Plan Your Weekend: February 17 to 20, 2022

Things to Do All Weekend Long

• 10th Annual ReelAbilities Film Festival | Daily | Virtual | FREE with RSVP– Celebrating the successes and challenges of people living with disabilities, ReelAbilities returns with 16 livestreaming films, documentaries, and shorts. In addition to the films which can be viewed 24/7, there are also special virtual panels and discussions about select films. 
• Katy Rodeo & Livestock Show at L.D. Robinson Pavilion | Thursday to Saturday – Saddle up for a three-day show of animals, auctions, competitions, mutton bustin’, and more—including a parade on Saturday night at 9:30pm. Carnival times vary. Rodeo begins at 7pm nightly.
• Comedian Taylor Williamson at Houston Improv | Thursday to Saturday – The L.A.-based comic—who was named as one of America’s Got Talent’s five favorite acts of all time in its tenth anniversary show—takes the Improv stage for five shows. Starts at $40 for a table for 2. Showtimes vary.
• Murder Mystery Radio Theater at Creative Learning Society in Rosenberg | Friday & Saturday – Vintage radio era meets modern crime drama at an interactive play where you can become a character, or simply sit back, watch, and help solve a murder. $25. 8pm both nights.
• Me, Myself & Shirley at Hobby Center | Friday & Saturday – Known for her iconic television role as Shirley Feeney in Laverne & Shirley, Cindy Williams brings hilarious behind-the-scenes insights to the stage at Hobby Center for an intimate evening of laughs and stories. $35 and up, but you may find better or cheaper seats on the online resale marketplace. Times vary.
• SPA presents Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at Jones Hall | Friday & Saturday – One of the most recognized performing arts institutions in the U.S. returns to Downtown with three shows featuring different performances. All three feature the company’s masterpiece, “Revelations.” Showtimes vary. $40 to $130. 
• 111th Celebration of Mardi Gras! Galveston | Friday to Sunday – The first weekend of the biggest Mardi Gras celebration by the sea brings with parades, headliner performances and concerts, balcony parties, masked balls, and more. Prices vary for party passes, balcony tickets, and general admission. Times vary.

Mardi Gras, Dining, Markets, Museums & Other Destinations

• More Mardi Gras Events Around Houston This Month – This week is just the start of Mardi Celebrations, with events popping up around Greater Houston and big events coming up in Beaumont, Galveston, and La Porte.  
• 100+ Black-owned Restaurants, Food Trucks & Dining Destinations Around Houston | Daily – Savor the flavor of Black History Month and beyond at more than 100 tasty restaurants, eateries, food trucks, and more around H-Town. 
• Outdoor Markets & Pop-Up Shopping Events Around Greater Houston | Daily | Most 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.
• 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.

New & Ongoing Theatrical Performances

Many plays, musicals, and other stage shows span multiple weeks. Scroll down to find new shows opening this week, then ongoing performances, followed by shows that are wrapping up this weekend.

• 4th Wall Theatre Company presents Random Acts at Studio 101 | Daily | Opening Weekend − The moving one-woman, one-act show explores how past and present intertwine, when memories of witnessing the Civil Rights Movement in Chicago to dancing with Julie Andrews inform each other. $25. Showtimes vary.
• Open Dance Project presents Wonka! at MATCH | Friday to Sunday | Opening Weekend − Join Charlie Bucket in his search for a golden ticket at a lively, family-friendly dance interpretation of Roald Dahl’s classic tale, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. $25; $15 for ages 12 and under and for students with ID. Showtimes vary.
• Dirt Dogs Theatre presents A Steady Rain at MATCH | Friday to Sunday | Opening Weekend − Two lifelong best friends, and present day Chicago police partners, find their relationship and careers put to the test when a domestic disturbance call takes a turn for the worse. $25. Showtimes vary.
• The Lawsons at Ensemble Theatre | Thursday to Sunday | Ongoing Show  – The Midtown theater company debuts an original production telling the story of Bill and Audrey Lawson, who fell in love through letters during the Civil Rights Movement and the effort to start church and change the landscape of Third Ward. $44 and up. Showtimes vary.
• Amerikin at Alley Theatre | Friday to Sunday | Ongoing Show  – When new dad Jeff Browning, desperate for community, casually follows his buddy’s advice and signs up to join a white supremacist group, the results of his ancestry test prove surprising. Serious consequences come knocking and the line between “us” and “them” gets incredibly blurry.   Prices and showtimes vary.
• Stages presents MacGyver: The Musical at the Gordy | Friday to Sunday | Ongoing Show − Delight as an audience member—including possibly you, if you volunteer in advance—and become MacGyver in a live production of this rock-n-roll musical comedy set in 1989 East Berlin. Starts at $25. Showtimes vary.
• Mother of the Maid at Main Street Theater | Saturday & Sunday | Ongoing Show − See the debut of this play that reimagines Joan of Arc’s epic tale through the eyes of her mother, a sensible, hard-working, God-fearing woman who is making sense of her headstrong daughter. Starts at $42. Showtimes vary.
• TUTS presents South Pacific at Hobby Center | Daily | Final Weekend − Journey to Bali Hai in a new production of Rodgers’ and Hammerstein’s showstopper—and 1949 Tony-winner for Best Musical—about an American nurse stationed on a South Pacific island during WWII. $40 and up. Showtimes vary.
• A.D. Players present No One Owns Me at the George Theater | Daily | Final Weekend − A trafficking survivor turned counselor helps a trafficked aspiring singer-songwriter in a story about the triumph of human spirit. $36 to $75. Times vary.

Tickets to Houston Pro Sports Games

• Houston Rockets at Toyota Center | 2022 Tickets on Sale | Sponsored − Save on 2022 Rockets games with cheaper, better or hard-to-find seats on the online resale market.
• Houston Dynamo at PNC Stadium | 2022 Tickets on Sale | Sponsored − Save on 2022 Dynamo games with cheaper, better or hard-to-find seats on the online resale market.

• Comcast RISE Expansion Online Announcement & Discussion | Virtual | FREE – Learn how you may be eligible for funding to grow your business, and how to use it, during a streaming special conversation hosted by local influencer, Juan for Words, on Facebook Live. Noon.
• ReelAbilities Film Festival: ReelWorkplace | Virtual | FREE with RSVP – Learn about the benefits of incorporating employees with disabilities into your workplace in a virtual panel discussion. Noon to 1pm.
• Bridal Extravaganza’s Night in the Heights Party Bus Bridal Show – Brides, grooms and bridal parties are invited to embark on a multi-stop bridal fashion show and venue tour featuring cake, fashion, signature drinks, bites, prizes, and more. $7.99. 6pm to 9pm. 
• SPORTSKIND’s Free Open Play Pickleball at Bumpy Pickle | FREE with RSVP – Pickleball novices and pros are welcome to try their hands at game play at the new Bumpy Pickle in the East End, with equipment and instruction provided. 6:30pm to 10pm.
• From Taiwan to Texas: An Evening with the Formosa Quartet at Asia Society Texas Center – Witness the internationally acclaimed string quartet returns to ASTC for an encore performance of classic works by Benjamin Britten, Henry Purcell, and more. $35; $25 members. 7pm.
• Artist Talk: Kate Shepherd at Menil Drawing Institute | FREE – New York-based artist Kate Shepherd discussed the evolution of her technique using explored abstracted spaces in her richly colored works. 7pm.
• Bad Bunny at Toyota Center – The Puerto Rican rapper (and occasional wrestler) plays the second of two back-to-back nights in Downtown, supporting his chart-topping, best-selling, Latin Grammy-winning album, El Último Tour Del Mundo. $51 and up, but you may find better, cheaper, or hard-to-get seats on the online resale marketplace. 8pm.
• College Basketball: Houston Cougars vs. UCF Knights at Fertitta Center – The Coogs face the squad from the University of Central Florida ahead of a two-game road trip as we edge into the homestretch of the regular season. $30 and up. 8pm.
• Fireboy DML at House of Blues – Out of Nigeria, the Afrobeats singer lands at the House of Blues stage while touring his breakthrough sophomore album, Apollo. $32.49. 8pm.

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