to Do
All Weekend Long

• Sugar Land Space Cowboys vs. El Paso Chihuahuas at Constellation Field | Daily – The lil’ dogs from El Paso come to hang out in Sugar Land this week while the Space Cowboys get to work. The first 2,000 fans through the gates will go home with a Jose Altuve World Series ring on Friday, or an orange Jeremy Peña replica jersey on Saturday. $9 and up. Times vary.
• Dinos Alive at Marq’e Entertainment Center | Daily | Ongoing –Step back in time and get a sense of the sheer scale of the largest beasts to walk the earth at the Dinos Alive Immersive Experience, now in Spring Branch through late June. $20 and up; price varies by date and time. Times vary.
• The Riot Comedy Club presents Sammy Obeid at Rudyard’s Pub | Friday & Saturday – A Lebanese-Palestinian American, born in Oakland California, Sammy Obeid double majored in Business and Mathematics at UC Berkeley and then turned down a job at Google to be a comedian. $17 and up. Times vary.
• Comedian Brian Simpson at Houston Improv | Friday & Saturday – The LA-based comedian brings his Short Wide Neck Tour through Spring Branch for back-to-back nights, delivering on material that has landed him spots on Netflix’s The Standups and Lights out with David Spade on Comedy Central. $40 for 2, and up. Times vary.
• Houston Ballet presents George Balanchine’s Jewels at Miller Outdoor Theatre | Friday & Saturday | FREE – Part of Miller’s centennial celebrations, the Houston ballet offers back-to-back nights of Jewels—inspired by rubies, emeralds and diamonds, and set to the music of Fauré, Stravinsky and Tchaikovsky. Arrive at 6pm on Friday and take part in a birthday bash for the theater, including cake, face painters and more. 8pm.
• Halfway to Halloween at 13th Floor Haunted House | Friday & Saturday – If you just can’t wait for spooky season, then 13th Floor in Northwest Houston has you covered with a two-day celebration with their award-winning haunted house experience, Halloween-themed photo ops, special merch, and add-on experiences like mini escape rooms and a zombie shooting gallery. Recommended for ages 13 and up. $24.99 and up. Timed entry available from 8pm to 9:45pm.

Mother’s Day Weekend
Bayou Bend
^{Saturday & Sunday}

This hidden gem in the River Oaks is a no-brainer for Mother’s Day, offering expansive manicured gardens, tours through the Ima Hogg estate, and live guitar and harp music through the weekend. Don’t miss the complimentary cookies and lemonade before you start your stroll.

$12.50; free for moms | 1pm to 5pm

• Unicorn World Houston at George R. Brown Convention Center | Friday to Sunday – Frolic through a magical wonderland of unicorns, rides, crafts, stables and games at this weekend convention in Downtown. Walk amongst life-sized unicorns, trot through a magical forest, and have a fun-filled day of unicorn-themed activities. $39 and up; free for ages 2 and under. Times vary.
• Texas Crab Festival at Festival Park in Crystal Beach | Friday to Sunday – Savor crab dishes, live music, and festivities, including carnival rides, art vendors, wiener dog races, and more at the 38th annual festival near Galveston. $20. Times vary.
• Everybody’s Favorite BBQ & Hot Sauce Festival at Discovery Green | Friday to Sunday – This three-day fest celebrates the smoke and the sizzle with a lineup of concerts and comedy acts broken down by genre, offering two attendance windows per day. Catch hilarious comedians and Blues on Friday, Latin and R&B on Saturday, and close it down with jazz performers and country acts on Sunday. Tickets are $20 and up for each slate of concerts. Times vary.
• 49th Annual Galveston Historic Homes Tour | Saturday & Sunday – In the last of two weekends, Galveston Historical Foundation opens up the doors to some of the Island’s significant architectural history, along with numerous special events that offer unique experiences at historic sites across Galveston. $45 and up. 10am to 6pm.
• Mother’s Day Candle Making & Mimosa Bar at Love & Make DIY Workshop | Saturday & Sunday – Held at five different sessions over the weekend, this workshop in Rice Village will guide you through creating two custom soy-wax candles while you sip from the mimosa bar. $65 per person. Times vary.
• Mother’s Day Weekend at Bayou Bend Collection & Gardens | Saturday & Sunday – This hidden gem in the River Oaks is a no-brainer for Mother’s Day, offering expansive manicured gardens, tours through the Ima Hogg estate, and live guitar and harp music through the weekend. Don’t miss the complimentary cookies and lemonade before you start your stroll. $12.50; free for moms. 1pm to 5pm.

Ongoing Live Theater & Performing Arts in Houston

• Brother Toad at Ensemble Theatre | Daily | Opening Weekend – Teenage Marques and his friend are sitting in their car one night when gunfire breaks out, killing Marques’ friend. When his uncle works to stage a march against gun violence, and Marques’ family doesn’t want to participate, tensions fly in this timely play. This production runs through Sunday, June 4. $34 and up. Showtimes vary.
• Open Dance Project presents 1968 at MATCH | Friday to Sunday | Opening Weekend – This immersive dance experience incorporates photos and audio to tell the story of an iconic year in American history. The audience can choose how they navigate the stage in this multimedia presentation. $40. Showtimes vary.
• Torrea at Alley Theatre | Friday to Sunday | Opening Weekend – This world premiere is the story of a Mexican girl who wants to be a bullfighter. But can she overcome entrenched societal traditions to achieve her dream? The play was part of the Alley’s All New Festival in 2022. This production runs through Sunday, June 4. $51. Showtimes vary.
• Mildred’s Umbrella presents Tooth & Tail at the DeLuxe Theater | Daily | Ongoing – This world premiere by Elizabeth A.M. Keel is the swashbuckling story of Vixen LeFey and her dragon Flicker, on a quest to save the kidnapped Princess Plumeria. Its a fairy tale, an adventure and a reflection on what women can do and how we’re stronger together. Please note, parents are encouraged to read the play’s content warning before determining whether to bring younger children. Pay-what-you-can. Showtimes vary.
• Music Box Theater presents The Greatest Hits Album Side B: Moving Boxes at Queensbury Theatre | Friday & Saturday | Ongoing – The cabaret troupe celebrates the move to its new home in CityCentre with an evening of jazz, pop, rock and Broadway tunes from the 1960s through the ‘90s. $38 and up. Showtimes vary.
• Vincent Victoria presents Dreamgirl Deferred at Midtown Art Center | Daily | Final Weekend – A selection of the National Black Theatre Festival in 2022, this production is a fictionalized dramatization on the tragic life of singer Florence Ballard of the Supremes. $25. Showtimes vary.
• A.D. Players presents The Play That Goes Wrong at the George Theater | Daily | Final Weekend – If Monty Python and Sherlock Holmes combined forces to write a play, it might well be this one, where a band of thespians attempt to get through a performance in the face of calamities. This production runs through Sunday, May 14. $30 and up. Showtimes vary.
• Sherlock Holmes & the Case of the Jersey Lily at Alley Theatre | Daily | Final Weekend – This classic sleuthing caper gets a comic twist when the muse of author Oscar Wilde is caught up in a conspiracy that brings in the famed Sherlock Holmes to solve the case. $34 and up. Showtimes vary.
• Stages presents The Bride Or: Does This Dress Make Me Look Married? at the Gordy | Daily | Final Weekend – Beloved to Houston audiences for her role as Sister in Late Night Catechism, Denise Fennell offers her unique perspective on the institution of marriage. Mere hours before her wedding, a bride of a certain age questions everything, including whether she should get married at all. This production runs through Sunday, May 14. $30 and up. Showtimes vary.
• 9 to 5: The Musical at Art Factory | Friday to Sunday | Final Weekend – Hear the hits of beloved country music icon Dolly Parton when Art Factory’s revival of this bombastic Broadway musical hits the Docks near Downtown. $30. Showtimes vary.

Mother’s Day, Asian Heritage Month & Other Destinations

• Mother’s Day Events in Greater Houston | Friday to Sunday – Take to more than 25 of our picks for Mother’s Day celebrations, markets and other events where you can secure your title as “favorite kid.”
• Mother’s Day Brunches in Greater Houston | Friday to Sunday – Treat mom to the brunch that best suits her, with options at Hugo’s, Houston Botanic Garden, George Ranch Historic Park, Brennan’s, Rosalie Italian Soul, Backstreet Cafe, Bludhorn, Post Oak Hotel, and more.
• Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Options with Asia Society Texas | Daily | In-Person & Remote – Find a month’s worth of events and activities to celebrate Asian and Pacific Islander heritage, complete with a concert from pianist Eunbi Kim and the BIPOC Book Fest at Asia Society Texas Center, plus videos and activities that you can do anywhere.
• Dining Destinations for Asian Restaurants Month | Daily – Tour the globe from the plate in front of you at 15 spots to celebrate Asian Restaurants Month in Houston.
• Day Passes for Pools Around Greater Houston | Daily – Pool weather is officially here and we have 10+ of the best hotel pools where you can spend a day making a splash.
• Best Places to Study & Remote Work in Houston | Daily – Check out our 20+ picks for places where you can cozy up and cram throughout Houston.

• Second Thursday Workshop at the Community Artists’ Collective – Patricia Chandler leads this Thursday afternoon workshop at the Midtown artist center, taking you stitch-by-stitch to craft your own crazy quilt. Suggested donation of $20. 11am to 2pm.
• Educator Night featuring Claribel Ortega at Blue Willow Bookshop | FREE – The bestselling author of Ghost Squad and the Witchling series signs and discusses her new book, The Golden Frog Games. Free to attend, but books for signing must be purchased from the bookstore for $17.99. 6pm.
• Wetland Happy Hour Hike at Houston Arboretum & Nature Center – Take a stroll through the swampy wetlands of the Arboretum while sipping on Saint Arnold brews. $20. 6pm to 8pm.
• IRL Poetry Reading: No Sweet Without Brine with Cynthia Manick & Kendra Allen at Kindred Stories | FREE – Taking place in the Reading Garden of the Third Ward bookshop, this poetry reading features Cynthia Manick performing selections from No Sweet Without Brine, along with poet and memorist Kendra Allen. Books are available for purchase. 7pm.
• Puma Blue in Concert at White Oak Music Hall – The alt indie artist comes to Houston in one of their final North American dates, performing songs from the forthcoming album, Holy Waters. $25. 7pm.
• Samba Dance Class at Midtown Park | FREE – Take to the park space on Travis Street and learn the 1s and 2s of this popular Brazilian dance style, open to all experience levels. 7pm to 9pm.
• Kam Franklin in Concert at Discovery Green | FREE – Lead singer of the Suffers, Kam Franklin graces the stage with her own brand of songs at the Thursday Concert Series in Downtown. 7pm to 9pm.

Eunbi Kim in Concert
Asia Society Texas Center
^{Thursday, May 11}

Threading indie pop influences through classical music, pianist Eunbi Kim appears at Asia Society for a concert featuring her work, it feels like a dream, accompanied by projected visuals by new media artist Xuan.

$25 | 7:30pm

• Beetle Live Set at the Continental Club – Hear the timeless hits of the Beatles when one of Houston’s premiere tribute acts takes the stage in Mid-Main. $10. 7pm to 10pm.
• Comedian Cameron Esposito at Houston Improv – The comic, actor and author—known for roles in ABC’s A Million Little Things and podcast host of Queery—performs back-to-back nights at the Improv. $54 for 2, and up. 7:30pm.
• Our Texas presents Rachmaninoff 150th Anniversary Concert at Russian Cultural Center – Acclaimed pianist Osip Nikiforov performs some of the composer’s most famous pieces, including several Preludes and Piano Sonata No. 2 Op. 36 in B-flat minor. Jon Kimura Parker, pianist and professor of piano at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, will discuss the composer’s works and legacy. $25. 7:30pm. 
• Eunbi Kim in Concert at Asia Society Texas Center – Threading indie pop influences through classical music, pianist Eunbi Kim appears at Asia Society for a concert featuring her work, it feels like a dream, accompanied by projected visuals by new media artist Xuan. $25. 7:30pm to 9pm.
• Lewis Capaldi in Concert at 713 Music Hall – The Scottish singer-songwriter is coming through the 713 with music from his second studio release, Broken by Desire to be Heaven Sent. $39 and up. 8pm.
• Karaoke Night at the Secret Group | No Cover – Belt out your favorite tunes at this weekly karaoke night at the EaDo music and comedy venue. 10pm to 2am.

• More Great Things to Do All Weekend Long – Some of the biggest things to do in Houston are happening all weekend long. Scroll up to explore events and shows spanning multiple days, or browse Houston Experiences to save on museum and brewery passes, tours, and more.