Houston’s Memorial Day Weekend Guide — the Best Things to do If You’re in Town

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’s Weekend Guru Matthew Ramirez and Virginia Reynolds cull our calendar for your weekend must dos in this weekly series. This time, it’s all about Memorial Day weekend in Houston.

Something Sweet

If you identify yourself as a full-blown chocolate lover, or possibly even a chocoholic, this weekend will prove to be dangerously delicious for you. Today (Thursday, May 23) and Friday, May 24, the Chocolate and Art Show is coming to town.

The Los Angeles-founded show, which has been held in Dallas, Phoenix and San Francisco, is a chance for you to view pieces of art and collections from some of Houston’s best up-and-coming artists, photographers and creators. The event, driven by project director Danilo Santos and project coordinator Kiara Zapata, was created to give artists an opportunity to promote their art and talent, and for art enthusiasts to celebrate and support local businesses and artists.

But there’s more to the event than just art. The two-day affair will also include live body painting, live music, face painting, live portraits, and (as the name suggests) free chocolate.

Early bird tickets are $15. General Admission is $20.

Go to the full PaperCity events calendar listing.

Countrified

After making their Houston Rodeo debut back in March, Turnpike Troubadours is returning – this time to a much smaller (and perhaps, more appropriate?) venue. The humble country band will performing their hometown hits on the lawn at White Oak Music Hall this Friday, May 24. I have no doubt that these toe-tapping songs will make you get up and dance in those Rodeo boots that might’ve collected a little dust since March.

Turnpike Troubadours began producing hits back in 2007 with their debut album Bossier City. Since then, the band has continued to put out a number of popular albums – and quite a following of fans (one of them being me). But even with their growth in popularity, and with the ever-changing sound of country, this Oklahoman band has maintained a true country sound, with a slight folk lean.

General Admission tickets start at $30. Balcony tickets are sold out.

Go to the full PaperCity events calendar listing.

Spring Classic

Everyone knows the Astros won the World Series in 2017 only to lose in the American League Championship Series in 2018 to the Boston Red Sox. What the 2019 Astros presuppose is … what if they didn’t?

The Red Sox have had a slow start to the season, trailing well behind the first-place Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Railriders (that’s the Yankees’ AAA team, as the Yankees proper have had as many as 13 players on the disabled list this season) and the Tampa Bay Rays, and have only recently become an above-.500 team.

The 2018 Astros were a better team than the 2017 iteration, but a mixture of fatigue, bad luck, injuries and a weird clubhouse (aggravated by a deal that sent disgruntled closer Ken Giles to Toronto for Roberto Osuna, who was still serving a suspension for a then-pending case of domestic violence at the time) made last year’s team tougher to cheer for. While the Astros had the stars align to repeat as champs, the Red Sox were a somewhat surprising powerhouse that rolled to franchise record 108 wins and an eventual 4-1 dominant dispatching of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series.

In 2019, that title already looks a little flukey, with the Red Sox crashing back to earth and the Astros still as dominant as ever, with the most wins in the majors (33 heading into Thursday night’s game), and an offense by some numbers statistically better than the 1927 Murderers Row Yankees (and that’s with a slow start from former American League MVP Jose Altuve, who’s just been assigned to a rehab stint in the minors).

The Astros took two out of three in Boston last weekend and hope to take the season series at home, with a three-day visit from the Red Sox this Friday through Sunday at Minute Maid Park. This is Boston’s only trip to Minute Maid this season and the teams will not meet again in 2019 unless they face off in the playoffs.

Game starts and ticket prices vary; click here for more info. — Matthew Ramirez

Go to the full PaperCity events calendar listing.

Shop ‘Til You Drop

This Saturday, May 25, Saint Arnold Brewing Company and SHOP LOCAL Market are teaming up for Beers and Art. This all-things-local day lets you shop pieces, products and vintage selections from some of Houston’s most talented artists and makers, including Labels Vintage Streetwear, Pop Soap, The Pink Swan Shop, Made Brite Creations, Uncommon Bees, Boerne Brand and D’vora Jewelry.

As you shop around and try to take in the number of craft items, you’ll also get the chance to sip craft beers from Houston’s beloved brewery. Maybe choose Saint Arnold’s summer-exclusive Summer Pils. The beer, which is only available from April through August, is the perfect crisp and refreshing beer for those inescapable hot and steamy days that we’re all too accustomed to down here. Houston’s own DJ Gonz will be bringing ’80s entertainment to make the market a full-blown retro party.

Beers and Art is free to attend, and will be held in the Beer Hall on the second floor of Saint Arnold. Beers and products sold at the market are for purchase.

Go to the full PaperCity events calendar listing.

Filming Vincent

As the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston enters the final weeks of its blockbuster Van Gogh exhibit (truly a must-see), MFAH Films will present a trio of films centered around the life of the Dutch Impressionist.

First up, is the legendary Kirk Douglas in the fondly remembered Lust for Life, a 1956 biopic that was the first time the complicated life of Van Gogh was brought to the screen. Escape the forecasted Memorial Day heat with a showing Monday, May 27, from 2 pm to 4 pm. For tickets and more info, click here.

And stay tuned in the coming weeks for presentations of 2017’s landmark Loving Vincent, and 2018’s Academy Award-nominated At Eternity’s Gate, starring the incomparable Willem Defoe in the title role. — Matthew Ramirez

Go to the full PaperCity events calendar listing.

For more options and events like this, check out PaperCity’s new revamped events calendar.