Event Roundup: What to Look Forward to This Weekend

Happy Friday! Here are some events to look forward to this weekend:

Houston Open
The Hewlett Packard Enterprise Houston Open, Houston’s only PGA tournament, which started on Thursday continues through Sunday at Memorial Park. Tee times on Saturday and Sunday begin at 7:50 a.m. Come to watch the tournament and enjoy fan amenities like the Texas Children’s Hospital Family Fun Zone, Beyond Beer Zone, and Apache Zone for concessions and shade. Tickets are $50 per day and include access to fan amenities. Read about last year's Houston Open experience here.

Houston Ballet Nutcracker Market
The annual Nutcracker Market takes place at NRG through Sunday. The popular four-day event hosts more than 260 merchants from across the country, showcasing unique holiday items, gourmet food, apparel, jewelry, accessories, home décor, and more. Proceeds from tickets, plus 11 percent of purchased merchandise, go to the Houston Ballet Foundation.  Admission is $20.

Frostival
Kick off the holiday season with Frostival at Discovery Green on Friday evening. The annual park-wide celebration features ice carving demonstrations by Reverend Butter, skating on The ICE powered by Green Mountain Energy, and more. This event is free and open to the public. Admission for The ICE is $15 and will be available at Discovery Green through Jan. 30. See hours of operation here. Also new to Discovery Green is immersive art experience "Mosaic of Light" by artist collective HYBYCOZO. The art installation, which is designed with imagery from Houstonians’ answers to the question: "What shapes evoke Houston?"

Asia Society Texas' Night Market Festival
Asia Society Texas’ Night Market festival, held at Asia Society Texas Center from 6 to 10 p.m. returns, featuring 40+ local AAPI-owned restaurants and small businesses. This one-night only event, including performances, games, and demonstrations, celebrates the vibrant diversity of Houston’s Asian American communities. Food, home goods, art, and apparel will be on sale, but the event is free and open to the public.

Cirque du Soleil presents Alegría

After a year, fan favorite Alegria by Cirque du Soleil is back! (Photo: Marie-Andrée Lemire, Marc Montplaisir)

Fan favorite Alegría is back after being closed for more than a year. Tickets starts at $50 and are available online. Audiences are invited under the Big Top at Sam Houston Race Park to experience the magical experience of Alegría. This is opening weekend and performances run through Jan. 2.

Space Center Houston’s Galaxy Lights
Galaxy Lights opens this weekend and is open until Jan. 2. It features a high-tech kinetic light show, photo stations, a tram tour and more, all at Space Center Houston. Tickets start at $25 and are available for purchase in advance online.

Bellaire Arts & Crafts Festival
The Bellaire Arts & Crafts Festival is back! Stop by Paseo Park on Saturday to find unique mixed-media artwork, ceramics, pottery, jewelry and more from more than 40 artists. This event, hosted by the Bellaire Culture and Arts Board, is free and open to the public. 

The 32nd Annual Ice Spectacular at The Galleria will kick off the holiday season with the lighting of its 55-foot Christmas tree. (Photo courtesy of Galleria)

32nd Annual Ice Spectacular and Tree Lighting
On Saturday, gather at the Galleria for the lighting of the iconic 55-foot Christmas tree in the middle of the ice rink! The tree lighting show features Houstonian Dana Monique, a fan favorite and top finalist from Season 20 of The Voice, plus a firework display and the lighting of 450,000 twinkling lights. 

Houston Cinema Arts Festival Presents Coco
Houston Cinema Arts Society presents the 13th annual Houston Cinema Arts Festival through Nov. 17. See the lineup here. Miller Outdoor Theatre will show Coco on Saturday night, as part of the festival. This showing is free and open to the public.

15th International Risotto Festival
Benefiting Second Servings Houston, the International Risotto Festival will be held at The Houston Design Center. Tickets start at $100. This gourmet strolling event includes an afternoon of delicious Italian foods and wonderful wines including samplings of antipasti, tastings of all risotto entries, Italian music and entertainment, exotic car display, activities for kids, and designer showroom tours.

Rockets at the Toyota Center
On Friday, the Rockets face the Detroit Pistons. On Saturday, they face the Portland Trailblazers. Both are homes game at the Toyota Center. 

Rice vs. WKU
This Saturday, Rice University football plays Western Kentucky University at Rice Stadium. 

Editor’s note: See our events calendar for more events and a listing of upcoming holiday events here.