Top 15 Festivals & Events This Week in Houston: September 23 to 29, 2024

Make the most of your week with our top 15 festivals, events, and things to do this week in Houston from Monday, September 23 to Sunday, September 29, 2024.

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

Top 15 Festivals, Events & Things to Do This Week in Houston

• The Musical Melting Pot with Apollo Chamber Players at Miller Outdoor Theatre | Tuesday | FREE – Apollo kicks off the week with a kid-forward morning program exploring how the world’s musical and folk elements contribute to the country’s, and Houston’s, unique ethnic melting-pot. 11am.
• Grand Opening Celebration at Nordstrom Rack Meyerland Plaza | Thursday | FREE – Show up early for the chance to save up 70% on the season’s hottest styles and brands, and be entered for a chance to win a $1000 Nordstrom Rack gift card. 8am; drawing at 8:45am; doors at 9am. 
• Disney’s Encanto Movie Screening at Trebly Park | Thursday | FREE – Don’t talk about Bruno at a free screening of the earworm-laden animated musical hit (2021, PG) about the magical Madrigal family from Lin-Manuel Miranda. 8pm.
• Future Islands in Concert at White Oak Music Hall | Friday – The Baltimore-based synth-pop band Future Islands, known for “Seasons (Waiting on You)” and “King of Sweden”, play the downstairs stage at the Near Northside venue. $45. 8pm.
• 15th Annual Galveston Island Wild Texas Shrimp Festival in HIstoric Downtown Galveston | Friday & Saturday – The annual shrimp festival offers a seafood lover’s paradise, kicking off with the—sure to sell out—Friday Kick-Off Party featuring a fried shrimp dinner, open bar, and live entertainment for $65; and followed by Saturday afternoon’s main event, the Shrimp Gumbo Cook-Off and Gumbo Stroll on the island’s Historic Strand, with sampling cups available for pre-purchase for $13 and shrimp dinner plates for $20. Other festivities include the Shrimp Scamper 5K Fun Run, Ron Hoover Boat Show, Strand Merchant Walkabout, the Lil’ Shrimps Parade, and live music. Times and prices vary.
• Manhattan Short Film Festival 2024 at MFAH | Friday & Saturday – The popular international film fest returns with 10 short pieces from the next generation of filmmakers from the U.S., U.K., Ukraine, Croatia, Italy, and more. Houston audiences can join with their peers in six continents, voting for their favorites. $10; $8 for members. Times vary.
• ROCO in Concert: Remarkable Around Houston | Friday & Saturday – ROCO presents a journey from Houston to space and back, combining stunning visuals and classical music in two performances in landmark Houston venues. The world premiere, led by Vietnamese-American composer Viet Cuong, is a free performance at Miller Outdoor Theatre, followed by a pay-what-you-wish show at the intimate Church of St. John the Divine in River Oaks. Times vary.
• Oktoberfest Celebrations Around Greater Houston | Friday to Sunday | FREE or No Cover – Don your Dirndl or Lederhosen for the biggest Oktoberfest weekend of the season, with celebrations dotting the map from the Inner Loop to Conroe, Old Town Spring and Missouri City. Locations & times vary.
• Houston Lebanese Festival at The Water Works | Friday to Sunday – Enjoy 3 days of  music, Lebanese food, family fun activities, and Lebanese souk, capped off by nightly concerts. $15 at the door; free for ages 12 and under. Times vary.
• Fort Bend County Fair at Fort Bend County Fairgrounds | Friday to Sunday – The fairgrounds continue to be packed with carnival rides and games, rodeo competitions, the livestock show and capped off this weekend with concert headliners Drake Milligan, William Beckman, and De Parranda. Times vary.
• Noises Off at Alley Theatre | Opens Friday – The Alley launches into the 2024-25 season with a Michael Frayn’s hilarious comedy showcasing a struggling acting troupe’s dilemmas backstage during a play, battling misplaced props, forgotten lines, and an abundance of sardines. Showtimes vary.
• 3rd Annual Northside Festival at University of Houston-Downtown | Saturday | FREE – The Latin-infused celebration of Houston’s Northside neighborhood will showcase local artists and vendors, a salsa tasting contest, local artists, live music and performances. 11am to 6pm.
• 3rd Annual War of the Wangs at Onion Creek Café | Saturday – The Heights mainstay hosts the return of the tongue-in-cheek, no-holds-barred, sauced-up chicken wing smackdown, with killer cocktails, live music, DJ tunes, local vendors, people’s choice voting, and more at a kid- and pet-friendly celebration. $25 and up. 1pm.
• Weezer in Concert at Toyota Center | Saturday – Joined by The Flaming Lips and Dinosaur Jr, the ’90s powerhouse pop rock group fronted by Rivers Cuomo brings their Voyage to the Blue Planet Tour—where Weezer will be playing 1994’s legendary self-titled Weezer, also known as the “Blue Album“, in full to honor its 30th anniversary. $39 and up. 7pm.
• 3rd Annual Chefs for Farmers at Autry Park | Saturday & Sunday – The all-inclusive tasting event in River Oaks has curated a lineup of top culinary talent to showcase family farms throughout Texas. Expect immersive activations and live entertainment, wines from the top vineyards, craft cocktails and excellent farm-fresh eats with 2 separately ticketed events. $125 earlybird price and up for each event. 2pm to 5pm for both events.

Don’t Miss Out on Tomorrow’s Fun!