Event Roundup: What to Look Forward to This Weekend

Happy Friday! There’s lots of spring fun going on this weekend, so ignore the pollen and make your way to one of these Houston happenings:

Houston Ballet Nutcracker Market SPRING
For everyone ready to retire their wintertime wear, get ready to welcome the sunny flipside to November’s Nutcracker Market at NRG Center! This three-day shopping experience will feature approximately 150 merchants from across the country, bringing with them a fresh assortment of seasonal items, on-trend apparel, jewelry, colorful accessories, gourmet food, travel necessities, and cheerful home and holiday décor for that springtime refresh. The market will be open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. today, and then 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are $20.

Woodlands Waterway Festival
Set along the banks of The Woodlands Waterway and in Town Green Park, the Woodlands Waterway Festival offers guests the opportunity to enjoy a vibrant outdoor art gallery with music, food and kid's activities this weekend. Selected artists will display original artwork ranging across a variety of mediums at the festival. The festival will be from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Seniors (60 years and older) and those with VIP tickets can enter at 9 a.m. on both days to shop early. A weekend pass is $20 and a single-day pass is $15; the prices for students are discounted to $15 for a weekend pass and $10 for a day pass. Children 12 and under are free. 

Bellaire Trolley Run
Join the City of Bellaire this Saturday for the Annual Bellaire Trolley Run presented by PATRONS for Bellaire Parks, City of Bellaire, and Al Lawrence Running Club. The races all start at Bellaire City Hall, with the 1 Mile Run/Walk starting at 7:30 a.m., the 5K Wheelchair Division at 7:50 a.m., the 5K Run at 8:00 a.m., and the 5K Stroller Division at 8:10 a.m. Then stop by the post-race party in Bellaire Town Square for food, music, and more! Tickets are $32 for adults in timed race, $30 for adults in untimed race, $20 for 12 and under.  

West U Easter Spring Festival 
It will be hard to hide your egg-citement for the Easter Spring Festival this Saturday at the Recreation Center Fields! Starting at 9 a.m., happenings at this free event will include bounce houses, a giant slide, mini-train rides, activity booths, and face painting. There will also be selfie stations to take pictures with giant colored eggs, the Crescent Circus Magician, and, of course, the Easter Bunny. So don’t forget to bring your camera and be ready for an egg-cellent time!

Blessington Farms Easter EGG-stravaganza 
Come enjoy an awesome day at Blessington Farms during Easter Egg–stravaganza this Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Farm Funland includes hayrides, barrel trains, giant slides, animal encounters (chickens, goats, camels), and much more. While at the farm, join a fun Easter egg hunt where children will hunt for 10 eggs with candy and treats. Farm Funland is $20 per person (children under 24 mos. are free). The egg hunt is $3 per child with paid admission to Farm Funland. Bring a picnic lunch.

The 9th Annual MusicFest at the Willow Waterhole Greenway 
This free music festical at the Willow Waterhole Greenway returns on Saturday, 11 a.m.- 8 p.m. The headliner is 2018 International Blues Challenge winner, the Keesha Pratt Band. The festival includes eight professional bands playing everything from R&B, blues, Texas country, jazz and classic rock and Latin. Local school performance groups will include: Westbury HS Jazz Ensemble, Emery Weiner School Ensemble, Parker E1 Jazz Band, Meyerland MS Jazz Band, Westbury HS Poetry in Motion Dance Group, and Kinder HSPVA Jazz Combo. The MusicFest is produced by the Willow Waterhole Greenway Conservancy (WWGC), the non-profit steward for the Willow Waterhole Greenway, part of Project Brays, a program combining flood control through a series of detention lakes and the development of the 291-acre park into a beautiful greenspace.

Houston Art Car Parade 
The 35th Annual Houston Art Car Parade is this weekend! The events kick off with the free Starting Line Party at 11 a.m. on Saturday at Allen Parkway and Heiner St. The starting line party will include live music, food, and drinks. The Kids Zone will also start at 11 a.m., located in Sam Houston Park. The Kids Zone features creative activities for kids and adults alike. Whether its designing and creating your own miniature art car, participating in a community mural, learning how an art car is made, or enjoying some family-friendly entertainment, the Kids Zone is a perfect spot to start off parade day! At 2 p.m., the Houston Art Car Parade will roll through the city’s streets, greeted by thousands of eager fans cheering on the close to 250 entries. The parade’s official start is at Dallas St. and Bagby St. As always, the parade is free to attend. Attendees are encouraged to get to the parade route early to grab their spot. 

Kemah Boardwalk’s Crawfish and Zydeco Festival 
To celebrate the arrival of crawfish season, Kemah Boardwalk is throwing an authentic crawfish boil on Saturday and Sunday with their Crawfish & Zydeco Festival. Visitors can enjoy a variety of live Zydeco bands as they dig into some delicious mud bugs! Crawfish and boudin will be served each day from 12-10 p.m. Saturday’s live music will feature Curtis Poullard & The Creole Zydeco Band followed by the Zydeco Dots. Sunday will feature L.T. & The Zydeco MOB, followed by Ruben Moreno. 

Houston Dynamo FC vs. San Jose Earthquakes  
After an encouraging start to the season, the Dynamo will host rivals from San Jose this Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in an early April showdown at the PNC Stadium. Tickets start at $14.

Bark Mitzvah
This Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., groomers, trainers, vets, specialty treat shops, pet adoptions, music and more will help shape an afternoon of joy at Houston Congregation for Reform Judaism's Bark Mitzvah! This event is free and open to the community. Rabbi Steve Gross will lead a Bark Mitzvah service for all canines. All dogs need to be on a leash. 

Astros FanFest 
The Houston Astros are excited to host their annual FanFest on Sunday from 1-3 p.m. at Minute Maid Park! This event has something fun for the whole family including a Family Fun Zone, fan forums, photo booths, face painters, caricature artists, and baseball-themed activities like running the bases, swings in the batting cages, and bullpen throwing sessions. Astros FanFest is $1 with all proceeds going to the Astros Foundation. Then stick around for a special Watch Party as the Astros take on the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim at 3:07 p.m.

Generation SERVE Houston 
Houston families with kids of all ages are invited to attend Generation SERVE Houston’s free Family Volunteer Day “Share the Love” event on Sunday from 1- 4:30 p.m. Attendees will enjoy a round-robin of hands-on service projects in support of local community needs including animal care & environmentalism, health & wellness, caring for children, senior support, and basic needs of food insecurity and homelessness. All projects are kid-friendly and will make a big impact for local nonprofit organizations such as SEARCH Homeless, Kids’ Meals, Literacy Now, BEAR…Be A Resource for CPS Kids, HeartGift, Ronald McDonald House, Houston Botanic Gardens, and many more. Family Volunteer Day is made possible by sponsors Greater Houston Community Foundation, H-E-B and NRL Mortgage.

Houston Rockets vs. Atlanta Hawks 
This Sunday at 2:30 p.m., it's Fan Appreciation Day at the Toyota Center on the final home game of the regular season before the Rockets turn their attention to this summer's draft. Tickets start at $8.

Editor's note: Please check individual event websites for any weather-related changes or Covid-related restrictions. Find more events here.