Make the most of your weekend with our Houston Weekend Guide for Thursday, December 26 to Sunday, December 29, 2013.
[quote_box_right]Weekend Shortcuts
[/quote_box_right]It’s that strange weekend that falls between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. It’s not quite either holiday and even though Christmas itself has passed, something about that old “12 Days of Christmas” means that there are still holiday-tinged events across the city. But if you’ve had your fill of holiday cheer, there’s plenty to do in Houston this weekend to distract you.
Things to Do All Weekend
- Shen Yun Performing Arts at Jones Hall | Daily – Experience more than 5,000 years of Chinese culture and civilization as Shen Yun presents classical Chinese dance accompanied by a live orchestra, dazzling costumes and animated backdrops. Tickets are still available from Shen Yun, but you can likely find cheaper or better seats on TicketSpot’s resale market.
- Family Flicks: The Painting Film Screening at MFAH | Thursday through Saturday – Unwind from the holiday mania with this enchanting animated parable from France as Family Flicks at MFAH screens The Painting daily at 1pm through Saturday. The film is included with museum admission, which is free on Thursdays.
- A Civil War Christmas: An American Musical Celebration at Main Street Theater – This moving musical from Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Paula Vogel follows several key characters, including President Lincoln, on Christmas Eve 1864.
- Disney Junior Live On Tour! Pirate & Princess Adventure | Friday and Saturday – Experience the worlds of Jake and the Neverland Pirates and Sofia the First in this Disney mash-up at Reliant Center. Tickets are almost gone for most shows, although some remain from Ticketmaster. You can also find seats to sold out shows, or better or cheaper seats, via TicketSpot’s resale market.
- Houston holiday lights driving tour | Daily | FREE – Christmas may be over, but most Christmas light displays remain lit in full force through New Years Day. Take advantage of the holiday lull and explore some of Houston’s most popular neighborhood light displays.
- Houston Ballet’s The Nutcracker | Daily – Enjoy one of the final shows of Houston Ballet’s 2013 holiday production at the Wortham Center. Tickets range from $40 to $135, depending on seating, when purchased from Houston Ballet. However, you can usually find cheaper or better seats for the same shows on TicketSpot’s resale market.
- Zoo Lights 2013 at the Houston Zoo | Daily – Take an evening stroll through the Houston Zoo while the animals sleep.
- Holiday Train on the Hermann Park Railroad | Daily – Take a two-mile, 20-minute ride around Herman Park with a hot cocoa or apple cider on the festively decorated Holiday Train.
- Discover a new Houston date idea (or a new date) | Sponsored – Looking for a popular date idea, or for someone to join you? Either way, Howaboutwe.com has some suggestions for you.
Thursday, December 26
- Family Flicks: The Painting Film Screening at MFAH | FREE – Unwind from the holiday mania with this enchanting animated parable from France as Family Flicks at MFAH screens The Painting. See the show and the museum free today.
- Happy hour and dollar beer promos at the Hay Merchant – Stop off at this craft beer favorite in Montrose and take advantage of some unannounced day-after-Christmas beer specials, along with the usual Thursday afternoon happy hour starting at 3pm.
- ”Re-gift It” Party at Hot Nights on ICE | FREE to attend – Work off those holiday pounds and shed an unwelcome present at The ICE at Discovery Green. Bring an unwanted present and trade it with someone else while you skate to music from Hot 95.7. It’s free to show up and enjoy the entertainment. If you’re going to skate, the normal $12 skating fees apply.
- The Christmas Hangover at the Fedora Lounge – Get back on that horse – or bike in this case – and head to this small, swanky jazz club on Bissonnet in Upper Kirby for a fundraiser to support Team Ridin’ Dirty in the upcoming MS 150 bike ride. Live music by the Lynsey Miller Showcase, Ron John and Jay Miles and DJ tunes by DJ Supastar. 8pm to midnight.
- Cabin Fever: The Night After Christmas Party at ADDiX – It’s business as usual for a Thursday night party at Addix. 9pm to 2am. No cover with free RSVP.
- More Great Things to Do All Weekend Long – Some of the biggest things happening in Houston this weekend are happening all weekend long. Click here to scroll up and see our list.
Friday, December 27
- S’more Fun for the Winter Happy Hour at the Four Seasons Hotel Houston – Enjoy winter cocktails and make your own s’mores by the fire pit at Splash, the Four Season’s fourth floor pool bar, with this special weekly winter happy hour.
- About a Boy movie screening at Friday Night Flicks at The ICE | FREE to watch – You’ll shoot your eye out if you miss this hilarious classic tale about major awards, Red Rider BB Guns, and tongue-freezing shenanigans. Watch while you skate or sit back and watch the free movie shown at The ICE at Discovery Green. 6:30pm. $12 skating fees apply.
- Critical Mass Houston Downtown Bike Ride | FREE – Join with thousands of cyclists in a large community bike ride that starts at Market Square Park and runs through the streets of Downtown Houston and inside the Loop.
- The Texas Bowl: Minnesota Golden Gophers vs. Syracuse Orange at Reliant Stadium – Houston’s own BCS event welcomes the boys from Minnesota and Syracuse, who are both probably stoked for some our warmer-than-theirs winter weather, in their final battle of the season. Tickets are still available, but you can likely get cheaper or better seats via TicketSpot’s resale market. 5pm.
- Houston Rockets vs. Memphis Grizzlies at Toyota Center – The Rockets stare down the Grizzlies starting at 7pm. You can save 10% to 50% if you buy your tickets via ScoreBig (And you’ll save an additional $20 off of that if your order is larger than $75 courtesy of us here at 365 Things to Do in Houston).
- Gold, Frankincense, Christmas Tree Ornaments and Myrrh play at Grace Theater – Originally performed off-Broadway in 1964, this charming and witty play tells the nativity story through a fourth wise man – who seems to consistently miss the point.
- Trans-Siberian Orchestra presents The Lost Christmas Eve at Toyota Center – The popular rock holiday tradition brings their final live performance of their The Lost Christmas Eve album to Houston. Expect a full-on rock show extravaganza with electronic and rock Christmas music. Tickets are available from the Toyota Center, but you can usually find cheaper or better seats on TicketSpot’s resale market.
- Robert Earl Keen’s Merry Christmas From The Fam-O-Lee at House of Blues – Houston’s own Robert Earl Keen comes back and brings his full holiday show, complete with two great Houston Christmas songs. Tickets are still available from the House of Blues, but you can usually find cheaper or better seats on TicketSpot’s resale market.
- More Great Things to Do All Weekend Long – Some of the biggest things happening in Houston this weekend are happening all weekend long. Click here to scroll up and see our list.
Saturday, December 28
- Strawberry picking at Blessington Farms in Simonton – Fill up a basket for $5 a pound with fresh strawberries you pluck from the patch yourself.
- Houston Rockets vs. New Orleans Pelicans – The Big Easy comes to the Toyota Center. You can save 10% to 50% if you buy your tickets via ScoreBig (And you’ll save an additional $20 off of that if your order is larger than $75 courtesy of us here at 365 Things to Do in Houston).
- Jerry Jeff Walker at The Grand 1894 Opera House in Galveston – The Gypsy Songman himself arrives in historic downtown Galveston for a single night’s performance of some of his greatest songs.
- Standing Room Only’s Holiday Gala at Obsidian Art Space – Mingle and enjoy a showcase of live musical performances from past and future Standing Room Only performances with food, drinks and merriment.
- A Christmas Carol: Unscripted – Shout out new directions for the holiday classic as ComedySportz improvs A Christmas Carol with a late-night, not-for-kids angle.
- More Great Things to Do All Weekend Long – Some of the biggest things happening in Houston this weekend are happening all weekend long. Click here to scroll up and see our list.
Sunday, December 29
- Blue October at House of Blues – Houston’s own alternative rockers Blue October return to the Bayou City. Tickets are still available from the House of Blues, but you can usually find cheaper or better seats on TicketSpot’s resale market.
- The Midtown Men, Stars of Jersey Boys, sing Holiday Hits at The Grand 1894 Opera House in Galveston – The quartet of stars from the original Broadway cast of Jersey Boys brings a holiday showcase to Galveston, with swoon-worthy performances of doo-wop and Christmas classics such as “The Christmas Song,” “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home),””December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)” and “All I Want For Christmas Is You.”
- More Great Things to Do All Weekend Long – Some of the biggest things happening in Houston this weekend are happening all weekend long. Click here to scroll up and see our list.
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Was your favorite event missing? Let us know in the comments below!
