5 Coolest Things to do in Houston This Weekend — a Sweet Anthony Bourdain Tribute Included

Houston weekends are packed full of events, but how many of them are truly worthy of your time? PaperCity’s new events calendar offers a curated look at all the best things to do in the area. But everyone can still use a guru.

PaperCity Weekend Gurus Matthew Ramirez and Virginia Reynolds cull our calendar for your weekend must dos in this weekly series.

The Zoo After Dark

Even if alligators give you the creeps, you have to admit that the Houston Zoo’s newest exhibit, the Katherine G. McGovern Texas Wetlands, is an experience like no other. The three species brought together in this exhibit (American alligators, bald eagles and whooping cranes) were all near extinction at one point, but due to the determination of your fellow Texans, with help from the Endangered Species Act, the creatures are now protected and thriving here in the state.

While you can certainly visit the wetlands exhibit on any given day of the week (and we recommend that you do at some point), kick things up a notch and meet the creatures at the Lone Star Soirée on Thursday, June 20 as part of the Zoo’s After Dark series.

Explore the zoo and meet the Texas-native creatures in the wetlands exhibit, and then head to the Reflection Pool as the area is transformed into a party-perfect scene, prepped and ready for line-dancing or salsa lessons. Or if dancing isn’t your thing, just resign yourself to tasting tacos, sipping margaritas, taking snaps in the photobooth, or playing giant lawn games.

Tickets are $35, and include one free drink.

Go to the full PaperCity events calendar listing.

Another Kind of Father’s Day

D.C. punks Priests swing into town Thursday, June 20, upstairs at White Oak Music Hall. A rash of EPs early this decade put the swaggering band on every punk fan’s radar and  epic live performances and lead singer Katie Alice Greer’s full-throated assault on the senses added to the mystique.

In 2017,  Priests released an up-tempo and ambitious debut album, Nothing Feels Natural, which dipped into surf-rock, garage-rock, and even ESG-inspired (the ’80s new wave band, not Everyday Street Gangsta) minimal funk. This year’s The Seduction of Kansas goes even further, a sharply constructed, diverse and polished record from the once-messy punks.

Sons of an Illustrious Father, a high-concept group featuring actor Ezra Miller, and Houston’s own Pearl Crush open. Doors open at 8 pm; tickets run just $12.

Funny Like a Funeral

Bay Area punks Jawbreaker are the kind of band that inspire tattooed, die-hard devotees. The band accomplished everything a burgeoning punk group could do and more within the span of a few years in the ’90s: two much-loved records on a tiny label, followed by 1994’s 24 Hour Revenge Therapy, one of the best records (across genres) of the 1990s. It’s a landmark album that endeared them to many.

Then Jawbreaker signed to Geffen for $1 million, released the much-maligned (and now reluctantly cherished) Dear You in 1995, and immediately broke up in a burst of self-destructive flames.

The idea that the band would ever reunite, let alone tour, let alone tease new music seemed unfathomable for 21 years. However, they did just that in 2017, headlining Chicago’s Riot Fest. The California punk’s devoted fanbase gets a treat now this Saturday, June 22, when they come downstairs to White Oak Music Hall.

Nashville punks Bully open. Doors open at 7 pm; tickets are $35.

Block Party

Enjoy the electric summer solstice with small bites, delicious cocktails, cool people and plenty of fun at the Summer Solstice Block Party, hosted by The Webster and Yauatcha. Located in the Jewel Box at the Houston Galleria, Yauatcha and The Webster have teamed up to create the perfect way to celebrate the longest day of the year.

Between a DJ, special giveaways, and deals to those who RSVP in advance, there will be plenty of ways to enjoy the afternoon during this special block party, sure-to-be the chic warmup before downtown’s Pride parade.

Guests who attend can dine on Yauatcha’s Flow and Prosper menu or receive 15 percent off the regular menu prices until 8pm. Be sure to RSVP to avoid missing any of the fun.

The Ultimate Pig Roast

If the idea of tiki parties, tiki-inspired cocktails, and delicious pig roasts gets your gears going, you’re in luck this weekend. On Sunday, June 23 ,the much-anticipated new restaurant, The Toasted Coconut, will be hosting a pop-up party at its Richmond Avenue neighbor, Penny Whistle Pub, in celebration of its upcoming grand opening.

Nobie’s chef Martin Stayer and master mixologist Sarah Troxell will lead the team at this island-life-inspired restaurant and bar, and will be at the party to share their delicious bites and tiki concoction with guests.

But if the full plate of pig, appetizers and sides isn’t enough to entice you and send you racing to buy a ticket, how about the fact that you can get a sneak peek of The Toasted Coconut before its official opening? The restaurant hosted two “Toasty Tuesday” sneak-peek parties in the spring, but the “Get Toasty Pop-Up” is your final chance to catch a glimpse of the restaurant before everyone else dives in.

Tickets are $30.

Go to the full PaperCity events calendar listing.

Remembering Bourdain

The food world was shocked and saddened last summer when celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain committed suicide. The legendary figure, known for his strong personality and even stronger passion for food, had a knack for connecting people across the world in his popular CNN series Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, which Houston was lucky enough to be spotlighted in.

Yet the beloved chef and traveler’s legacy lives on. The Dunlavy will be hosting an encore of its Anthony Bourdain Tribute Dinner on what would have been his 63rd birthday this Tuesday, June 25 – what is now also considered “Bourdain Day” by fans and friends. The dinner will honor the culinary icon with a five-course menu highlighting the best sweet and savory plates.

But this isn’t just a tribute dinner, it’s also an opportunity to support the Nick Finnegan Counseling Center, the local nonprofit dedicated to helping people suffering from emotional stress. For every $100 ticket, $25 will be donated to the organization. There will also be a silent auction to raise additional funds for the counseling center.

Go to the full PaperCity events calendar listing.