Make the most of your weekend with our Houston Weekend Guide for Thursday, January 30 to Sunday, February 2, 2014.
[quote_box_right]Weekend Shortcuts
[/quote_box_right]Following another midweek city snow day shutdown, the weekend promises some more mild weather ahead. It also offers the chance to say goodbye to some winter favorites, celebrate the arrival of the Year of the Horse, indulge in Super Bowl revelry and rivalry, kick off the start of Mardi Gras season, ramp up for Valentine’s Day, and pretty much just enjoy all that Houston has to offer. Find your perfect flavor with our Weekend Guide, offering up some of our favorite things to do this weekend in Houston.
Things to Do All Weekend
- Last Weekend for The ICE at Discovery Green | Daily – Super Bowl Sunday is the final day to lace up for outdoor skating at Discovery Green. After it closes at 8pm on Sunday, The ICE will be gone until the holiday season kicks up again at the end of 2014.
- Lunar New Year Celebrations Around Houston | Some FREE | Friday to Sunday – Celebrate and honor the arrival of the Year of the Horse with special Lunar New Year parties, festivals, dinners and events across Houston.
- Nara’s Lunar New Year Menu | Nightly Beginning Friday – West Ave’s newest dining hotspot offers a special five-course traditional Korean dinner menu to kick off the Lunar New Year. Celebrants may also choose to dine in Nara’s fantastic new Korean Grill Room.
- 5th Annual Texas Yoga Conference at Winter and Silver Street Studios | Friday to Sunday – Many of the world’s best yoga teachers and motivational speakers return to Houston for a three-day retreat with yoga classes for all levels, presentations and musical performances.
- Next to Normal rock musical at Obsidian Art Space | Friday and Saturday – Experience SRO Productions’ performance of the modern Pulitzer-winning rock musical that takes a heartbreaking, humorous and unflinchingly authentic look at a modern family struggling with the effects of bipolar disorder. Limited discount tickets available.
- Mark Morris Dance Group at Wortham Theater Center | Friday and Saturday – Experience Brooklyn’s internationally famed dance group as they bring their unique brand of seamless and captivating dance to Houston. Limited discount tickets available.
- We Will Rock You at the Hobby Center | Daily – Featuring the music of Queen, this 11-years-running hit from London’s West End plays the Hobby Center for a limited time. Tickets are still available from TUTS, but you may find cheaper or better seats via TicketSpot’s resale market.
- Double Feature at the Showboat Drive-In in Hockley | Friday to Sunday – Catch a double feature of new releases at this old school classic drive-in theater just northwest of Houston.
- Make Your Valentine’s Dinner Date Plans Now | Right Now – It’s that time. Get your those Valentine ressies locked in. Your future self will thank you for it.
- 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, January 30, 2014
- 80s Sing Along Party at No Label Brewing Company in Katy – Put on your best 80s attire and head to No Label to sing along to the hits of the 1980s. $10 gets you in the door and four beers. 7pm.
- Thursday Tasting at Karbach Brewing Company – Taste your favorite Karbach beers fresh from the tap at the brewery immediately northwest of the Loop. 4:30pm to 7:30pm.
- Bayou City Outdoors Arts and Crafts (Beer) Crawl in Upper Kirby – Join in for an art crawl on Upper Kirby’s Gallery Row, showcasing photography, local and regional works, and contemporary artists. 6pm to 8pm.
- Valentines for Veterans at St. Arnold Brewing Company – Stop off at St. Arnold’s for this fundraiser to help Houston’s veterans transition back to civilian life. $10 gets you into the brewery and helps support Team Red, White, & Blue and Expedition Balance. A bake sale and food trucks offer more opportunities to give while you indulge. 6pm to 9pm.
- Glow Night and Speed Dating at Hot Nights on The ICE | FREE to attend – Adorn yourself in glowing accessories, and mingle if you choose, at this mash-up of Speed Dating and Glow Nights at The ICE on Discovery Green. LED Light Spinners and Professional Glowing Ice Skaters will be performing. $12 skating fees apply. 7pm to 10pm.
- Martini Madness: A Night In Havana Fundraiser for Houston Center for Contemporary Craft – With a swanky and tropical mid-20th Century theme, the annual fundraiser offers each party-goer her or his choice of artisan, one-of-a-kind martini glass to keep, bottomless martinis and music by Trio Forte. Dress is fabulous mid-century Mad Men meets the tropics. $150. 7pm to 10pm.
- Poison Pen Reading Series at Poison Girl Cocktail Lounge – Enjoy live readers from authors Robert Boswell, Dave MacLean and Aaron Reynolds at this installment of the popular monthly reading series at Poison Girl in Montrose. 8:30pm.
- 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, January 31, 2014
- Corazón Anatómico Art Opening at East End Studio Gallery | FREE – Celebrate the opening of Lizbeth Ortiz’s exhibition celebrating the anatomically correct heart. Poetry reading by Jasminne Mendez. 6pm to 9pm.
- Auntie Mame at Friday Night Flicks on The Ice | FREE to watch – It’s the final Friday Night Flicks of the season and the ICE is going out with the classic movie about an orphaned boy raised by his outrageously progressive aunt. 6:30pm.
- Critical Mass Downtown Bike Ride | FREE – Love it or loathe it, the monthly mass bike ride designed to draw attention to Houston’s cyclists gets rolling from Downtown’s Market Square Park at 7pm.
- Gigi’s Chinese New Year at Gigi’s Asian Bistro and Dumpling Bar | Friday, January 31 – Ring in the Lunar New Year with Champagne cocktails, dumplings and dim sum. DJ Gino and Hao Lion Dancers will help celebrate the holiday in style. Guests are encouraged to come dressed to kill, Shanghai style. 7pm to 10pm. Click here to RSVP.
- Cambodian Pop Band Dengue Fever at Asia Society Texas Center | Friday, January 31 – Begin the Year of the Horse with a bang as Dengue Fever brings its surf rock, afrobeat, psych rock and spaghetti western sound to Houston. Discount tickets are available.
- MFAH Mixed Media Party – Mix and mingle at this after hours museum party celebrating Impressionism with music from Dâm Funk (DJ Set) and DJ Sun. Guests enjoy access to MFAH’s exhibit The Age of Impressionism: Great French Paintings from the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute. $18 MFAH members; $20 nonmembers. 8pm to Midnight.
- Bakin’ Bacon Blues and Brews at Big Star Bar – Head to Big Star Bar for a celebration of modern day blues, rockabilly, blues-inspired garage rock and, of course, bacon. Bacon-themed costumes encouraged. 8pm to Midnight.
- 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, February 1, 2014
- Mardi Gras Parade | FREE – Mardi Gras season and the Houston Creole Heritage Festival kick off with Houston’s first Mardi Gras parade, proceeding down Bell Street south of the Toyota Center to Austin Street, and turning north to conclude at Discovery Green. 8am to 10am.
- Houston Creole Heritage Festival | FREE – Celebrate Houston’s ties to New Orleans and Louisiana’s bayous with this new festival celebrating the region’s African, French, Native American and Spanish cultures. Enjoy live zydeco music on the main stage, carnival games, a Creole cook off, kids zone and an arts market. 10am to 10pm.
- 2014 Lunar New Year Festival at Chinese Community Center | FREE – Enjoy zodiac dances, traditional dragon and lion dances, karaoke, an outdoor marketplace, Chinese cultural exhibitions and paintings, a tea ceremony, a wide array of Asian foods and more. In addition to traditional Chinese performances, visitors can see Korean, Mexican and Japanese dance groups as well. 10am to 4pm.
- First Saturday Arts Market in the Heights | FREE – Get your Valentine’s Day shopping in, and enjoy good food and people watching at this favorite monthly market on 19th Street. 11am to 6pm.
- The Giver at Main Street Theater – Based on Lois Lowry’s acclaimed coming-of-age, sci-fi children’s novel, The Giver tells the story of Jonas, a boy who lives in an idyllic society. But when he turns 12, he is shaken to learn about the tensions that his world is built upon. This touching and compelling story is recommended for fourth grade students and older. Limited discount $6.50 tickets available. 1pm and 4pm.
- Houston Rockets vs. Cleveland Cavaliers – The Rockets host the Cavaliers at Toyota Center at 7pm. Full price tickets are available, but you can probably find better or cheaper seats via TicketNetwork’s resale market.
- Rock the Bayou with P.O.D. and Trapt at the Bayou Music Center | Almost FREE – Grammy-nominated hard rockers P.O.D. are joined by modern rock band Trapt at this one-night concert in Downtown Houston. Limited discount “almost free” comp tickets available. 7pm.
- Monster Jam at Reliant Stadium – Monster Jam makes its final run through Houston for the season. Tickets are still available from Ticketmaster, but it’s worth checking for better or cheaper seats on TicketNetwork’s resale market. 7pm.
- Dallas Black Dance Theater presents The Nina Simone Project at Talento Bilingüe de Houston – MECA Houston welcomes DBDT back to Houston, this time with their multi-media ballet celebrating the life and career of Nina Simone. The production uses voice recordings and songs from the gospel, blues, jazz, and folk singer. 7pm.
- Moulin Rouge Sing-Along at Alamo Drafthouse Mason Park – Love is all you need, but some great pipes would be handy too at this movie sing-along movie event. $10. 7:30pm.
- Kennedy Center Honoree Pianist Leon Fleisher at the Grand in Galveston – See the acclaimed classical pianist played piano with his left-hand only for four decades before regaining the use of his right hand. Discounted tickets available. 8pm.
- Byejoe Chinese New Year Cocktail Celebration | FREE | Saturday, February 1 – Enjoy free Byejoe cocktails, DJ music from DJ Ceeplus Badknives and DJ Fredster, dancing dragons and ribbon dancers at this swanky soiree sponsored by Byejoe, importers of China’s most popular spirit baijiu, at 2500 Summer St., across from David Adickes’ Beatles statues. 10pm to 2am.
- 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.
Groundhog Day & Super Bowl Sunday 2, February, 2014
Super Bowl Viewing Parties Across Houston – From casual neighborhood pubs to all-you-can-eat-dinners and block party blow outs, we’ve pulled together a few options for watching the big game away from home.- Patrick Dougherty’s Amazing Stickwork Dwelling at Hermann Park | FREE – Wander through the twisting passages inside Patrick Dougherty’s stickwork art installation, a part of Hermann Park’s exciting yearlong Art in the Park project.
- BBQ Block Party with Louis Miller Barbecue at St. Arnold’s Brewing Company – Line up for legendary flavors from Louis Miller Barbecue of Taylor, Texas. For $26 you’ll get entry into the brewery, unlimited sample portions of all the barbecue and two pints of beer. More beer will be available for purchase. Prepaid reservations required. You can also preorder a whole brisket or rack of beef short ribs. 11am to 2pm.
- Heritage Texas Properties Open House in the Heights at 305 E. 4th Street | FREE | Sponsored – Join Heritage Texas Properties’ Christopher Williams at an open house in a contemporary town home in the Heights. Click here to take a peak at the home and click here for a map. 2pm to 4pm.
- Neil Simon’s The Prisoner of 2nd Avenue at Texas Repertory Theatre – Laugh with Simon’s classic dark comedy about the tribulations of Mel Edison after he loses his job during a humid New York summer. Limited discount tickets available.
- Chris Shepherd’s Super Bowl / Chinese New Year Party at Hay Merchant – Enjoy half price Houston beers during the game along with Shepherd’s special menu items, including Peking chicken wings, Char Siu and Peking chicken steamed buns, Lap Cheong corn dog, shrimp-fried rice and General Tso’s chicken.
- Skydive Spaceland South of Houston – Strap in for a tandem skydive jump from 14,000 feet with Skydive Spaceland 30 miles south of the city.
- Zip-lining Safari in Nacogdoches – Want to get far away from a television and the Superbowl? Jump in the car for a day trip north of Houston to explore a the pine trees in Zip Nac’s zipline adventure and canopy tour.
- 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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Is your favorite event missing from our list? Feel free to add it in the comments below.
Photo credit: 365 Things to Do in Houston
