Free Events Thursday

BESO Latin Saturdays at Synn Ultra Lounge

April 05, 2014 – July 12, 2014 (Every Saturday)

3302 Mercer St., Houston, TX 77027

Join us this Saturday Night at Synn Ultra lounge for BESO. Houston’s upscale latin party. With its welcoming ambiance, Moving Music, & Plenty of Eye candy BESO Saturdays at Synn Ultra Lounge display elegance, class, and style amongst all the rest.

Price: Free!!!

Discover Houston Tours: Rice Village Chocolate Safari

April 05, 2014 – May 24, 2014 (Every Saturday) from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

2365A Rice Boulevard, Houston, TX 77007

Walk along Rice Boulevard on Saturdays, visiting yummy and unique chocolate shops and restaurants on the way. Meet new friends and learn about the history of chocolate.

Price: $30

Discover Dance 2014

April 06, 2014 from 1:00-7:00pm

Discovery Green

Dance Houston presents Discover Dance. Sunday, April 6, 2014, 1:00pm – 7:00pm at Discovery Green. Get ready for an international and interactive dance festival like never before – and it’s free! Discover Dance is taking over Discovery Green for a 6-hr dance extravaganza. Houstonians of all ages can enjoy performances from more than 50 multi-cultural dance groups including Bollywood, African, Chinese, Swing Dance, Ballet, Tap, Tango, and much more. But don’t just sit there! Get up and move a new style – no special shoes or training needed! 10-minute mini lessons will be offered at the top of every hour. Courtney Perna from KHOU’s “Great Day Houston” will emcee on the main stage. This event is for everyone who loves dance.

Price: Free!!!

exhibITALIA 2014

April 06, 2014 (Every Sunday) Sat. 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sun. 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

George R. Brown Convention Center

More than 50 Italian vendors will bring their “made in Italy” fashions & accessories, food & wine, design & technology, culture & tourism to Houston. For many, this is their first venture into Houston. Entertainment, fashion shows, cooking demonstrations, kids area.

Price: $12

First Saturday Art Crawl

April 05, 2014 – January 03, 2015 (Recurring monthly on the 1st Saturday) from 4:00PM – 7:00PM

Houston Socialites Club

Alongside its world-class museums, Houston boasts a flourishing community of art galleries that ranks amongst the most dynamic art markets in the country. The media shown on Houston gallery walls run the gamut, style spans the range, and the works reflect the city’s internationalism.

On the first Saturday each month, join HSC for a fun, social art crawl around Houston, followed by dinner/drinks. Each month will feature a different art cluster/neighborhood, and includes these old favorites: Gallery Row, Montrose, Rice, Upper Kirby, Heights, to name a few.

This event is free. Houston Socialites Club (HSC) is a members-based social and events club for singles and couples over 30. Members enjoy a variety of social events each month, from art events to group dinners, recreational sports to game night potlucks, wine tasting to unique events, all designed to bring people together for friendship, fun while discovering Houston.

Price: Free!!!

Friends in Low Places • Spike Johnson

February 28, 2014 – April 12, 2014 (Recurring daily)

4912 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002

Monday-Friday 10AM-5PM, Saturday 12-5PM, Closed Sunday

Friends in Low Places is a photographic project documenting the lives of a group of U.S. veterans who exist beneath Houston’s Downtown in a series of caves, tunnels and alcoves that line the bayou and nestle under the highways. The percentage of veterans in the homeless community is double the representation of veterans in normal society. Around 300,000 veterans sleep rough every night in the United States, around 1 million will have been homeless at some point in 2012. Wrestling with psychological problems, arrest warrants, and an inability to integrate into civilian society, they group together for companionship, seeking solace in a hidden existence. Together they build shelters from scraps of tarpaulin, or scuttle through holes in concrete bridges into the caves beyond. They share the burden of addiction, self-medicating the pain of old injuries, or drowning memories in a blur of alcohol or crack cocaine.

Price: Free!!!

Free Events Thursday

by Lydia Free Events Thursday

What if the whole world stopped to dance???

dance anywhere® is a simultaneous worldwide public art performance and we want YOU to join us on March 28th!

For the 10th year of dance anywhere!

Where will you be?

At work? Taking a lunch break? In class? Running an errand? In line at the bank? The library? The grocery store? Walking the dog in the park?… Perfect! Your participation doesn’t need to be an event you plan months in advance! … Tap your foot, do a little jig, bob your head… You have our permission. And you will be joined by thousands around the world. Get together with your friends, family, colleagues or strangers on the street – wherever you will be – and have some fun!

Price: FREE!!! (Unless you’re in line for something)

Willkommen Y’All!!

March 28, 29 and 30

Tomball, TX near 201 S. Elm St., Main St. (FM 2920) and Market St

You do not have to be German to enjoy this festival.

It is a Music/Street festival celebrating German and ethnic heritage with 5 stages of live music entertainment “happy music for happy people”, special contest, ethnic and festival food, beer, wine, 175 street vendors, all kinds of German souvenirs and clothing, arts crafts, antiques, Heritage Center, carnival, pony ride, petting zoo, strolling music makers, street performers, and much more.

Price: Admission, parking and shuttle are FREE!

All You Can Bowl

March 25, 2014 – September 02, 2014 (Every Tuesday) from 8-midnight

925 Bunker Hill, Houston, TX 77024

BowlMor is featuring another great promotion Tuesday through Thursday. All You Can Bowl $17.00 per person, including shoes. Join us each week, for a strikingly different experience.

Price: $17.00

Asia Society Presents! River of Light, An Original HGOco Opera

March 29, 2014 at 7:30 pm an additional performance Sunday, March 30, 2 pm

Asia Society Texas Center

Having moved from India, Meera loves her new husband, her high-powered job, and the Houston lifestyle—until the birth of her daughter makes her long to recreate authentic Diwali traditions at home. Music by Jack Perla. Libretto by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni.

Price: $15

Bayou City Art Festival

March 28, 2014 – March 30, 2014 from 10am-6pm

Memorial Park – Memorial Drive at S. Picnic Lane

6501 1/2 Memorial Drive, Houston, TX 77007

It doesn’t matter what your art style is, you are sure to find something you like at The Annual Bayou City Art Festival Memorial Park. This fine, juried art festival transforms the 1.1 – mile trail of the park into a one-of-a-kind outdoor gallery.

Fine juried art by 300 artists representing 17 media formats, including clay (decorative and functional), digital (not photography), drawing/pastel, fiber/textiles, furniture (functional), glass, jewelry, leather, metal, mixed media 2-D, mixed media 3-D, painting (acrylic or oil), painting (watercolor), photography (digital or computer manipulated), photography (traditional), printmaking and sculpture (3-D).

In addition to the extensive selection of art, representing 18 different forms of artistic media, festival goers can also enjoy international food and wine, the Green Mountain Energy Creative Zone offering interactive art activities, daily outdoor performances and more. The Festival celebrates the vitality and diversity of Houston and enriches the city’s arts environment and reputation. Over the past 40 years, the Bayou City Art Festivals have raised more than $2.6 million for local nonprofit organizations.

Price: $15

Blue Box Theater Live Smooth Music Thursday’s

Every Thursday from 6p.m. – 11p.m.

Blue Box Theater
2020 Leeland, Houston, TX 77003

Every Thursday, head to Blue Box Theater for live smooth jazz band and complimentary wine tasting. Happy hour is from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., with the first drink on the house. Located conveniently in the EaDo District near downtown Houston and just two minutes distance from the George R. Brown Convention Center.

Price: $10

Free Events Thursday

by Lydia Free Events Thursday

4th Annual Kemah Crawfish Festival

March 21, 2014 – March 23, 2014 at Friday 5pm – 11pm, Saturday 12pm – 11pm, Sunday 12pm – 6pm

Kemah Boardwalk

The freshest and best tasting Crawfish in the world for only $3.50 per pound! Featuring Wayne Toups Saturday Evening Concert. Ice cold beer, Your favorite wines and great food!

Price: $8

2014 Mural: The People’s Plate, Otabenga Jones & Associates

February 28, 2014 – January 10, 2015

Lawndale Art Center
4912 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002

Through a collaborative art project/public health program, Otabenga Jones & Associates will attempt to mitigate the ongoing health crisis of obesity and its related risks. The Collective will create a public mural at the Lawndale Art Center along with a series of adjacent programs, kicking off a year-long commitment to health education. Programs will include cooking classes, a foraging workshop, an urban gardening workshop, an instructional cooking video and a line of mass produced lunchboxes that will be made available to the public. Inspired by the Black Panther Free Breakfast for School Children Program, which saw the Panthers cooking and serving breakfast to poor inner city children, the Collective aims to provide at-risk community members with a set of tools that will encourage self-sufficiency and empowerment in terms of maintaining their own health through food choices, while building community.

Price: Free!!!

Texas Rose Festival

Saturday, March 22 at 10:15 am

Cornelius Nursery

The Texas Rose Festival is at 2233 S. Voss and 1200 N. Dairy Ashford.

Do you love all things roses? Get tips for plant selection, planting advice, and rose care guidance. A rose expert will be on hand at the Voss location 1 pm – 3 pm.

Price: Free!

Williams-Sonoma In-Store Cooking Classes

Williams-Sonoma offers free in-store cooking and technique classes. Sundays are typically tech class days. Just in time for summer, June has an American BBQ theme, focusing on different regions around the country. The June Technique classes will feature recipes for regional food and drinks, along with tips for setting an outdoor table. These technique classes are free, but reservations are recommended to reserve your spot.

Price: Free!!!

Thursdays At The Museum Of Fine Arts

Visit the Museum of Fine arts every Thursday for free admission from 10am – 9pm. The first municipal art museum in Texas is most well known for its Impressionist and Post- Impressionist art, and also included a Baroque and Renaissance art, African tribal art, and a stellar sculpture garden.

Price: Free!!!

Free Events Thursday

by Lydia Free Events Thursday

Houston Arboretum and Nature Center

Enjoy nature trail, bird watching, wildlife and forests at the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center. Calm your senses with a leisurely stroll through our 155-acre nature sanctuary with 5 miles of beautiful hiking. Located just 4 miles west of Downtown Houston.

Spring Native Plant Sale (Saturday, March 15 – March 16 and Saturday March 22 – March 23 at 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.)

How I See It: Houston Architecture

March 13, 2014-April 18 at 5:30 pm

Architecture Center Houston, 315 Capital,

Discover Houston architecture through the eyes of high school students in this Opening Reception of “How I See It: Houston Architecture.” This juried exhibition of local high school photography is for FotoFest 2014.

Price: FREE!!!

Relax With Yoga

Every Saturday, 9 am

Discovery Green

1500 McKinney on the Grace Event Lawn behind The Grove Restaurant.

This yoga class brings together elements of tai chi, kung fu, balance techniques and energy building poses. No pre-registration required.

Price: FREE!!!

Gaze At The Stars

Reservations begin February 26

Jesse H. Jones Park & Nature Center

Humble at 20634 Kenswick Drive

Learn about the planets, stars and other celestial bodies at Jesse H. Jones Park & Nature Center’s Stargazing event.

Price: FREE!!!

“These Birds Walk” Houston Film Screening

March 13, 2014

River Oaks Theatre
2009 W. Gray St, Houston, TX 77019

Sundance Nominated film “These Birds Walk” by Omar Mullick and Bassam Tariq may be FINALLY coming to Houston. The film follows the life of runaway street children in Pakistan and the samaritans like Abdul Sattar Edhi who seek to care for them while living amongst them.

For those of you haven’t heard of Abdul Sattar Edhi, he is a guy who has been working for and living amongst the poor of Pakistan since 1947 to create rescue programs for over 20,000 abandoned infants, rehabilitation programs for over 50,000 orphans, training programs for over 40,000 nurses, and hundreds of food kitchens, shelters, and clinics for the mentally handicapped.

Price: $11

Architects of Air

March 15, 2014 – March 23, 2014

Discovery Green
1500 McKinney Street, Houston, TX 77010

Back by popular demand, Britain’s Architects of Air returns to Discovery Green with Miracoco, a one-of-a-kind stunning new luminarium! Inspired by the Lotus Temple in India, the monumental, inflatable structure is a dazzling maze of winding paths and soaring domes designed to generate a sense of wonder at the beauty of light and color. Rising almost 30 feet in the air and occupying half a football field, Miracoco can be appreciated by people of all ages, cultures and abilities.

The line will close when the number of people already in line exceeds the number that will go into the structure by 6:30 pm. Admission is limited to 80 people in the luminarium at one time.

Price: $10

Battleship Texas Centennial Celebration

March 15, 2014 at 12:00 p.m.

3527 Independence Parkway South
La Porte TX 77571

This event is a celebration to honor the Battleship TEXAS, her legendary history and the men who served on her. The festival will be held on the grounds surrounding the Battleship TEXAS and will feature educational exhibits, a World War I and World War II historical zone, ship tours, a children’s activity zone, concessions, shops and live entertainment throughout the day including Robert Earl Keen, Reckless Kelly, Charlie Robison, and Bruce Robison & Kelly Willis. The day will end in a celebratory fireworks display.

Price: $20

6th Annual Festival “Russian Spring Celebration”

March 16, 2014 at 3:00 – 6:00p.m

2349 Bissonnet St, Houston, TX 77005

It becomes our tradition to invite Houston public and visitors of the city to celebrate the end of winter in style of Russian folk holiday. We offer delicious home-made bliny or Russian pancakes, which symbolize the sun. Also on sale will be another traditional Russian food – savory piroshky. The guests will have a chance to purchase original hand-made Russian souvenirs.

“Flying Balalaika Brothers”, the popular group from Austin, will provide the entertainment. The group plays various music: from Russian folk to bluegrass, country and rock. Their lively performance would leave no one unmoved. This year we will introduce to our guests a folk choir “Sudarushka”. Vadim Angerov, the well-known Houston musician will accompany them on the button accordion. There also will be special activities for children.

Price: $10

Come Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at The Flying Saucer

March 17, 2014

15929 City Walk, Sugar Land, TX 77479

In celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, Flying Saucer Sugar Land will be selling pints for $3 all day.

Price: FREE!!!

Free Events Thursday

by Lydia Free Events Thursday

Cultured Cocktails with the Framers!

Every Thursday from 5-7pm.

Boheme Cafe and Wine Bar

307 Fairview St, Houston, TX 77006

So if you want to see what we are all about then come join us and meet the Framers of Houston,TX!

Price: Free!!!

Party with the French

Friday, March 07 at 6 PM

Discovery Green

1500 McKinney
Houston, TX 77010

This Friday, kick off a month of events sponsored by the French Consulate in Houston. The free outdoor event features music from French musicians plus Houston natives Wild Moccasins from 7 pm – 10 pm. Authentic French food and wine will be available or purchase.

Price: Free!!!

Azalea Trail

March 07- March 09

River Oaks Garden Club

2503 Westheimer • Houston, TX 77098

One of the surest signs of spring in Houston is the annual Azalea Trail. Houstonians and visitors view the spectacular gardens at Bayou Bend and Rienzi and visit River Oaks’ exquisite private homes and admire their breathtaking gardens.

Price: $5.00

Listen to classical music

Friday, March 7th at 8 pm

Houston Baptist University’s Dunham Theater

7502 Fondren

The Houston Civic Symphony, our local community orchestra, presents a free concert. The evening features Young Artist Concerto Winners plus Schubert’s Symphony No. 8 in B minor.

Price: Free!!!

Clear Lake Jewelry, Gem, & Mineral Show

March 8, 2014 – March 9, 2014 (Recurring daily) at Saturday 10-6, Sunday 10-5

7902 Fairmont Parkway, Pasadena, TX 77507

The show is oriented for the whole family. Come out to see and learn about rocks, gems, fossils and Geology. Special demonstrations of lapidary work are included for the entertainment of all show patrons. Approximately 30 quality dealers have been handpicked to bring a balanced variety of merchandise to appeal to as many people as possible and at reasonable prices. There will be tools, raw materials, and books for the hobbyist, many mineral and fossil specimens for the collector, and jewelry ranging from fun-to wear to the finest opals, diamonds and emeralds. An excellent special program for Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts hat provides hands-on experience will help with Geology related merit badges.

Price: $7 (Admission is cash only)

ROCO Chamber Series: Postcards from Paris and New Orleans

March 9 at 4:00 PM

Gremillion & Co. Fine Art

2501 Sunset Boulevard, Houston, TX 77005

Join us for Postcards from Paris and New Orleans featuring an oboe, clarinet, violin and viola quintet performance with music by Sergei Prokofiev and Dave Anderson, who was inspired by Prokofiev to write a jazz composition with the same instrumentation.

Price: $25; Student admission: $10

Free Events Thursday!

by Lydia Free Events Thursday

Championship BBQ Contest

Friday and Saturday, February 28th- March 1st from Noon- 11 pm

Reliant Stadium

All you can eat BBQ!

Price: $15

Downtown Rodeo Parade

Saturday, March 1st at 10:00 am

Price: Free!

Conoco 10K Run and 5K Run/ Walk

Saturday, March 1st at 9:20 am

Saturday, March 1st at 9:45 am

Find out more at http://www.conocophillipsrodeorun.com/events/10k/Pages/logistics.aspx

Price: $35

Sam Houston Race Park

Friday-Sunday, February 28th- March 9th at 7:00 pm

Watch thoroughbred live racing this weekend and next weekend!

Find out more at http://shrp.com/

Price: $7

Macbeth

Main Street Theater

Rice Village, 2540 Times Boulevard

February 27th- March 9th (Schedule daily)

Even though Macbeth is one of William Shakespeare’s shortest plays, Main Street Theater will be putting on an 80-minute version with no intermission courtesy of visiting director and actor Guy Roberts in a co-production with the Prague Shakespeare Company.

Price: $20-39

Last Tip of My Hat

10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. every Sat. from March 1 until March 31
12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. every Sun. from March 2 until March 31
10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. every Mon., Tue., Wed., Thu., Fri. from March 3 until March 31

National Museum of Funeral History

501 Crawford St., Houston, TX 77002

Every rodeo season the National Museum of Funeral History does its part in the spirit of the Wild West with its “Last Tip of My Hat” exhibit, which celebrates death in the time of the cowboy. The usually modest event has been ramped up considerably this year. As always, there will be a traditional pine box coffin on loan from Cowboy’s Last Ride casket company in Early, Texas. These simple containers were a common method of burial in the West, since pine was plentiful and easy to work with. “A cowboy is a simple man, hard-working, and finds a pine box to be a fine representation of who he was in life,” Edward Castillo, owner of Cowboy’s Last Ride, said via email.

Also on display will be memorial folders from the funerals of the one and only Roy Rogers and his wife, Dale “The Queen of the West” Evans. The duo was featured in more than 100 different cowboy movies and television shows. You can see plenty of other funeral folders from Hollywood cowboys in the “Thanks for the Memories” section of the exhibit, including those belonging to Michael Landon, John Wayne, Gene Autry and Tom Mix. Also represented are Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheels (whom you may know as The Lone Ranger and Tonto, the ones from before the Johnny Depp movie).

Price: $7 to $10

Free Events Thursday!

by Lydia Free Events Thursday

Howdy Framers!

Here’s what’s going on in Houston this weekend!

Cultured Cocktails with the Framers!

Every Thursday from 5-7pm.

Boheme Cafe and Wine Bar

307 Fairview St, Houston, TX 77006

10% of all proceeds go to Frame Dance. So if you want to see what we are all about then come join us and meet the Framers of Houston,TX!

Price: Free!!!

Magna Carta

February 14, 2014 – August 17, 2014 (Recurring daily)

Houston Museum of Natural Science

5555 Hermann Park Drive, Houston, TX 77030

An original edition of the “Magna Carta,” and the only known example of the King’s Writ – a letter from King John to the Sheriff of Gloucester announcing the signing of the Magna Carta – is headed to Houston from its home in Hereford Cathedral.

The Magna Carta is considered to be Great Britain’s most valuable export to the world and is a model upon which the United States Constitution was based. The Magna Carta continues to serve as the definitive document modeling basic civil liberties, and is the source of many of the most fundamental concepts of law. In more than 100 decisions, the United States Supreme Court has traced dependence on the Magna Carta for an understanding of due process, trial by jury, the importance of a speedy and unbiased trial, and protection against excessive bail or fines or cruel and unusual punishment.

Price: $25

40z Rock Annual Red Tea Party

February 23, 2014 from 2:00pm – 5:00pm

5415 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77056

You’re invited to come out and join 40z Rock for a fun-filled afternoon of teas, desserts, and h’orderves . Not to mention, meet some fabulous women who ROCK spiritually, mentally and physically.

Price: $10

A Stroll Down Abbey Road

February 15, 2014 – February 23, 2014 (Every Sunday, Friday, Saturday)

17170 Mill Forest Road, Webster, TX 77598

Celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Beatles’ U.S. debut with the Bay Area Houston Ballet & Theatre. A variety of dance styles will be performed to Beatles classics. Some of the featured songs include Here Comes the Sun, Because, Eleanor Rigby, Black Bird, Yellow Submarine and Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.

Price: $20

Found out more at their website at www.BAHBT.org

Electric Mardi Gras

February 21, 2014 – March 01, 2014 at 5:00p.m. – 1:00a.m., 12:00p.m. – 1:00 a.m.

(Recurring every 2 weeks Friday, Saturday)

21st and Strand, Galveston, TX 77550

At Mardi Gras! Galveston, the extravagance found in Texas’ largest Mardi Gras celebration starts with the beads! More than 3 million beads will be thrown at Mardi Gras! Galveston and that’s just the beginning of the elaborate parades, headliner performances, family events, feasting and other festivities that come with hosting Mardi Gras island style.

Price: $15

Find out more at http://www.mardigrasgalveston.com/electric/

Happy Hour Thursdays at MFAH

Every Thursday from 6-8pm

Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

The Museum of Fine Arts hosts Happy Hour Thursdays each week. MFAH admission is always free on Thursdays thanks to Shell and from 6 to 8 pm you’ll enjoy happy hour with tunes from a local DJ, light bites from Ladybird Food Truck and a cash bar. The museum is open til 9 every Thursday.

Price: Free!!!

ABCs of Organic Gardening

Saturday, February 22 at 10:15 am.

This is offered at both Cornelius locations: 1200 N. Dairy Ashford and 2233 S. Voss.

Free Clinic, held at all Calloway’s andCornelius locations. Organic gardening focuses first on the soil, as a critical component of a living ecosystem. The soil is filled with all sorts of living creatures that are often beneficial to garden plants. Thus, you might say that when an organic gardener fertilizes the garden, she “feeds the soil” rather than feeds her plants. Healthy lively soil provides the perfect home for healthy lively plants. This terrific clinic will cover how you can create that kind of healthy soil, right here in suburban Texas. Also, we’ll cover the Top Ten Garden Pests and offer some organic solutions.

Price: Free!!!

Exploring Houston’s Green History: Sam Houston Park, 1899−2014

The Heritage Society Museum Gallery

Founded in 1899, Sam Houston Park is the first and oldest municipal park in the city of Houston. This beloved historic green space was originally part of the land granted by Stephen F. Austin to John Austin in 1824. For the past 115 years, the park has served Houstonians as a center for outdoor recreation and social activities. This exhibit will showcase Sam Houston Park’s history as well The Heritage Society’s 60 year history of caring for this beloved city park.

Heritage Family Day
1−4 p.m.
Find out how Houstonians lived after they began to build a city and create homes of their own. Enjoy hands-on activities, crafts, a mock-excavation and refreshments. Take a tour of 1823 Old Place. Co-sponsored by Archaeological Institute of America Houston Society.

Price: Free!!!

Free Events Thursdays

by Lydia Free Events Thursday

Cupid’s Corner at Woodforest

February 7, 2014 at 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Woodforest Homefinder Lodge

101 Elk Trace Parkway, Montgomery, TX 77316

With sweethearts in mind, Woodforest is planning Cupid’s Corner 10 am-8 pm Feb. 7 at the Woodforest Homefinder Lodge, 101 Elk Trace Parkway. Vendors will have an array of gifts — jewelry, wine, truffles, children’s clothing and home décor items. Enjoy Valentine’s Day treats and wine while browsing and kids can enjoy crafts while parents shop. Staff will put finishing touches to gifts at the wrapping station. Visitors also can buy Papa John’s pizza 4-8 pm at special Valentine’s Day prices.

Price: Free!!!

Dark Light: The Micaeous Ceramics of Christine Nofchissey McHorse

February 7, 2014 – May 11, 2014 (Recurring daily)

Tuesday – Saturday, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM; Sunday, 12:00 – 5:00 PM

Houston Center for Contemporary Craft

The opening will also feature Spectra: Work by Adrian Esparza in the Front Gallery. Open studios by current resident artists to follow talks. In “Dark Light: The Micaceous Ceramics of Christine Nofchissey McHorse,” Houston Center for Contemporary Craft (HCCC) presents works by one of the most innovative contemporary forces in Native American pottery. Working from traditional materials and techniques, Christine Nofchissey McHorse’s vessel-based art blends the boundaries of pottery and sculpture, erasing the line between function and form.

As the Navajo artist’s first traveling exhibition, the show exhibits the unadorned sophistication of the sultry curves, black satiny surfaces, and modern forms of her Dark Light series, created from 1997 to present. An amalgam of Puebloan, Navajo, and contemporary influences, each sculpture possesses a cultural splendor that is as fertile as the Northern New Mexico riverbeds where McHorse harvests her clay. Through the unadulterated beauty of micaceous clay and with Puebloan construction techniques learned from her Taos mother-in-law, McHorse transforms her sketches into voluminous shapes that swell upwards like a natural spring. Dismissing the rudimentary forms that define Native American ethnic identity in craft, she returns to primordial shapes, akin to the modern aesthetic of Henri Moore. Experimenting with shape, mass, volume, and line, she creates organic vessels in the vein of her ancestors, who recognized the spiritual power of water, air, and earth.

Price: Free!!!

The Peking Acrobats

February 7, 2014 at 7:30pm

Jones Hall

This troupe of China’s most gifted performers, complemented by live musicians playing traditional Chinese instruments, returns to Houston for one night only! The Peking Acrobats have redefined audience perceptions of Chinese acrobatics. For more than 50 years they have held audiences of all ages spellbound with vibrant presentations of their ancient folk art. They perform daring maneuvers atop a precarious pagoda of chairs; they are experts at trick-cycling, precision tumbling, somersaulting and gymnastics. They defy gravity with amazing displays of contortion, flexibility and control. They push the envelope of human possibility with astonishing juggling dexterity and incredible balancing feats, showcasing tremendous skill and ability.

Price: $8-$10

Homestead Heritage Day

February 8, 2014 at 10 am – 4 pm

Jesse H. Jones Park, Humble, TX 77338

Bring the family for a “living history” look at 19th century Texas settler life. Enjoy the sights and sounds of folk music, blacksmithing, black powder weaponry, open fire cooking, and more as the skills of times past are demonstrated by scores of authentically outfitted reenactors.

Fun for the whole family!

Price: Free!!!

Made for Magazines: Iconic 20th-Century Photographs

Feb 9, 2014 – May 4, 2014

Drawn entirely from the MFAH collection, Made for Magazines: Iconic 20th-Century Photographs surveys this richly historic era through some 80 images published by magazines such as Harper’s Bazaar, Life, Texas Monthly, and Vogue. Pulitzer Prize-winning photographs, first published in newspapers and later in magazines, are also included. Among the artists represented are Richard Avedon, Annie Leibovitz, Gordon Parks, Irving Penn, Edward Steichen, and William Wegman.

Price: $14

ReelAbilities: Houston Disabilities Film Festival

February 9, 2014 – February 13, 2014 (Recurring daily)

The ReelAbilities Houston Film Festival is a festival aimed at promoting awareness and appreciation of the lives, stories and artistic expressions of people with different disabilities. The festival presents award winning films by and about people with disabilities in multiple locations. Post-screening discussions and other engaging programs bring together the community to explore, discuss, embrace, and celebrate the diversity of our shared human experience. Click on the link for this year’s schedule. http://houston.reelabilities.org/films

Price: Free!!!

Russian Spring Bazaar

February 3, 2014 – May 30, 2014 (Recurring every week day)

Monday-Friday: 8:30 a.m. – 5:00p.m., Saturday: 11:00a.m. – 3:00p.m.

Discover unique ethnic souvenirs and gifts that are hard to find anywhere else. – Wooden figures of Father Frost; – Beautiful icons; – Lovely lacquer jewelry boxes; – Famous blue-and –white china – Gzhel; – Golden wooden tableware “Khokhloma”; – Famous Russian Matreshkas or nesting dolls.

Price: Free!!!

Free Events Thursday

by Lydia Free Events Thursday

Movie Screening: Ballerina

Friday, January 31, 2014 at 7:30 pm

2337 Bissonnet, Houston, TX 77005

Director: Bertrand Normand In the grand tradition of the Ballets Russes comes a portrait of five Russian ballerinas from the Mariinsky Theatre. Behind any great ballerina lies the discipline and rigor that comes from decades of training and practice. The five dancers profiled in this revealing film are tough, insightful and exceptionally talented; onstage they reveal no hint of the sweat, pain and hard work of the rehearsal studio. With Ulyana Lopatkina, Diana Vishneva, Evgenia Obraztsova, Alina Somova and Svetlana Zakharova. Language: English Duration: 77 minutes.

Price: Tickets: $8/$6 – RCC members Please buy tickets in advance as seating is limited.

Watch Auntie Mame Outdoors

Friday, January 31 at 6:30 pm

It’s the last free winter movie at Discovery Green! The movie will be facing towards the ICE rink. Feel free to bring blankets or chairs to view from The Lake House deck or White Promenade. Located at 1500 McKinney downtown.

Price: Free!!!

Celebrate Mardi Gras Style

Saturday, February 1 at 10 am-10 pm

It’s Houston’s first Mardi Gras Parade and Festival! The Houston Creole Heritage Festival kicks off with a parade at 8 am beginning at Bell St. and Chenevert and ending at Discovery Green. The free festival, from 10 am – 10 pm, features live music, carnival and festival games, Kids’ Zone, Educational Fair, arts and crafts, and more. Get details about free kids’ bike helmet distribution at this event in my previous post. The nonprofit Houston S.H.O.P. (Sweet Hour of Prayer) Ministries is sponsoring this event, which raises funds to provide academic scholarships and school supplies.

Price: Free!!!

Support Local Artists

Saturday, February 1 at 11 am-6 pm

The First Saturday Arts Market returns! This monthly outdoor market in the Heights features original art, music, and fun. Musical entertainment provided by Renise Dichards and the Wild Things plus Alex, Wendy and Alexis. Located at 548 W. 19th on the Wind Water Gallery parking lot. – See more at: http://www.houstononthecheap.com/free-weekend-fun#sthash.nPrcemoD.dpuf

Art Tour at Asia Society

Saturday, February 1 at 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Docent-led tours of Asia Society Texas Center’s exhibitions allow visitors to experience art on a personal level, learn about art historical periods and styles, and hear stories associated with the artwork. Between History and New Horizons: Photographs of Women, Work And Community in Laos For most of the over 100 distinct ethnic groups found in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, textile making has long been considered the domain of women. What constitutes women’s labor in a rapidly changing economy and how do women depict their roles in it? Consisting of professional portraits as well as personal photographs, Between History and New Horizons provides an all-too-infrequent glimpse of contemporary Laos, the perspectives of ethnic women, and the transformation of traditional skills into modern livelihoods.

Price: $5

Lunar NewYear Festival

Saturday, February 01, 2014 at 10 am- 4 pm

9800 Town Park Drive, Houston, TX 77036

Every year the Chinese Community Center hosts the premier event in Southwest Houston, the Lunar New Year Festival. The Lunar New Year Festival is a market place of family fun, Chinese cultural awareness, community outreach, and business promotion. The festival is a multi-cultural Asian celebration showcasing East and West and the diversity of the City of Houston.

With the support of local artists and performing groups, teach celebration attracts over 15,000 local and out-of-town visitors. Supported in part by the Houston Arts Alliance, the festival will be held on Saturday, February 1, 2014 celebrating the Year of the Horse. Starting at 10am and lasting for 6 exciting hours, the indoor auditorium and large outdoor park-like spaces at the Chinese Community Center host an array of riveting, beautiful, and inspiring performances to welcome the Lunar New Year.

Price: Free!!!

Houston Chinese New Years-30 Year Tradition-30 Persons Dragon Dance Team

Friday, January 31, 2014 and Saturday, February 1, 2014

2407 Westheimer, Houston, TX 77098

Shanghai River Restaurant will celebrate its 30 year tradition of Chinese New Years “The Year of the Horse – 4712” with a gala, fun-filled two day celebration Friday, January 31, 2014 and Saturday, February 1, 2014. The celebration will include an exciting 30 persons Dragon Dance Team at 8:15 PM each evening.

Authentic Chinese calligraphy, a good luck Chinese New Year’s menu, and drinks will add to the festivities. (Dinner will be served each evening from 5:00 PM till 11:00 PM., and diners can select either the CNY menu or the regular menu.) Walk-ins are welcome, but reservations are preferred by calling Shanghai River at (713) 528-5528.

Price: Free!!!

The Age of Impressionism: Great French Paintings from the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute

From: December 22, 2013 – March 23, 2014 (Recurring daily)

1001 Bissonnet, Houston, TX 77005

The acclaimed international tour of The Age of Impressionism: Great French Paintings from the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute concludes in Houston at the MFAH. Showcasing the Clark’s renowned holdings of French Impressionist painting, this exhibition features 73 works of art by a stellar lineup that includes Edgar Degas, Édouard Manet, Claude Monet, Berthe Morisot, Camille Pissarro, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Alfred Sisley. Also represented are Pierre Bonnard, William-Adolphe Bouguereau, Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, Jean-Léon Gérôme, Jean-François Millet, and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.

The Clark launched the collection tour in 2011 at the Palazzo Reale in Milan, coinciding with a three-year expansion of the Clark’s Williamstown, Massachusetts, facility. The MFAH is only the second, and the final, U.S. museum to host the exhibition.

This spectacular presentation tells not only the story of Sterling and Francine Clark’s devotion and passion for collecting but also of painting in 19th-century France, from the Orientalist works of Gérôme; to the Barbizon paintings of Corot and Théodore Rousseau; to the Impressionist masterpieces of Degas, Manet, Monet, Pissarro, Renoir, and Sisley; and concluding with the Early Modern output of Bonnard and Lautrec. Portraits, landscapes, marines, still lifes, and scenes of everyday life by 25 artists, spanning 70 years, are all on view.

Price: Free on Thursdays and for members; $23 (Sat. & Sun.) | $20 (weekdays)

Free Events Thursday

by Lydia Free Events Thursday

Cultured Cocktails Fundraiser For Frame Dance!

Thursday, January 16th at 5- 7 pm

Boheme Cafe and Wine Bar

307 Fairview St, Houston, TX 77006

Price: Free!!!

12 Minutes Max at the Barn

January 17, 2014

The Barn (formerly Barnevelder Movement/Arts Complex)

2201 Preston St., Houston, TX

12 Minutes Max! pops into The Barn with an exciting line up of choreographers showcasing all new work. Curated and produced by Dance Source Houston from participants of Fieldwork, 12 Minutes Max! features work by Rebekah Chappell, Sara Draper, Laura Gutierrez, Cori Miller and John R. Stronks. Performances will take place on Friday and Saturday, January 17 and 18, 2014 at 7:30pm at The Barn – Dance Source Performing Arts Space. Ticket Information: Dance Source Houston presents 12 Minutes Max! on January 17 and 18, 2014 at 7:30pm at The Barn, 2201 Preston St, Houston, TX 77003. Tickets are $10/pre sale general admission, $15/at the door and $5/Dance Source Members. To purchase tickets visit dancesourcehouston.secure.force.com/ticket/.

Price: $10/pre sale general admission, $15/at the door

2014 Opening Day at Sam Houston Race Park

January 17, 2014

Gates open at 6. Live racing starts at 7.

Sam Houston Race Park

7575 N. Sam Houston Parkway W, Houston, TX 77064

Live Thoroughbred Racing Returns with bigger purses than ever! Be at The Park Opening Weekend for our special TWO-DAY kickoff highlighting the best of Texas Thoroughbred racing at Texas Champions Weekend. Friday is 50 Cent Beer Night with more than $255,000 in purses! Opening Day is also Military Appreciation Day, with free entry for all Military with ID. Also don’t miss Master Sergeant Promise Harris performing the National Anthem, and the presentation of the colors by the Cypress Ridge HS AFJROTC Color Guard.

Price:

General admission starts at $7 per person
Children ages 3 and under get in FREE
Counter seats are available for an additional $4 per person
Box seats are available for an additional $6 per person
Luxury Suites are also available by calling 281-807-8750
Winner’s Circle buffet available starting at $22.95

13th Annual MLK battle Of The Bands Competition

January 18, 2014, 4 pm – 9 pm

Joe Kelly Butler Stadium

13755 S.Main Street, Houston, TX 77035

The MLK Battle Of The Bands Competition is one of the largest high school show band competitions in the U.S. Its purpose ist o promote racial harmony through music appreciation while providing scholarship opportunities to high school students.

The 2014 Activity will feature sixteen nationally acclaimed and award-winning high school show bands from across the nation as they compete for national honors.

Price: $10. Get your tickets at http://www.eventbrite.com/e/13th-annual-battle-of-the-bands-competition-tickets-6993221915?ref=ebtnebtckt

5th Annual Yaga’s Chili Quest and Beer Fest

January 18, 2014, 11am-6pm

Saengerfest Park
2300 Strand St, Galveston, TX 77550

Yaga’s Chili Quest & Beer Fest will return to Galveston’s Historic Strand District on Saturday, January 18, 2014, featuring 100 varieties of craft and imported beer selections and over 60 chili cook-off teams. The fifth annual Chili Quest officially opens to the public at 11 a.m. when the cook teams begin serving their chili concoctions on the Strand. Other Chili Quest events occurring throughout the day include a washer tournament, margarita making contest, jalapeno eating contest, 5k fun-run and a Strand merchant walk-about. An awards ceremony will conclude the event with the announcement of the best chili on Galveston Island. Beer Fest will open at 12:00pm for those with a VIP Early Bird Ticket. There are a limited number of VIP Early Bird Tickets available to allow for shorter lines and more one on one time with the brewers and representatives. Beer Fest opens to the public at 1:00pm with an estimated 100 craft and imported brews from around the world available for sampling.

Price: $8-35

America’s Got Talent – Open Auditions

From: January 18, 2014 – January 19, 2014 (Recurring daily), 8 AM-7PM

Reliant Park

The next stop for auditions are Houston (Jan. 18-19), Indianapolis (Jan. 25-26) and Los Angeles (Feb. 8-9). Additional audition cities will be announced shortly. For updates, registration forms, audition tips, venue information and to submit an online audition, visit www.AGTAuditions.com. “America’s Got Talent”is the only talent competition show open to any age and any talent. The auditions are a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for performers across the country to showcase their talent in 90 seconds to the series’ producers, in the hopes of being able to take the stage in front of the “AGT” judges. Every type of performer is welcome: Last season’s competitors included musicians, dancers, magicians, contortionists, comedians, singers, jugglers, animal acts and everything in between.

Got what it takes? Register here: http://www.agtauditions.com/

Good luck!

Price: FREE!!!

A Celebration of the New Year of the Trees

January 19, 2014, 11-3pm

Urban Harvest Farmers Market

3000 Richmond
Houston TX 77098

Escape the winter doldrums! Enjoy a fun Tu B’shevat activity for the whole family with Big Tent Judaism, and check out the Urban Harvest Farmers Market! Learn about the “new year for the trees,” decorate a mini planter, and take home seeds to plant and grow! Enjoy a wide range of seasonal, sustainably produced goods from local farmers and vendors at this Farmers market.

Price: FREE!!!

Into the Woods

January 19, 2014 – February 09, 2014

Main Street Theater

2540 Times Blvd, Houston, TX 77005

Main Street Theater once again teams up with Guy Roberts and Prague Shakespeare Company to create a new, intimate production of James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim’s now-classic take on everyone’s favorite storybook characters.

The story follows a Baker and his wife’s wish to have a child, Cinderella’s wish to attend the King’s Festival, and Jack’s wish that his cow would give milk. When the Baker and his wife learn that they cannot have a child because of a Witch’s spell, the two set off on a journey to break the curse. Everyone’s wish is granted, but the consequences of their actions return to haunt them later with disastrous results.

In 1988, Into the Woods won Tony Awards for Best Original Score and Best Book of a Musical.

Price: $20