Event Roundup: What to Look Forward to This Weekend

Happy Friday! This weekend includes the kickoff to some beloved holiday events, including The Galleria's Ice Spectacular, plus the opening of Radiant Nature presented by Reliant at Houston Botanic Garden. More fun happenings include: 

More than 50 larger-than-life Chinese lantern installations come to life in stunning displays at Radiant Nature at Houston Botanic Garden. (Photo: Tianyu Arts & Culture)

Radiant Nature presented by Reliant 
Opens Fri., Nov. 8, 6 p.m. and continues through Sun., Feb. 23, 2025
Houston Botanic Garden
$28.50 for ages 3 and up
Inspired by traditions celebrating the Lunar New Year as well as regional plants and animals, Radiant Nature features more than 50 Chinese lantern installations throughout the mile-long path. This year’s exhibit features an all-new collection of lantern installations, including a massive iridescent dome that guests can walk inside, where they’ll find a larger-than-life color-changing, moving lotus flower. Other new attractions include a life-sized Chinese palace, a canopy tunnel constructed of traditional oil paper umbrellas, pandas in a field of bamboo with a waterfall, interactive morning glories and sunflowers, and an interactive dragon that guests can manipulate to make it “dance.”

Houston Cinema Arts Society Film Festival 
Through Nov. 17 
Price varies
Multiple venues  
The Houston Cinema Arts Society (HCAS) is hosting its 16th Annual Film Festival, “For The Rebels,” Nov. 7-17. This multi-venue event will feature over 50 film industry activations, including international films, documentaries, and short film competitions. Attendees can engage in filmmaker panels, explore interactive media installations, and experience unique features like Cinespace, a collaboration with NASA, and Borders | No Borders, an interpretation of borders. Te festival will also have market spaces with local artisans and vendors, live musical performances, and hands-on filmmaking workshops.

Bellaire Arts & Crafts Festival 
Sat., Nov. 9, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 
Paseo Park
Free
There will be 75+ vendors, food, kids activities, and live music at the Bellaire Arts & Crafts Festival. Dogs on leashes are allowed. Beer and wine are available at the event. Parking is available at Condit Elementary School, Bellaire Water Tower Lot, and Fifth Street near Bellaire Recreation Center.

Texas Family Literacy Festival 
Sat., Nov. 9, 10:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m.
Discovery Green
Free with registration 
Discovery Green will be transformed into a literary haven for families on Saturday with Story Square's Lit with Families 2024 Texas Family Literacy Festival. Enjoy a full day of festival learning, including free books, meet-the-author, STEM activities, a family dance party, an Alphabetic Magic Booth, a Famagination Zone to encourage families to stretch their imaginations together, a Bluebonnet Book Crawl (a family-feud style name-that-book contest), delicious food, prizes, facepainting, performances, and more.

Preservation Houston's 2024 Good Brick Tour
Nov. 9-10, 12-5 p.m. both days 
Five historic homes
$30 at any tour location or $10 to any individual tour location. Valid for both days of the tour.
Join Preservation Houston for an inside look at five exceptional historic homes and buildings, including a Victorian cottage in the Sixth Ward, a mid-century stunner near Rice University and the legendary Eldorado Ballroom in the Third Ward. Penny Jones and Cheryl Joseph are chairing the 11th annual home tour.

 

The Galleria's 35th Annual Ice Spectacular 
Sat., Nov. 9, 12-6 p.m.
The Galleria
Free 
The Galleria's 35th Annual Ice Spectacular will kick off the holiday season with the lighting of its 55-foot Christmas tree. An iconic holiday tradition, the 45-minute tree-lighting show will feature a performance by The Voice Season 25 contestant Zoe Levert. The event will culminate with the lighting of the tree by Skating Santa and a fireworks display.  

The Battleground 2k24 
Sat., Nov. 9, 6 p.m. 
Toyota Center
$40+
United Sports & Entertainment brings high-level college basketball to Houston with The Battleground 2k24. This exciting sporting event will present intriguing match-ups, headlined by the Houston Cougars taking on the Auburn Tigers at 8:30 p.m. In the opening contest, the Rice Owls will go head-to-head with the Florida State Seminoles at 6 p.m. The charitable component for The Battleground 2k24 will be rooted in service, inspiring the participating student-athletes to use their talent to affect the lives of kids in the local community.  

Houston Texans vs. Detroit Lions 
Sun., Nov. 10, 7:20 p.m.
NRG Stadium
$188+ 
Cheer on the Texans as our home team takes on the Lions at NRG. 

Ann and Stephen Kaufman Jewish Book & Arts Festival
Nov. 3-16
Various locations around Houston 
Price varies upon event
The Jewish Book & Arts Festival, presented by the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center, includes a wide variety of compelling speakers and events for the whole family. Opening night, featuring Noa Tishby, takes place on Sunday at Congregation Beth Israel. This weekend, the lineup includes Oliver Lapin Family Day at the Merfish Teen Center, which explores a collection of stories that teach children how determination, kindness, and teamwork can change the world. Find the lineup here.

More Events
See our event calendar for more upcoming events.