Festivals and Parades

Miss Pop Rocks: Pop Culture Dealbreakers

No One Messes With Fort Bend County Fair Day

Oktoberfest in Fredericksburg

Local Gays Marching For Obama On Inauguration Day

The gays haven't exactly been pleased by Barack Obama since he chose Christian conservative Rick Warren to give the invocation at his inauguration. But Obama's inauguration parade will be the first to have an openly lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender group -- the Lesbian and Gay Band Association ... More >>

Festi-Brawl

A struggle over Westheimer's street fest reveals a way to hold city celebrations hostage

Static

A struggle over Westheimer's street fest reveals a way to hold city celebrations hostage

Tonight: Carnaval Houston at Planeta Bar-Rio

Carnaval, the four-day festival that precedes the beginning of Lent for Catholics, is probably Brazil's biggest Holiday. During this period (which officially ends at noon Ash Wednesday - people need their sleep), revelers take the streets and dance to the beat of the Afro-inspired drums of samb ... More >>

Not in Kansas Anymore

Carnaval, the four-day festival that precedes the beginning of Lent for Catholics, is probably Brazil's biggest Holiday. During this period (which officially ends at noon Ash Wednesday - people need their sleep), revelers take the streets and dance to the beat of the Afro-inspired drums of samb ... More >>

Hit the Evening Showcase and Keep Corporate Hands Off the Westheimer Block Party

Pony Up, Houston.

Houston Brazilian Carnaval

Web exclusive!

MLK Grande Parade

Houston salutes the man with a dream

Oktoberfest

St. Arnold’s annual bash is all about the beer

Art Car Parade, Bad Street Repairs, Rep. Ted Poe

A popular Art Car gets booted

An iFest Fan (and Former Music Programmer) Responds

An open letter to Racket from Rick Mitchell, with Racket's reply

St. Patrick's Day Guide 2005

An open letter to Racket from Rick Mitchell, with Racket's reply

Escape Artists

Rennies stay on after the gates close at the Texas Renaissance Festival each night, living lives from centuries ago

Best Parade

Pride Parade

People-Watchin'

The Westheimer Street Fest returns to its rightful home

Fests of Fury

Alex Lozano trumpets a 420 soiree and the return of the Westheimer Street Festival to its old home

O Tempora! O Mores!

Remembering a simpler time

Five Great Moments In Houston's Gay History

Gays, lesbians, transgenders, bisexuals, transsexuals and their friends will be marching in the 2009 Houston Pride parade Saturday night (this year's theme is "Out for Justice").To add to the festivities, we thought we'd recap some of the highlights of Houston's GLBT history. 1958: Ray Hill came ou ... More >>

Lindale Park 4th of July Parade

Web exclusive!

12th Annual Festival of Originals

Theatre Southwest's annual production of new one-acts has drama, comedy and something in between

Texas Traveler: Oktoberfests

Photo by dave77459​The Texas Hill Country is full of place-names that make Texas Traveler yearn for her nth-generation German heritage. New Braunfels conjures up the scent of the bratwurst and sauerkraut my Moomaw used to make on weekend mornings (food which I loathed, by the way, until I turn ... More >>

Oktoberfest

Photo by dave77459​The Texas Hill Country is full of place-names that make Texas Traveler yearn for her nth-generation German heritage. New Braunfels conjures up the scent of the bratwurst and sauerkraut my Moomaw used to make on weekend mornings (food which I loathed, by the way, until I turn ... More >>

It's True: Flaming Lips Headlining Summerfest In First Houston Show In 8 Years

In case you hadn't already heard (like on our Twitter feed), the Flaming Lips are this year's headliner for Free Press Summerfest, the Oklahoma psych-rockers' first Houston appearance since their joint tour with Beck stopped at Jones Hall back in 2002. The Free Press' Omar Afra and Pegstar's Jagi K ... More >>

Want To Win A "Golden Ticket" For Summerfest?

You know you do. Between today and March 1 (aka Monday), one ticket-buyer per day will be selected at random to have their purchase upgraded to the "Golden Ticket" package, which includes two "Fancy Pants Weekend Passes," backstage access, food and drink - don't worry, there will be food and drink ... More >>

The 51st Annual Saint Patrick’s Day Parade

For the Irish and Irish-at-heart

You Might Just Be A Redneck If...You Don't Recognize The "Celebrity" Grand Marshal Of The Pride Parade

Photo courtesy Bravo​Pride Houston has just announced its "first-ever National Celebrity Grand Marshal" for the 2010 Pride Parade. And it's.......Bravo's Andy Cohen?We thought liking Sondheim gave us some gay rep, but we may have to turn in our card: Who the hell is Andy Cohen?He is, Pride Houston ... More >>

It's Not Easy Being Green: How Venues And Festivals Handle All That Garbage

Marco TorresSold-out Jay-Z crowd = A lot of trash at Toyota Center.​ On any given night, 18,000 to 25,000 people fill the Toyota Center, whether to watch the Rockets play or to see Lady Gaga in full regalia. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the average American produces more than ... More >>

10th Annual Dragon Boat Festival

You won't be able to train these dragons

ACL Or Summerfest: Which Commercial Is Better?

Control Group A: The Flaming Lips are playing both Summerfest and ACL.​As you probably know by now, the Austin City Limits Music Festival released its 2010 lineup of the 130 acts playing Zilker Park October 8-10 under cover of darkness 'round midnight Monday. Meanwhile, Houston's scaled-down ... More >>

Houston LGBT Pride Parade

Everyone loves a parade

Saint Arnold’s Oktoberfest 2010

Break out your lederhosen

Under the Volcano: Oktoberfest

Anybody wanna polka?

Texas Renaissance Festival: All Hallows Eve Adventure

Ready for the banshee screeching contest?

The Food Holes at the Renaissance Fest

​I took a trip out to the Renaissance Festival this weekend. Seems like a lot of the food never changes: turkey legs, meat on a stick, funnel cake, muffalettas (muffalettas, really?). But while in the German Court, I discovered a burger with sauerkraut, mushrooms, cheese and mustard, of cour ... More >>

RenFest Folks: Watch Out For Ye Olde DWI Patrols

Where is thy designated driver?​Harken!! Ye king of the County of Montgomery hathe decreed that -- ah, we were never really into this Renaissance Festival stuff. But lots of people are, and they should be aware that shoud they be enjoying the Queen's Mead or ye olde mulled wine or the Miller ... More >>

Saint Arnold Trentino Gelato: A Fall Treat for the Warm Weather

A sign of quality...even in gelato!​Like it or not, it's warm again outside. (At least for now.) Drinking that toasty pint of Saint Arnold Oktoberfest just isn't the same when it's approaching 80 degrees and 95 percent humidity. But what if some genius soul turned that beer into a frozen dess ... More >>

Festival of Lights

A sign of quality...even in gelato!​Like it or not, it's warm again outside. (At least for now.) Drinking that toasty pint of Saint Arnold Oktoberfest just isn't the same when it's approaching 80 degrees and 95 percent humidity. But what if some genius soul turned that beer into a frozen dess ... More >>

Children's Parade

A sign of quality...even in gelato!​Like it or not, it's warm again outside. (At least for now.) Drinking that toasty pint of Saint Arnold Oktoberfest just isn't the same when it's approaching 80 degrees and 95 percent humidity. But what if some genius soul turned that beer into a frozen dess ... More >>

BP? Maybe Not - Five Other Possible Summer Fest Sponsors

Jermaine Rogers​Today is not only 4/20 and whatever the name for the Wednesday of Holy Week is - sorry, it's been a while since Rocks Off has been to church - it's the one-year anniversary of the BP blowout in the Gulf of Mexico. It's also the latest April Fool's Day in history, because earlie ... More >>

Pride Houston Parade and Festival

Jermaine Rogers​Today is not only 4/20 and whatever the name for the Wednesday of Holy Week is - sorry, it's been a while since Rocks Off has been to church - it's the one-year anniversary of the BP blowout in the Gulf of Mexico. It's also the latest April Fool's Day in history, because earlie ... More >>

5 Places to Watch the Pride Parade

So the Pride Parade's logo is really ugly this year. We still love it.​The annual Pride Parade, held in Montrose since 1979, remains the largest parade in Houston (not to mention the largest Pride Parade in the entire Southwest). And it's certainly our most festive. After all, what other parad ... More >>

Oktoberfest 2011: Where to Binge on Beer and Brats

Insert obligatory photo of buxom woman in a dirndl consuming lager from a stein here. (And remember: Lederhosen are Austrian, not Bavarian!)​If there's one thing that we Americans enjoy doing, it's co-opting other countries' holidays and turning them into giant boozefests for no good reason ot ... More >>

Houston Via Colori ® The Street Painting Festival

Insert obligatory photo of buxom woman in a dirndl consuming lager from a stein here. (And remember: Lederhosen are Austrian, not Bavarian!)​If there's one thing that we Americans enjoy doing, it's co-opting other countries' holidays and turning them into giant boozefests for no good reason ot ... More >>

37th Annual Texas Renaissance Festival

Insert obligatory photo of buxom woman in a dirndl consuming lager from a stein here. (And remember: Lederhosen are Austrian, not Bavarian!)​If there's one thing that we Americans enjoy doing, it's co-opting other countries' holidays and turning them into giant boozefests for no good reason ot ... More >>

Wine for Hanukkah, the Festival of Fried Foods and Olive Oil

Photos by Jeremy Parzen.Tomorrow night is the first night of Hanukkah. In the U.S., Ashkenazi Jews eat potato pancakes to celebrate the festival. Here and in other parts of the world, Sephardi Jews eat doughnuts.​You don't need me to tell you why we eat fried foods for Hanukkah, the Jewish fes ... More >>

Festival of Lights

Photos by Jeremy Parzen.Tomorrow night is the first night of Hanukkah. In the U.S., Ashkenazi Jews eat potato pancakes to celebrate the festival. Here and in other parts of the world, Sephardi Jews eat doughnuts.​You don't need me to tell you why we eat fried foods for Hanukkah, the Jewish fes ... More >>