Find the perfect things to do in Houston this weekend with our Houston Weekend Guide for Thursday, July 30 to Sunday, August 2, 2015.
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It’s the peak of summer. So naturally Houstonians are stripping down to their skivvies for Saturday morning run, donning their best white linen for an evening in the Heights, throwing on their icy blue dresses for an evening with Frozen‘s foul-mouthed Idina Menzel, and basically indulging in great food, great drinks and good company.
Check below to find great things happening around Houston this weekend, from Thursday, July 30 through Sunday, August 2, 2015.
Things to Do All Weekend
- Houston Restaurant Weeks 2015 | Starts Saturday – Houston Restaurant Weeks kicks off with more than 215 locations offering great prices on special menus for brunch, lunch and dinner.
- Comedians Bengt Washburn and Matty Litwack at the Joke Joint | Thursday through Saturday – Bengt, winner of the San Francisco International Comedy Competition, and Litwack, a finalist in the Boston Comedy Festival, bring their hilarity to the stage in South Houston. $16; limited comped and $8 discounted tickets available. Times vary.
- Houston Shakespeare Festival at Miller Outdoor Theatre | Friday to Sunday | FREE – Catch free performances of Shakespeare’s MacBeth and The Merchant of Venice under the stars at Miller Outdoor Theatre. The plays will resume alternating nightly from Tuesday, August 4 through Sunday, August 9. 8:30pm each night.
- Dark Deeds at Swan’s Place (Or Never Trust a Tattooed Sailor) at Theatre Suburbia | Friday and Saturday – Laugh along at an over-the-top theatrical melodrama pitting an English seaman against villainous scroundels. $16; limited discounted $8 tickets available. 8:30pm.
- 18th Annual Festival of Originals at Theatre Southwest – Enjoy an eclectic collection of five original short plays that span subjects from a fifth grade classroom, sibling bonding, competing nuns, women in prison to a mafia maven who gets a job in an art gallery. $15; limited $7.50 tickets available. 8pm both nights.
- Comedian Rodney “Lil Brough” Yarbrough at Hard Rock Cafe | Friday and Saturday – The Houston comedian brings his high-energy, edgy urban comedy to Downtown. $15; limited comped and $7.50 tickets available. Friday 7pm and 9:30pm; Saturday 7pm.
- Bands on the Sand in Galveston | Friday and Saturday – Listen to tunes from Cody Hodges and Jared Waggoner and enjoy fireworks during this concert on the water at Palm Beach. This event is part of the Bands on the Sand series. $12; concert included with day pass and memberships. 6pm both nights.
- Houston Astros vs. Arizona Diamondbacks at Minute Maid Park | Friday to Sunday – Cheer the ‘Stros to a victory over the Diamondbacks during a three game series at Minute Maid Park. Tickets start at $10, but you may find cheaper or better seats on the TicketNetwork or Ticket Monster resale sites. 7:10pm Friday; 6:10pm Saturday; 1:10pm Sunday.
- Guys & Dolls at The Kaleidoscope | Friday to Sunday – Bayou City Theatrics presents a fresh production of the Tony-winning, crowd-pleasing musical about the mafia, illicit trips to Cuba and gambling. $40; limited $20 tickets available. 5pm.
- Young Frankenstein Musical at Stage Door Inc. | Friday to Sunday – Catch Mel Brooks’ musical reinterpretation of his classic film featuring Dr. Frankenstein, his assistant Igor and more, with tunes like “Transylvania Mania,” “He Vas My Boyfriend” and “Puttin’ on the Ritz.” $20 tickets; limited discounted $10 tickets available. 8pm Friday and Saturday; 3pm Sunday.
- Houston Texans Training Camp at the Houston Methodist Training Center | Saturday and Sunday – See JJ Watt and the Houston Texans take to the field as they get ready for their highly-anticipated 2015 season. Free tickets are all gone, but you can find tickets on the TicketNetwork and Ticket Monster resale markets for around $20. Saturday 8am to 11am; Sunday 8:30am to 11am.
- The Curt Miller Magic and Comedy Show at Moody Gardens Hotel in Galvestonl | Daily – Believe in magic as Curt Miller performs his grand illusions during this Vegas-style show at Moody Gardens. The show will be performed twice-a-day until August 2. $23; $16 for children aged 3 to 12. 1pm and 7:30pm daily.
- Activities inside the Loop from BigKidSmallCity | Daily – Find events, recommendations and family-friendly activities from our favorite Houston mom-in-the-know Jill Jarvis of BigKidSmallCity.
- Houston Texans Tickets on Sale | Sponsored – Save on Texans games with cheaper or better seats on TicketNetwork’s resale market.
- Houston Astros Tickets on Sale | Sponsored – Save on Astros home games with cheaper or better seats on TicketNetwork’s resale market.
Thursday, July 30, 2015
- National Cheesecake Day – Indulge in tasty bites, slices and pies of the beloved dessert at seven great spots around Houston.
- Heights Young Professionals Happy Hour at Minute Maid Park – Network with other young professionals while watching an Astros Game during this happy hour hosted by the Heights Young Professionals Organization. $25; $20 for members. 5:30pm; game starts at 7:10pm.
- The Big Slide Show at Lawndale Art Center | FREE – View works from Big Show artists as they give informal presentations during this event at Lawndale Art Center. 6pm.
- Sparkling Wine Dinner at Ouisie’s Table – Enjoy a few glasses of bubbly with your meal during this special dinner at Ouisie’s Table. $75 per person. 6:30pm.
- Argentine Tango Lesson at Discovery Green | FREE – Learn the fundamentals of the Argentine Tango during this beginner class at Discovery Green. No experience necessary to take part in the class. 6:30pm to 7:30pm.
- BCO Meet & Greet at Warehouse Bar & Chill | FREE to Attend – Join Bayou City Outdoors for happy hour during their monthly meet and greet. This month’s location is Warehouse Bar & Chill. 6:30pm to 9pm.
- Boney James in Concert at House of Blues – Have a soulful evening with saxophonist Boney James when he performs at the House of Blues. Tickets start at $39.50. 7:30pm.
- SEC Alumni Turtle Races at Little Woodrow’s – See which turtle –representing an SEC school – is the fastest during this turtle race hosted by Houston SEC Alumni at Little Woodrow’s in Midtown. Donations for Kids’ Meals in the form of cash and sandwich sized Ziploc bags are encouraged. 8pm.
- Michael Cavanaugh: Music of the Great Singer-Songwriters at The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion – Listen to music from Paul Simon, James Taylor and Neil Diamond performed by the Houston Symphony and Michael Cavanaugh during this outdoor concert at The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. $20; free mezzanine and lawn seating. 8pm.
- Four Rooms Improvisation Performance at Station Theater – Structure at Station Theater presents an eight-person improv ensemble as they take on Second City Chicago’s most challenging formats, four unrelated improv scenarios that must be tied together into a connected storyline by the performance’s end. $6; limited comped tickets available. 8:30pm.
- Poison Pen Reading Series at Poison Girl Bar | FREE to Attend – Hear a reading of Katherine Center’s latest novel Happiness for Beginners by the author herself during this event at Poison Girl Bar. 8:30pm.
- More Great Things to Do All Weekend Long – Some of the biggest things to do in Houston this weekend are happening all weekend long. Click here to scroll up and see our list.
Friday, July 31, 2015
- Opening Reception at the Art League Houston | FREE – Attend the opening reception of the latest exhibitions at Art League Houston – Bayou Baroque, Luminous, Yet Devoid of Chroma and Zoo at the Edge of the World: A Continuum of the Exotic. 6pm to 9pm.
- “The Down-Beat” Houston International Jazz Festival Friday Night Kick Off Party at the Music World Entertainment Complex – Gear up for the weekend’s International Jazz Festival with live and DJ music, drinks, food trucks and more. $25. 6pm to 2am.
- Scotch Tasting and Dinner at Smith & Wollensky – Savor tastings of Glenfiddich scotch paired with hors d’oeuvres and a three-course dinner at Smith & Wollensky in Highland Village. $130 per person. 6:30pm.
- Couple’s Cooking Class at Brennan’s – Spend date night at Brennan’s taking a cooking class and enjoying wine. The menu includes snapping turtle soup, cast iron seared gulf fish and blueberry cannoli. $150 per couple. 6:30pm to 9pm.
- Culinary Tour at Quattro Restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel – Take a culinary tour of the Four Seasons Hotel that includes tequila samples, a caviar bar, pasta making class, dinner, wine and tiramisu. $79. 7pm.
- Critical Mass Bike Ride at Market Square Park | FREE – Bike through Downtown Houston during this monthly community ride with Critical Mass. 7pm.
- Bikes, Bats & Brews on Buffalo Bayou | FREE – Meet BCO in front of the Fonde Community Center with your bike and pedal to the Waugh Street bat viewing platform to watch the bats emerge. Then head downtown for a beer. 7:15pm to 10:30pm.
- The Fab 5 in Concert at Sugar Land Town Square | FREE – Enjoy live music from Beatles tribute band The Fab 5 on the plaza in Sugar Land. 7:30pm to 9:30pm.
- Idina Menzel in Concert at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion – See Tony-winner and the voice of Frozen‘s Elsa as the Idina Menzel World Tour comes to The Woodlands for one night only. Adults will enjoy a live performance from this show-stopping performer, but will likely want to leave their young Elsa fans at home. Although Menzel is expected to perform hits from Frozen, among others, the language and comments in other parts of the show can be decidedly adult. Tickets range from $71.44 to $91.44 before ticketing fees. Limited discounted $30 to $45 tickets available. 8pm.
- Guys & Dolls at The Kaleidoscope – Bayou City Theatrics presents a fresh production of the Tony-winning, crowd-pleasing musical about the mafia, illicit trips to Cuba and gambling. $40; limited $20 tickets available. 8pm.
- Blue Moon Brewery’s 20th Anniversary at Proof Rooftop Lounge – See the last blue moon of 2015 from the rooftop bar at Proof while celebrating 20 years of beer from Blue Moon Brewery. Guests will enjoy specials on Blue Moon. 8pm.
- The Pancakes & Booze Art Show at Warehouse Live – Snack on all-you-can-eat pancakes while jamming out to live DJs and viewing art from over 100 artists at Warehouse Live. $5 cover. 8pm to 2am.
- MacBeth at Miller Outdoor Theatre | FREE – The Houston Shakespeare Festival continues with a free live performance. 8:30pm.
- International Night at 51fifteen – Head to 51fifteen for dinner, dancing, drinks and fun during International Night. Latin band Mango Punch will provide live entertainment while guests enjoy hand-crafted cocktails and cuisine. 9pm.
- More Great Things to Do All Weekend Long – Some of the biggest things to do in Houston this weekend are happening all weekend long. Click here to scroll up and see our list.
