Event Roundup: Over the Moon Edition

They don't call us Space City for nothing: This weekend marks the 55th anniversary of Apollo 11’s historic Moon landing. Get starstruck with the Menil’s Moon Party or Space Center Houston’s panel featuring real Mission Control decision-makers. And that’s not all – this weekend includes the Texas New Music Festival, the Houston World Series of Dog Shows, a Frida Kahlo festival, free outdoor movies, and more.

The Lion King, which made its debut in 1997, has won six Tony Awards, and is the highest-grossing musical of all time. Pictured: Circle of Life Cheetah and Giraffes. (©Disney; Photo by Joan Marcus)

Hobby Center’s The Lion King
Experience the magic of Disney’s The Lion King at the Hobby Center. The Tony Award-winning musical is playing at Hobby Center’s Sarofim Hall from now until Aug. 4. Tonight’s performance is at 8 p.m., followed by two Saturday shows at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., and two Sunday shows at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. This iconic show features dances from Tony Award-winning choreographer Garth Fagan and music crafted by Elton John and Tim Rice. Tickets start at $35.

Texas New Music Festival
The final nights of the Texas New Music Festival are this weekend. Hosted at the MATCH, this celebration of art and music includes over 50 composers, choreographers, and instrumentalists. Tonight at 8 p.m. is a concert of new works by Texas New Music Festival composers, featuring conductor Felipe Tristan. On Saturday at 8 p.m., legendary Houston performers Joe Locascio and Woody Witt present an evening of jazz works for piano and saxophone. The Sunday finale at 2 p.m. is the debut of TNMF’s 15-piece Texas Festival Ensemble. Individual concert tickets $20 each. You can also purchase a festival pass for $40.

Miller Outdoor Theatre's Summer Symphony Nights Presented by Truist Produced by Houston Symphony showcases favorites from the classical repertoire and rising stars of the orchestra world.

Summer Symphony Nights
It’s the second weekend of Miller Outdoor Theatre’s annual Summer Symphony Nights program. Tonight at 8:30 p.m., Annelle K Gregory performs Glazunov's lush and bittersweet violin concerto. Saturday at 8:30 p.m., there will be a special performance by Charles Seo performing Haydn's first cello concerto. Tickets are free and are available to claim online.

Ohana Surf Dog Event
Bring your beach dog to Galveston to hang paw at the 11th Annual Ohana Surf Dog competition, benefiting the Galveston Island Humane Society. Dogs will compete in a surfing competition on Saturday morning to see who comes out as the top dog. After the competition, there will be a "Yappy Hour" at Beerfoot Brewery. The event will be on the beach at 27th St and Seawall Blvd, beginning at 7:30 a.m. and ending at noon. You can register your dog as a surfing competitor for $25.

The Starship Gallery at Space Center Houston is home to multiple flown spacecraft and national treasures, including the Lunar Rover Trainer shown here. (Photo: Space Center Houston, Aaron Rodriguez)

Apollo 11's 55th Anniversary at Space Center Houston
Celebrate the Moon landing at Space Center Houston this Saturday, among significant Apollo 11 artifacts and special activities. From 11:30 a.m. – 3 p.m., there are Apollo 11 55th Anniversary Presentations, including a panel discussion at 12:30 p.m.; those in attendance will hear directly from the decision-makers in Mission Control during Apollo 11, including Gene Kranz (Flight Director), Tom Hanchett and Ed Fendell (Integrated Communications Officers), and Spencer Gardner (Flight Activities Director). Then, at 3 p.m., there will be a Moon landing recreation. General admission is $40 for children and $45 for adults. 

Frida Fest at Karbach Brewing Co.
On Saturday, Karbach Brewing Co. is hosting ‘Frida Fest’ in honor of artist Frida Kahlo. There will be local vendors & artists showing off their Frida Kahlo pieces, live music from EZ Band, a Frida look-alike contest, and an event-exclusive Frida glass. The celebration of Frida will take place Saturday from 5 – 10 p.m. in the Karbach Biergarten. The event is free to attend and open to the public.

Families can arrive early to enjoy games and activities at Discovery Green before the movie starts.

The Lion King at Discovery Green
Celebrate the 30th anniversary of The Lion King with a free movie night under the stars at Discovery Green this Saturday from 7-10 p.m. Guests are encouraged to bring snacks and blankets. There will be food, beer, and wine available for purchase at The Lake House. Upon early arrival, there will also be games and activities before the movie screening. 

Celebrate the anniversary of the iconic moon landing with a lunar-focused event at The Menil Collection. (Photo courtesy of The Menil Collection)

Menil’s Moon Party
Celebrate the anniversary of the Moon landing at the Menil this Saturday from 8-10 p.m. This lunar-focused event includes a conversation with an astronaut, an outdoor stargazing soundtrack provided by Peter Lucas, NASA footage projections, and telescopes to view the full moon. The event is free and open to the public.

The River Oaks District greenspace will be showing Clueless on Saturday night, which was selected by an Instagram poll. Bonus: free popcorn and frozen treats from Wonder Pop! (Photo courtesy of Emily Jaschke)

River Oaks District Movie in the Park
In the wake of Hurricane Beryl, River Oaks District invites Houstonians to get out of the house and enjoy some free, fun entertainment at its Movie in the Park event this Saturday from 8-10 PM (weather permitting). The greenspace will offer an outdoor, inflatable 30 x 20 movie screen featuring the classic 90s rom-com hit, Clueless (PG-13), selected by River Oaks District Instagram followers through a social media poll. Guests can enjoy complimentary popcorn and Wonder Pops cold treats. Picnic blankets are welcome. This event is free and open to the public to attend. 

HMNS Brewsology Beer Fest
The Houston Museum of Natural Science is hosting an after-hours Beer Fest this Saturday from 7-11 p.m. The event will feature and display local craft breweries and cideries, give attendees access to exhibits, and will include beer samplings. General admission tickets are available to purchase online for $55.

The Japanese Star Festival is based on a legend of two star-crossed lovers, Vega and Altair, who are separated by the Milky Way. They are allowed to meet only once a year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month. The celebration of Tanabata marks their reunion.

Children’s Museum special programs: General admission is $19.95 for adults and children. 

• Dog Days of Summer: Bluey and Bingo will be at the Children’s Museum Houston this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be live music and games hosted by DJ Tyler, a B&B meet and greet, and a workshop where you can build and craft your own Bluey or Bingo stuffed animal. 
• National Ice Cream Day: Celebrate National Ice Cream Day with the Children's Museum this Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. There will be DIY ice cream-making workshops where you can create your own perfect ice cream creation with your favorite toppings and mix-ins.
• Tanabata Japanese Star Festival: Celebrate the Make a Wish! “Tanabata 七夕” Japanese Star Festival at the Children's Museum on Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., in partnership with the Consulate General of Japan in Houston. Kids can learn how to play Kendama, a traditional Japanese cup-and-ball toy, and see a Kendama expert perform amazing tricks. There will also be Kamishibai, an interactive Japanese storytelling experience, origami, and more.

Dynamic duo Bluey and Bingo will be at the Children's Museum this Saturday! Kids will also be able to make their own stuffed animals and groove to tunes and games from DJ Tyler.

Houston World Series of Dog Shows
The Houston World Series of Dog Shows is happening at NRG Center all weekend (today, Saturday, and Sunday) from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. There will be a variety of events and competitions, including temperament testing, barn hunt trials, breed rescue booths, canine musical freestyle, and much more. Adult tickets are $15 and children (under 13) have free admission.

Sunday Night Live
Every Sunday night this summer, CityCentre Houston is hosting free live music in their plaza. This Sunday, Kameron Williams will be performing Christian/Inspirational music from 3 to 6 p.m.

More Events
Find more upcoming events on our calendar.