Plan Your 5-Day MLK Weekend: January 11 to 15, 2024

ALL WEEKEND

• Galveston Restaurant Week in Galveston | Daily – Happening throughout the month of January, the annual Galveston Restaurant Week offers diners a chance to try top dishes from dozens of the Island’s best eateries on prix-fixe breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus at very pocketbook-friendly prices. GRW runs through Sunday, January 28. Two- or three-course dinners range from $20 to $60; two-course lunches from $10 to $30; and brunches from $10 to $40. Prices, times and locations vary.
• Twined-Reed Basket Workshop at Houston Center for Contemporary Craft | Friday & Saturday – Join fiber artist Sarita Westrup for this hands-on class, where you will create a beautiful and functional twined basket-in-the-round. The one-day workshop, offered on two days, helps you hone your craft and learn more about this timeless art form. $135. 10:30am to 3pm.
• The Riot Comedy Club presents Jon Rudnitsky at Rudyard’s Pub | Friday & Saturday – The actor, writer and comedian who appears opposite George Clooney in the Hulu series Catch-22, and opposite Larry David in Curb Your Enthusiasm comes to Houston to perform live. Rudnitsky’s other TV credits include NBC’s Champions, Disney’s Big Hero 6 television series, and Comedy Central’s The Comedy Jam, where he performed “Footloose” alongside Kenny Loggins. $20 and up. Times vary.
• Ishida Dance presents keepsake at Hobby Center | Friday & Saturday – Catch an evening of dance with works choreographed by Ishida Dance, French choreographer Jeremy Galdeano, and Swedish dancer and choreographer John Wannehag, formerly with German ensemble tanzmainz. The company was recently named one of Dance magazine’s 25 Companies to Watch in 2023. $38 and up. 7:30pm.
• Comedian Craig Robinson at Houston Improv | Friday to Sunday – The comedian, best known for his role as Darryl Philbin on NBC’s The Office, as well as his starring turns in both Hot Tub Time Machine movies, Knocked Up, This Is The End, and other comedy films, takes the stage in Spring Branch. $90 for 2, and up. Times vary.
• International Gem & Jewelry Show at NRG Center | Friday to Sunday – This world-famous “Jeweler’s Market” brings wholesalers, manufacturers and designers together under one roof in Houston. Shop from rows and rows of quality gemstones, beads, jewelry and accessory dealers. $6 and up. Times vary.
• Houston Symphony presents Mendelssohn’s Scottish Symphony at Jones Hall | Friday to Sunday – The composer traveled to Scotland as a young man, and the result is this joyful, invigorating composition that’s clearly a love letter to the country. A. Clyne’s Color Field and Bartók’s Violin Concerto No. 2 are also on the bill. $34 and up. Friday and Saturday 8pm; Sunday 2:30pm.
• Je’Caryous Johnson presents New Jack City at Hobby Center | Saturday & Sunday – With music from the classic film, this live theater production tells the story of Nino Brown, a Harlem drug lord who must decide between loyalty, money or total domination. $45 and up. Showtimes vary.

Local Volunteering, Dry January & Other Destinations

• 15 Places to Make an Impact in Houston – With MLK Day upon us, turn your focus to the community around you and the ways you can make a difference in the lives of others with fifteen volunteer organizations that need your help.
• Best Mocktails in Houston for Dry January – All month long, you can sip and savor the flavors of these crafted, zero-alcohol cocktails served up at restaurants and bars across Greater Houston.
• The Best Things to Do This Month – Zoom out and make your plans for the rest of January at our picks for the best things to do all month long.
• Must Do Things in San Leon – This coastal community off the shores of Galveston Bay features some of the region’s best oysters and stunning waterfront views.
• Best Bars in Sugar Land – From an anime-fueled experience to glasses of vino with a side of vinyl, Sugar Land boasts some can’t-miss taprooms and cocktail bars where you can pull up a chair for a drink or two.
• Best Happy Hours in Shady Acres – Hugging White Oak Bayou, this Heights-area neighborhood boasts plenty of leafy patios, scenic views and tasty happy hour specials to hit up.

• The Black Man Project & The Black Woman Project present Group Therapy at Museum of Fine Arts Houston – In support of the Kehinde Wiley: An Archaeology of Silence exhibit at the museum, this series, led by a licensed therapist, provides a safe space for people to connect and share their experiences. Book your reservation at least 24 hours in advance to secure a spot. Free with museum admission, which is $24. 6:30pm to 8:30pm.
• Resonant Beauty: Mathematical Foundations in Music with Loop38 at Menil Drawing Institute | FREE – In response to the exhibition Hanne Darboven: Writing Time, musicians from the Loop38 ensemble will explore themes of mathematics, time, and abstraction in this program. 7pm.
• SeekerPitch Launch Party at the ION | FREE – Come to Midtown for the launch of this platform connecting job seekers with employers. The in-person event offers networking and the chance to meet industry leaders, entrepreneurs and fellow job seekers in a vibrant atmosphere. 7pm.
• Studio 54 Gala at Warehouse Live Midtown – The Doll Foundation hosts this charity gala as part of the 2023 Model of the Year Awards, complete with a Studio 54 theme. The event features music, food, dancing and more. Get ready to party like you’re at the legendary New York hotspot. $250 and up. 7pm to midnight.
• Brandon Rhyder in Concert at Dan Electro’s Guitar Bar – The Texas singer-songwriter and red dirt country musician, known for his ability to couple great melodies with storytelling, performs live. $25 and up. 7:30pm.
• Drunk Shakespeare at the Emerald Theater – Expect the unexpected when a professional actor downs five shots of whiskey and attempts to perform in a Shakespearean play. These raucous evenings have been called “a live-action Drunk History” by Time Out. $69 and up. 7:30pm.
• The Lone Bellow in Concert at the Heights Theater – The Nashville-based Americana trio comes to Houston to mark their 10th anniversary. $22 and up. 8pm.
• Wheelwright, with Austin Plaine in Concert at the Continental Club – Wheelwright brings their Southwestern sound of pop and grunge songs to the Midtown club, along with an opening set from singer-songwriter Austin Plaine. $10 and up. 9pm.
• Kultur Launch Party at Bauhaus | FREE – Celebrate the launch of this new techno music label with live DJs playing all night long. It’s a chance to groove out to new music and techno faves. 10pm.