Plan Your Weekend: December 16 to 19, 2021

Things to Do All Weekend Long

• 3rd Annual Hometown Holidays at Silver Sycamore | Daily – Stroll through a magical walking trail of lights, take in live performances, meet Santa, and celebrate in the charming old western town in Pasadena. Different themes each night. $14 in advance. 6pm to 9pm daily.
• Apollo Chamber Players present Holiday Voyage 2021 at Various Locations | Friday & Saturday – The fourth annual concert from Houston’s chamber quartet features a cross-cultural repertoire of Christmas, Jewish and Kwanzaa-inspired music. The Friday concert is at MATCH in Midtown, followed by a Saturday show at First Congregational Church Houston in Memorial. $30; some discounts available. 7pm.
• The Riot Comedy Show presents Raanan Hershberg at Rudyard’s British Pub | Friday & Saturday – Best known for his chart-topping comedy album, Self-Helpless, the touring comic arrives at Rudyard’s in Montrose for two nights of side-splitting laughter. Starts at $15. Showtimes vary. 
• The Temptations at The Grand 1894 Opera House in Galveston | Friday & Saturday – Take a trip back to Motown of the ‘60s and ‘70s at Galveston’s historic opera house when the legendary soul quintet bring their 60th anniversary tour to Texas.  First run tickets are sold out, but you may find hard-to-get seats on the resale marketplace. 8pm both nights. 
• Santa’s Big Feast at 8th Wonder Brewery | Saturday & Sunday | No Cover – Join an international holiday celebration at a two-day food festival with 20+ food vendors from around the world, plus some local faves, at Wonderworld in EaDo. Times vary. 
• Houston Symphony presents Very Merry Pops at Jones Hall | Saturday & Sunday | Virtual Option – The Symphony’s lively and spirited annual concert returns to delight Houstonians for 2021 with a program featuring “White Christmas”, “A Charlie Brown Christmas”, “The Christmas Song”, “O Holy Night”, “We Wish You a Merry Christmas”, and more. Showtimes vary.
• TUTS presents Disney’s The Little Mermaid at Hobby Center | Daily – Travel under the sea with Ariel, Sebastian, Flounder, and more as they face off against the larger-than-life Ursula the sea witch when Theater Under the Stars brings  the Disney favorite to life. Starts at $40. Dates and times vary.

Holiday Destinations

• Holiday Light Attractions & Destinations Around Greater Houston | Daily – Get in the holiday spirit—and score the perfect backgrounds for your Instagram, TikTok and other social posts—at a bevy of ticketed holiday light installations across Greater Houston. 
• Noteworthy Neighborhood Christmas & Holiday Light Displays | Daily – PIle in the car and explore some of Houston’s favorite neighborhoods for holiday lights, with many light displays debuting this week and into early December. Or grab your tickets and explore the countless pop-up light installations and events at attractions around Houston. 
• Houston Roadtrip! German Christmas Village & Holiday Shopping in the Texas Hill Country | Daily – Escape to the small Texas town that’s been compared to the idyllic villages and towns that feature prominently in Hallmark Channel Christmas movies, with 150+ local shops, nightly lighting ceremonies, holiday performances, and charming accommodations. 

Destinations to Explore

• Historic Restaurants Around Houston – Check out 15 historic and landmark restaurants around H-Town, including Christie’s Seafood & Steaks in West Houston, Avalon Diner in River Oaks, Cream Burger in Third Ward, Lankford Grocery in Montrose, and 11 more.
• Local Shops for Last-Minute Gift Shopping in Houston – Explore 12 local Houston shops perfect for last minute shopping, including All the Feels in Midtown, Cactus Music in Upper Kirby, Confetti Riot in East End, Favor the Kind in the Heights, and more.

Limited Time Museum Exhibitions, Art Installations & Pop-Up Markets

• Limited Time Museum Exhibits & Art Installations Around Greater Houston | Daily | Many FREE – Explore the many striking, stunning, and diverse exhibits exploring history, science, art, culture, and creativity around the Greater Houston metro area.
• Outdoor Markets & Pop-Up Shopping Events Around Greater Houston | Daily | Many No Cover – With so many to choose from these days, you can browse, explore, and shop at one or all of Houston’s multiplying outdoor markets, many with live entertainment, food trucks, and other distractions.

Ongoing Theater & Arts Performances

• Potted Potter at the Hobby Center | Daily – This unauthorized but affectionate take on the seven-book Harry Potter series crams all stories and characters from the full series into 90 minutes, portrayed by two actors. Starts at $59.99. Dates and times vary. 
• Houston Grand Opera presents The Snowy Day at Wortham Theater Center | Daily | Final Shows – Based on Ezra Jack Keats’ children’s book, HGO’s production of The Snowy Day follows the story of Peter, an African American boy in New York. Starts at $30. Showtimes vary.
• Vincent Victoria presents The Last Night of Josephine Baker at Midtown Arts Center | Friday through Sunday | Final Shows – It’s Paris in 1975 and superstar singer Josephine Baker is attempting a comeback after a lifetime of highs and lows. Can the 69-year-old trailblazer pull it off? Starts at $25. Showtimes vary.
• Stephen Sondheim’s Company at Art Factory | Friday through Sunday | Final Shows – Art Factory performs the late Sondheim’s Tony-winning musical in North Downtown. It follows a man who weighs the pros and cons of staying single, over dinner dates with his friends. $25. Showtimes vary.
• Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol at Alley Theatre | Daily – Join a series of wintry ghosts and pay a holiday visit to Ebenezer Scrooge as he learns the spirit of Christmas and giving. Showtimes vary.
• A.D. Players presents The Christmas Shoes at the George Theater | Daily – Two people from very different backgrounds affect each other and a greater humanity in this new holiday production based on a New York Times bestseller. Prices and showtimes vary. 
• Houston Ballet presents The Nutcracker at Wortham Theater Center | Daily – Travel with Clara back to the Kingdom of Sweets at Houston Ballet’s live production of Choreographer Stanton Welch’s The Nutcracker. Prices and showtimes vary.
• Motown Christmas at Ensemble Theatre | Daily – Celebrate the start of the holiday season with an ensemble of traditional Christmas carols paired with the soulful sounds of Motown musicians like Marvin Gaye, the Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder, and the Supremes. Prices and showtimes vary.
• Stages presents Sister’s Christmas Catechism: The Mystery of the Magi’s Gold at the Gordy | Daily – Stages’ comic favorite Sister ​​returns to tackle the mystery that’s intrigued historians for ages: whatever happened to the Magi’s gold? Prices and showtimes vary.

Tickets to Houston Pro Sports Games

• Houston Rockets Tickets on Sale | Sponsored − Save on 2020 Rockets games with cheaper, better or hard-to-find seats on TicketNetwork’s resale market.
• Houston Texans Tickets at NRG Stadium | Sponsored – Hit the gridiron with seats to cheer on the Texans. Search for cheaper, better, or hard-to-find seats so you can see Houston Texans at home, with the TicketNetowork online marketplace.

• Sip & Shop at Angela Fabbri’s Pop-Up Gallery in Rice Village | No Cover with RSVP – Browse fine art, gifts, and original jewelry over drinks and conversation at Houston artist Angela Fabbri’s temporary gallery. 5pm to 7:30pm. 
• Holiday Wine Tasting at Revival Market – Explore crowd-friendly wines perfect for holiday feasts at a tasting led by Coltivare’s Leonora Varvoutis, plus expect other special treats including some New Years Eve bubbly. $75 includes tasting, charcuterie, and small bites. 6pm. 
• Singo Bingo at Barkley’s | No Cover – Pack your pooch and head to Barkley’s in Midtown for a weekly bingo event with prizes. Games are free, food and drinks are on you. 6pm to 10pm.
• Ars Lyrica presents Crossing Borders: a Gallery Concert at MFAH | FREE – Experience the moments when Spanish musical traditions began to mingle with traditional folk music from Central and South America at a free gallery concert. Admission to MFAH is always free on Thursdays. 6:30pm to 7:30pm.
• Houston Rockets vs. New York Knicks at Toyota Center – The New York Knicks, led by Julius Randle and Kemba Walker, arrive in H-Town to face the Rockets. $25 to more than $800, but you may find better or cheaper seats using the TicketNetwork online marketplace. 7pm.
• Robert Earl Keen’s The Road to Christmas at House of Blues – Experience Texas-laden “Merry Christmas with the Family” and “Happy Holidays, Y’all” live from the legendary Texas singer-songwriter, along with many other yuletide classics. $45 to $99. 7pm.
• A Christmas Story Movie Screening in Midtown Park | FREE – Don’t shoot your eye out—or break a leg lamp—when Midtown Park hosts a screening of the classic A Christmas Story (1983). 7pm.
• Harry Potter Trivia at Walking Stick Brewing Company | No Cover  – Show off your house knowledge, not to mention the “boy who lived”, in The Heights. 7pm.
• Crush City Comedy Thursday at Preston Theater / CSz Arena in EaDo – BYOB and be prepared to laugh at a live comedy show in EaDo, featuring three local improv troupes—including H-Town’s only hip hop improv. $5. 8pm.
• Lunay at Warehouse Live – Puerto Rican reggaeton rapper hits the road after his 2021 album, El Niño. Starts $50. 8pm.
• Comedian Rosebud Baker at Houston Improv – New York-based comedian, writer,  and actress brings her dark humor to the H-Town stage for a single show at the Improv. 8pm.
• Motel Radio in Concert at White Oak Music Hall – The NoLa (Nawlin’s y’all) rock band brings the ‘gras to H-Town for one night at WOMH. $17. 8pm.

• More Great Things to Do All Weekend Long – Some of the biggest things to do are happening all weekend long. Click here to scroll up and see our list, or browse Houston Experiences to save on museum passes, tours, and more.