Leaping for Joy: Leap Day Fun

Leap Day baby, Tim Meisner, enjoying his "tweener" (between Leap Years) birthday celebration in 2019. Tim looks forward to celebrating his “17” birthday on Feb. 29 with his grandchildren and other family. 

How are you celebrating your extra 86,400 seconds this coming Saturday? Yes, Feb. 29, 2020 is Leap Day, the only-happens-once-every-four-years holiday, when an extra 24 hours are added to the calendar. 

A quick middle-school science refresher from Tim Meisner, a 1952 Leap Day Baby and a retired Houston educator and principal: “Being a Leap Baby is an interesting novelty that really intrigues kids. It’s a great science lesson to help children understand the world actually takes 365.25 days to revolve around the sun. Scientists had to make up for that extra .25 day by inserting a year in the calendar every four years. The chances of being a Leapster (someone born on Leap Day) are 1 in 1467.” Tim enjoyed celebrating his “16th birthday” with his students at Epiphany Lutheran Middle School in 2016. This weekend, he’ll celebrate his 17th birthday. Read more about Leap day birthdays here.

Leap Day hasn’t fallen on a Saturday since 1992 so there’s extra incentive to celebrate this year. 

Cheers to Leap Year! Feb. 29 only comes around every four years. The last time Leap Day fell on a Saturday was 1992, so this year is extra special. (Photo: Karen Vine Fuller)

Leap Day Themed Houston Happenings: 

Apollo & Beyond: Conquering Gravity
Feb. 29, 10 a.m. 
Houston Museum of Natural Science
5555 Hermann Park Dr., Houston, TX 77030
Admission: Adult: $9; Child: $8; Senior (62+): $8 
“That’s one small step for man, one giant Leap [Day] for mankind….” Celebrate Astronaut style watching Apollo & Beyond: Conquering Gravity in the Burke Baker Planetarium at HMNS. Dr. Carolyn Sumners, HMNS Vice President of Astronomy, is a Leap Day fan as she and her husband were married on Feb. 29 and are looking forward to celebrating their anniversary. 

Leap Day Goat Yoga at Little Woodrow’s EaDo  
Feb. 29, 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. 
Admission: $35-40. Registration required.
2019 Walker St., Houston, TX, 77003
Spend your Leap Day practicing yoga alongside adorable goats. Please note this “harsh” warning from the organizers: Attendees may be subject to being climbed upon and pranced around by joyful goats.

Leap Day ’80s Party  
Feb. 29, 11 a.m.
1039 Yale St., Houston, TX 77008 
Since the last leap year of the ’80s was in 1988, Eight Row Flint will be throwing an ’80s themed dance party! Look forward to a DJ, ‘80s-inspired cocktails and lots of neon. 

Leap Day Specials at Phat Eatery  
Feb. 29, opens Saturday at 11 a.m.
23119 Colonial Parkway, Suite B2, Katy, TX 77449 
Phat Eatery, which serves up Malaysian Street Food, is celebrating Leap Day with $2.29 roti canai, sake and Love Street. 

Houston Dynamo Home Opener vs. LA Galaxy
Feb. 29, 2:30 p.m.
BBVA Stadium
2200 Texas St., Houston, 77003
Cheer on the Dynamo as they leap into a new season this Saturday. 

Mad Hatter UnBirthday Party  
Feb. 29, 4:30 p.m. seating and 8:30 p.m. seating 
Admission: $65
The Branch
7710 Long Point Rd., Houston, TX, 77055
Join the Mad Hatter and his crew of misfits on a magical journey of cocktails, food and entertainment. Guests are encouraged to dress for the occasion. 

Cirque du Soleil: Alegria
Feb. 29, 4:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Under the Big Top, Sam Houston Race Park
7575 North Sam Houston Parkway West, Houston, TX 77064
See ticket information here.
Discover lots of artistic and creative leaping through the air at opening night for Cirque Du Soleil’s Alegria, which is in town through April 12.

Moon Tower’s Leap Year, Drink Beer
Feb. 29, 6 p.m.
Moon Tower Inn
3004 Canal St., Houston, TX 77003 
Toast to Leap Day with beer and live music from Loose Nukes and Kill the Lizard at Moon Tower Inn.

Leap Year Movie Screening  
Feb. 29, 7 p.m. 
16535 Southwest Freeway
Sugar Land, 77479
Get your popcorn ready and join other movie fans on The Lawn at First Colony Mall for a special showing of Leap Year. 

Leap Day Party at Howl at the Moon
Feb. 29, 7 p.m.
Howl at the Moon Houston
612 Hadley St., Houston, TX 77002 
Admission: See pricing options here.  
Celebrate Leap Day with drink specials and live music all night at this piano bar. 

Leap Year Party at The Pub  
Feb. 29, 7 p.m.
5636 Richmond Ave., Houston, TX 77057 
The Pub Galleria is hosting Soulshine in honor of this once-ever-four-years holiday. 

Free Radicals Leap Year Party  
Feb. 29, 10 p.m.
Darwin’s Pub
33 Waugh Dr., Houston, TX 77007
Celebrate Leap Year at Darwin’s Pub with a live performance from Houston-based band, Free Radicals. 

Leap Day Freak Day 
Feb. 29, 10 p.m.
2010 Waugh Dr., Houston, TX 77006 
Rudyard’s is offering a fun music lineup in honor of Leap Day. 

More Ways to Celebrate 

Houston Zoo
6200 Hermann Park Dr., Houston, TX 77030 
Opens Saturday at 9 a.m.
Visit some of Houston’s best furry leapers including baby red-tailed monkey, Jack, who’s super active. Other leapers include lemurs, siamang monkeys, clouded leopards, ocelots, and jaguars.

Leap Day Specials at iFly Indoor Skydiving
9540 Katy Fwy., Houston, TX 77055 
Opens Saturday at 9 a.m. 
Leapling Birthday celebrators fly for free through March 1. Plus, everyone else gets to celebrate and save 29 percent off extra flights added to reservations. Visit website for details.

Leap Year 2.29 Mile Virtual Race
Virtual race – participate anytime 
Run (or walk) a virtual race Leap Day, is also Rare Disease Day. Submit your info online to receive your medal. A portion of the Leap Year race proceeds will go to National Organization for Rare Diseases.

Toast to Leap Day
Cheers! Create this Grasshopper Cocktail at home. This refreshing, bright green adult cocktail will leap right down your throat. Invented in 1918 in New Orleans, grasshoppers taste like an after-dinner mint in a glass. See the recipe here. 

Photo Op: Sky Dance
Sky Dance by artist C. Finley
1415 Louisiana, Houston, TX 77003
Take a photo opp in front of leaping ballerinas in honor of Leap Day. Sky Dance is Houston’s largest mural. 

Leap on at Sky Sports USA 
9848 U.S. 90 Alternate, Sugar Land, TX 77478
Opens Saturday at 10 a.m. 
Ready to try your own leaping? Head to Sky Sports USA, an urban air trampoline park. 

Better leap to celebrating. Your extra 1440 minutes are ticking! See more upcoming events here and read more about Buzz birthdays on Leap Day here.