Plan Your Weekend: November 9 to 12, 2023

Things to Do
All Weekend Long

• Veterans Appreciation Week at National Museum of Funeral History | Thursday to Saturday | FREE for Veterans & Active Military – In the week building up to Veterans Day on Saturday, the NMFH is welcoming all veterans and active military to enjoy free admission and explore the museum’s exhibits highlighting history, culture, and science—including patriotic exhibits such as 9/11 and Fallen Heroes Tribute, Presidential Funerals, Reflections on the Wall and more. Hours and regular admission varies.
• Pearland Restaurant Weeks | Daily – Throughout the month of November, the growing restaurant scene in Pearland will showcase curated menus and specialty offerings, with a portion of all orders going to support Pearland Neighborhood Center. Fixed-price menus are $29 for 2-course breakfasts and lunches; $35 for 3-course dinners. Times and locations vary.
• Disney on Ice: Find Your Hero at NRG Stadium | Daily – Watch in amazement as Mickey and his friends sing and glide around the ice in stunning costumes. See your favorites like Moana, Mirabel, Maui, Elsa, and of course Mickey, plus others as they search for their inner hero that lives inside. $20 and up. Times vary.
• Houston Ballet Nutcracker Market at NRG Center | Daily – Knock out your holiday shopping at one of Houston’s largest market events. Stroll through the endless aisles filled with merchants selling goodies and gifts for the holiday season. $20. Times vary.
• 15th Houston Cinema Arts Festival at Multiple Locations | Daily | Some FREE – The city’s annual festival celebrating the silver screen returns to theater spaces across Houston, screening and premiering short films and feature lengths from Houston and around the world, as well as providing special guest panels and workshop opportunities. Screenings are typically individually ticketed and sometimes free, but all-access passes start at $200. Times, locations and prices vary.
• Musiqa presents Underground Sounds at Buffalo Bayou Cistern | Daily – Enjoy the world premiere of new music by artist board member Pierre Jalbert. This half-hour length composition was written to take advantage of the cistern’s unique acoustic reverberations. Please note: Performances are currently sold out, but in-person wait list reservations can be made beginning exactly 30 minutes before each concert. Showtimes vary.
• The French Farm Winter Open Warehouse Sale in the Heights | Friday & Saturday | No Cover – Just in time for the start of the holiday season, the French Farm in the Heights opens their warehouse to the public on select weekends to shop gourmet goods and quality kitchenware from Europe. Stop by for complimentary wine and cheese, and browse a wide selection of shelf-stable food products like olive oil, honey, jam, sweets, spreads and more. 10am to 3pm.
• The Riot Comedy Club presents Ed Hill at Rudyard’s Pub | Friday & Saturday – For two nights at the upstairs stage in Montrose, the Taiwanese comedian brings the laughs, building off his one-of-a-kind Amazon Prime special, Candy and Smiley. $20 and up. Times vary.
• Comedian Steve Byrne at Houston Improv | Friday & Saturday – The established comedian known for making rounds at some of NYC’s most fabled comedy clubs, Steve Byrne brings his latest material to the Improv for four shows heading into the weekend. $40 for 2, and up. Times vary.
• B.A.P.S. Live at Hobby Center | Friday & Saturday – The ’90s cult classic film gets a stage adaptation, helmed by writer and director Je’Caryous Johnson. Follow Nisi and Mickey as their entrepreneurial dreams come true when the nephew of a dying millionaire offers them $25,000 to make his last days as painless as possible. $53 and up. Times vary.

Honeyland Festival
Crown Festival Park
^{Saturday & Sunday}

The inaugural Honeyland Festival celebrates the best of Black expression via food, music, art and culture. Top restaurateurs, beverage makers, and artists will join the fun, including world-renowned chef Marcus Samuelsson, Top Chef finalist Dawn Burrell, hometown rapper and singer Tobe Nwigwe, artist and “it girl” Chlöe and more.

$95 and up| Times Vary

Learn More

• The Polar Express Train Ride Opening Weekend at Galveston Railroad Museum | Friday to Sunday– The popular annual holiday experience returns to Galveston, offering families a ride aboard The Polar Express, which departs the Galveston Railroad Museum for the North Pole. Meet with characters on board the train, enjoy cookies and hot chocolate, and more. The Express rolls on through the holidays to Saturday, December 23. $39 and up. Times vary.
• Annual Gem, Mineral, Jewelry & Fossil Show at Humble Civic Center | Friday to Sunday – Uncover beautiful minerals, fossils, jewelry, gemstones, and more unique finds when the ever-popular show returns just in time for holiday shopping. $10; free for ages 10 and under. Times vary.
• Houston Symphony presents Symphonic Dances Festival: Valčuha Conducts Rachmaninoff at Jones Hall | Friday to Sunday – This two-weekend concert event kicks off Friday with Rachmaninoff’s breathtakingly beautiful melodies. Pianist Behzod Abduraimov joins the symphony for the program, which also features G. Ortiz’s “Kauyumari” and the Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 2. $34 and up. Showtimes vary.
• Fall Festival at Armand Bayou Nature Center | Saturday & Sunday – The Bay Area nature center hosts a fall festival for the whole family, including wagon rides, handmade toys and gifts, a pie eating contest and historical reenactments like candle making, butter making and blacksmithing. $12; $8 for ages 4 to 12. 10am to 4pm.
• 33rd Annual Native American Championship Pow Wow at Traders Village | Saturday & Sunday | FREE – This annual event draws Native and Indigenous people from across the country for back-to-back days of tribal dance displays, art, crafts, fry bread, and more. Free, but parking is $5. 10am to 5pm.
• Markets for Makers Houston at Silver Street Studios | Saturday & Sunday – The Silver Street campus opens up for pop-up shopping from more than 120 makers and creatives doling out home decor, fashion, art, design, gourmet foods and more. $8 in advance; $15 at the door. 10am to 5pm.
• Children’s Festival: Dino Party at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion | Saturday & Sunday | FREE – Walk amongst the dinosaurs in a 2-day event in the Woodlands for all dino fans. Catch Erth’s Dinosaur Zoo Live on the main stage plus hands-on activities, toddler fun, art projects, active adventures and more. $10. Saturday 10am to 5pm; Sunday noon to 5pm.
• Honeyland Festival at Crown Festival Park | Saturday & Sunday – The inaugural Honeyland Festival celebrates the best of Black expression via food, music, art and culture. Top restaurateurs, beverage makers, and artists will join the fun, including world-renowned chef Marcus Samuelsson, Top Chef finalist Dawn Burrell, hometown rapper and singer Tobe Nwigwe, artist and “it girl” Chlöe and more. Tickets start at $95 for day passes and $175 for weekend passes, with add-on experiences available. Times TBA.
• Intocable in Concert at Arena Theatre | Saturday & Sunday – The Texas Titans of Tejano and Norteño music are back in H-Town with back-to-back nights in Southwest Houston. $55 and up. Saturday 8:30pm; Sunday 7:30pm.

Ongoing Live Theater & Performing Arts in Houston

• Stages presents Always…Patsy Cline at the Gordy | Daily | Ongoing – Celebrating its 35th anniversary, this musical biography features 27 of the iconic country singer’s hits, while showcasing her rise to stardom in the 1960s. It’s also the story of the friendship between Cline and Houston native Louise Seger, who met the singer in a Bayou City honky tonk. $48 and up. Showtimes vary.
• Return Engagements at Theatre Southwest | Friday to Sunday | Ongoing – This Canadian farce traces the romantic entanglements of four couples across 30 years. Written by the author of Same Time Next Year, the play was called “amusing and witty” by the Cape Cod Times. $22. Showtimes vary. 
• Switzerland at Stages | Daily | Final Weekend – In this taut, psychological thriller, Texas murder mystery writer Patricia Highsmith gets a strange visitor to her remote Swiss Alps home. A stranger, a fan of her work, turns up urging her to write another installment of her Tom Ripley series. Will she? Or will something worse happen? Stages favorite Sally Edmunson stars as Patricia. This production runs through Sunday, November 12. $50 and up. Showtimes vary.
• Houston Grand Opera presents Falstaff at Wortham Center | Friday | Final Weekend – Verdi’s final masterpiece follows the adventures of the drunken, vain, formerly thin knight Sir John Falstaff. He’s fallen on hard times, but he decides he’s going to woo a couple of wealthy women in an attempt to cash in. But when they find out his scheme, they vow revenge. $25 and up. 7:30pm.

Northside, Patio Dining & Other Destinations

• Must Do Things near Northside Village – Catch a show on the lawn, dive into deep dish, stroll one of the city’s oldest farmers markets, and more with our picks for the area around Northside Village.
• My Top 5: Alecia Lawyer of ROCO – Founder and Principal Oboist of River Oaks Chamber Orchestra offers her five favorite places in Houston.
• Happy Hour in Greenway & Upper Kirby – Plot out your next bang-for-your-buck meal and cocktails at our picks for the best happy hour spots in the Greenway and Upper Kirby areas.
• Best Brunch in the Heights – The bustling neighborhood hides plenty of gems for your weekend brunch destinations.
• 20+ of Houston’s Best Patios – It’s patio weather in Houston—at long last—and we’ve gathered more than 20 spots across town where you can post up and enjoy a breeze, a beer or a meal.
• 75+ Fall Festivals in Houston | Ongoing – Explore our guide to a supersized festival season coming to Houston, showcasing the city’s culture, music, arts, food scenes, and more.
• Fall Markets in Greater Houston| Ongoing – From spooky evenings on the bayou to annual nutcracker extravaganzas, we’ve gathered 25 fall markets to put on your radar.

• Saks Fifth Fashion Show and Luncheon at NRG Center – As part of the Nutcracker Market festivities, this luncheon and fashion show offers a first glimpse at sparkling holiday fashions, along with appetizers, lunch, dessert and wine. This ticket is also good admission to all four days of the market, including early bird admission on Thursday and Friday. $200 and up. 10:15am.
• Tree of Life Concert at Houston Center for Contemporary Craft | FREE – DaCamera presents a one-night chamber music concert at HCCC, inspired by the fall exhibition, Tree of Life. 5:30pm to 7pm.
• Iron Sommelier at the Post Oak Hotel – The Periwinkle Foundation will host its Iron Sommelier wine competition and tasting, with some of the city’s most prestigious sommeliers competing for this year’s title in support of the foundation’s mission to positively change the lives of children, young adults and families who are challenged by cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. $250, with additional sponsorship opportunities available. 6pm.
• Men I Trust in Concert at White Oak Music Hall – The Canadian indie rock outfit brings “Billie Toppy,” “Ring of Past,” and other new tunes to the lawn at White Oak when they pull through. $32 and up. 6pm.
• Cirque Du Luminaire at Discovery Green – Be among the first to see the Downtown park’s winter art installation, Bioluminaire. This special event also includes cocktails and drinks, culinary bites, an artist talk and performances by Cirque Olympus. $300. 6pm to 9pm.
• Olivia Block’s 12 Degrees of Sky Opening at James Turrell Skyspace at Rice University | FREE – The Twilight Epiphany Skyspace at Rice University hosts this opening of a new sound and light installation by Olivia Block, commissioned by Nameless Sound. The installation will be on view through Wednesday, November 29. 6:15pm.

12 Degrees of Sky
James Turrell Skyspace
^{Thursday, November 9}

The Twilight Epiphany Skyspace at Rice University hosts this opening of a new sound and light installation by Olivia Block, commissioned by Nameless Sound.

FREE | 6:15pm

Learn More

• Lands: Portrait of the City of Houston at MATCH – French artists Jocelyn Cottencin and Emmanuelle Huynh present a unique production that starts outside MATCH with choreographed performances before being guided into the theater for a film that probes the personal and cultural memory embedded within Houston’s local geography. Pay-what-you-wish; suggested price of $25. 6:30pm.
• Artist Talk: Robert Gober at the Menil Collection | FREE – Artist Robert Gober will join the Menil to discuss his exhibition, The Meat Wagon, which was on view at the Menil in 2005 and 2006. The artist will discuss his inspiration and creative process around the exhibition, as well as profound themes of spirituality, race and the everyday object. 7pm.
• Progressive Forum presents Michael Pollan at Wortham Center – The best-selling author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma will discuss his latest book, How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence. Books will be available for sale at the event, and he’ll greet fans and sign books following the presentation. $45 and up. 7:30pm.
• Comedian Jason Cheny at Houston Improv – The LA-based comedian from Taiwan hits the upstairs stage at Rudyard’s for a set that offers a cross-cultural perspective that skewers the social absurdities within his family, his upbringing and American society. $100 for 4, and up. 7:30pm.
• Ratatouille Movie Screening at Trebly Park | FREE – The classic Pixar film screens in one of Downtown’s newest green spaces, Trebly Park. Feel free to grab food from one of the surrounding restaurants for another installment of the Movies Under the Stars series. 8pm.

• More Great Things to Do All Weekend Long – Some of the biggest things to do in Houston are happening all weekend long. Scroll up to explore events and shows spanning multiple days, or browse Houston Experiences to save on museum and brewery passes, tours, and more.