The 5 Best Things To Do In Houston This Weekend — Ariana Grande’s Big Visit, a Music Beer Fest and More

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.

Young, Latin, and Proud

Roberto Carlos Lange, who performs as Helado Negro, started releasing music in 2009, at the tail-end of a decade defined by lo-fi indie pop and the abrasive but compelling sounds of freak-folk. Ten years later, he’s just released his best album, This is How You Smile, and the vibe is more sophisticated, owing more to studio-crafted masterworks like Todd Rundgren’s Something/Anything or the continued output of Blood Orange, the stage name of Dev Hynes’ ongoing concern of studio wizardry, than the haphazard folk of early Panda Bear and Ariel Pink.

On 2016’s Private Energy, Lange channeled his bedroom pop angst into stirring theses about his Latinx heritage (“Young, Latin, and Proud” and “It’s My Brown Skin”), which carried over into the urgent themes of this year’s This is How You Smile (from opening song “Please Won’t Please”: “That brown won’t go/brown just glows.”

Lange brings the stirring, provocative music of Helado Negro to Satellite Bar, Friday, May 17. Doors open at 9 pm; tickets $13.

Go to the full PaperCity events calendar listing.

A Night of Masquerade

It’s not just fun to say, it’s fun to attend. Support a good cause this weekend at The Art League of Houston’s annual spring event The MARTY: A Montrose ART Party on Friday, May 17. The free event, titled Mystery and Enchantment: A Montrose Masquerade, will benefit ALH’s Healing Art program, which serves the needs of those living with severe illnesses.

You are more than welcome to show up in costume, or you can wait until you get to ALH to get fancy. There will be great live music from GRRRL Parts, drinks at the cash bar, a silent auction, a mask-making bar, mask face painting, and of course delicious food from Dumpling Haus.

While there, you’ll also get the chance to view some of the artwork created by those in the Healing Arts program.

Go to the full PaperCity events calendar listing.

Eat Your Fill

We all like food, and I’m sure we all like festivals (even in this Texas heat). So celebrate this great love affair this Saturday, May 18 at Great Taste of the Heights, where good food and live entertainment collide. A number of popular local restaurants, including Dish Society, Postino, Snooze and BB’s, will be participating, and offering samples of their tasty bites to event-goers. Don’t forget to bring a blanket or lawn chair to hang out on the lawn as you snack and sip.

The community food festival is hosted by the All Saints Catholic community, and will benefit the All Saints community. Pre-sale tickets are $25; tickets purchased at the event are $35 (if available).

Go to the full PaperCity events calendar listing.

The Light is Coming

It’s been a few years since pop queen Ariana Grande has performed in Houston, but after a whirlwind year she finds herself back at home in the Toyota Center. 2018’s Sweetener was among the very best albums of last year, a punch-drunk record about being recklessly in love that contained some of the highest highs of Grande’s catalog (she sounds great on Pharrell beats, go figure).

However, even more ambitiously, she followed it up with this year’s thank u, next, a great pop record about… falling out of reckless love. The iconic title song is Grande’s greatest imperial moment, and the album itself is the Amnesiac to Sweetener‘s Kid A. Which of course, means I prefer it to Sweetener.

She’ll be at Toyota Center this Sunday, March 19, with the arena doors opening at 7 pm. Tickets start at $39.50.

Go to the full PaperCity events calendar listing.

Sip a Cold One

As the temps flirt with 90 degrees this weekend, I can think of no better activity than raising a glass of cold beer to good music and entertainment. So thank goodness Karbach Brewing Company is hosting its 3rd annual Love Street Music Fest this Sunday, May 19. Grab your favorite refreshing Karbach beer and savor music from the lineup of entertainers, like Walk the Moon, Bishop Briggs and VODI.

The day party is a tribute to the 1960s’ Allen’s Landing bar Love Street, which once hosted variety of entertainers, from open mic-ers to ZZ Top. Get your General Admission ticket for $40, or a VIP ticket for $150.

Go to the full PaperCity events calendar listing.

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