Mardi Gras Lite

SUN 2/15

Houston

Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens

Courtesy of Friends of Hermann Park

Molly Ann Smith Plaza in Hermann Park

Courtesy of A.D. Players

The Princess and the Pea

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More About

• Ima Hogg
• Keith Plocek
• Galveston
• Bob Ruggiero
• Visual Arts

If you can't make it to Galveston or New Orleans for Mardi Gras, or you don't want your impressionable youngsters to see all that Girls Gone Wild behavior, a more sedate celebration of the holiday can be had at Bayou Bend Family Day's "Mardi Gras in America." The event features a variety of family activities at the lush gardens and sumptuous former home of philanthropist Miss Ima Hogg, which is filled with antiques and art. Hogg donated the magnificent house to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston in 1957, and it remains one of Houston's cultural treasures.

Organizers promise plenty of "sights and sounds" of Mardi Gras on the grounds, along with historical presentations and craft tables. You may not be able to order a tall, cool hurricane at this party, but you won't get jostled by a cameraman from Cops, either. 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, February 15. 1 Westcott. For information, call 713-639-7750 or visit www.mfah.org. Free. -- Bob Ruggiero

To a Tee

SAT 2/14

For most adults, the term "fun run" is an oxymoron. Most kids don't even know what an oxymoron is, nor do they care. The little whippersnappers run around just for the heck of it. At the Hermann Park 1K Fun Run, at least they'll get a T-shirt for all their effort. 9:15 a.m. Saturday, February 14. Molly Ann Smith Plaza in Hermann Park, 6001 Fannin. For information, call 713-524-5876 or visit www.hermannpark.org. $10. -- Keith Plocek

Mattress Flak

THU 2/12

Fair warning: If you value "Mommy-and-Daddy time," you shouldn't take your little girl to see the stage adaptation of The Princess and the Pea. Once she learns that complaining about her lumpy mattress makes her a princess, she'll be crawling into your bed every night. 10:30 a.m. Thursday, February 12, through Saturday, March 6. Rotunda Theater at St. Luke's United Methodist Church, 3471 Westheimer. For information and a full schedule, call 713-526-2721 or visit www.adplayers. org. $9. -- Keith Plocek