Festivals and Parades

East End Street Fest

Upcoming Events: Mucho de Mayo

As May approaches, more Cinco de Mayo events are announced every day. Here are a few of our favorites. La Mexicana in Montrose is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. And while the restaurant doesn't normally host a big Cinco de Mayo bash, it's blowing off the roof on Saturday, May 5, with t ... More >>

Richard III

As May approaches, more Cinco de Mayo events are announced every day. Here are a few of our favorites. La Mexicana in Montrose is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. And while the restaurant doesn't normally host a big Cinco de Mayo bash, it's blowing off the roof on Saturday, May 5, with t ... More >>

An Afternoon with the Artists

As May approaches, more Cinco de Mayo events are announced every day. Here are a few of our favorites. La Mexicana in Montrose is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. And while the restaurant doesn't normally host a big Cinco de Mayo bash, it's blowing off the roof on Saturday, May 5, with t ... More >>

Night After Monsters: Winner and Craft Beer Labels Announced

Brooklyn's Oktoberfest: the label that proved toughest to guess.​We had 29 entries for last week's Night After Monsters contest, in which we asked our readers to identify 15 craft beer labels which had been edited to remove all identifying text. And of those 29 entries, an impressive 19 got al ... More >>

Wingtoberfest: Put Your Judging Pants On

Today is German-American Day, which falls conveniently in the middle of Oktoberfest season. And we thought that German-American Day was coincidentally the perfect day to announce our own upcoming Oktoberfest party: Wingtoberfest! Wingtoberfest will take place on Thursday, October 20, from 7 to 9 p. ... More >>

Colores del Carnaval Dominicano

Today is German-American Day, which falls conveniently in the middle of Oktoberfest season. And we thought that German-American Day was coincidentally the perfect day to announce our own upcoming Oktoberfest party: Wingtoberfest! Wingtoberfest will take place on Thursday, October 20, from 7 to 9 p. ... More >>

Mystic Krewe of Aquarius Fat Tuesday Parade

Today is German-American Day, which falls conveniently in the middle of Oktoberfest season. And we thought that German-American Day was coincidentally the perfect day to announce our own upcoming Oktoberfest party: Wingtoberfest! Wingtoberfest will take place on Thursday, October 20, from 7 to 9 p. ... More >>

Mardi Gras: Krewe of Barkus & Meoux Parade

Today is German-American Day, which falls conveniently in the middle of Oktoberfest season. And we thought that German-American Day was coincidentally the perfect day to announce our own upcoming Oktoberfest party: Wingtoberfest! Wingtoberfest will take place on Thursday, October 20, from 7 to 9 p. ... More >>

Where Are We Drinking?

The last days of margarita season are upon us. It's difficult to enjoy the icy, citrusy concoction when autumn beverages like Oktoberfest beers and cherry-topped Manhattans are calling out. Think you know where we're drinking this week? ​Leave your best guess in the comments section below.

Upcoming Events

Photo by Reggie BibbsThis winsome wench and many more are waiting to pour you a flagon of mead at Ren Fest.​As mentioned earlier this week, food festival season is upon us in Houston, with some of our favorite festivals kicking off this weekend. The 44th annual Greek Festival started yesterday ... More >>

36th Annual Texas Renaissance Festival

Toss back a few tankards during this Oktoberfest weekend

Galveston Island Shrimp Festival

Galveston hosts its first annual festival of all things shrimp

Upcoming Events

I own three of these shirts.​Fall is in the air (what, you can't feel it? just trust us), which means that the first of the fall ingredients are hitting tables across the city. At Prego (2520 Amherst), Chef John Watt is featuring a menu of mushroom madness courtesy of the wonderful organic mus ... More >>

Main Street Music Festival

I own three of these shirts.​Fall is in the air (what, you can't feel it? just trust us), which means that the first of the fall ingredients are hitting tables across the city. At Prego (2520 Amherst), Chef John Watt is featuring a menu of mushroom madness courtesy of the wonderful organic mus ... More >>

The Watermarks

I own three of these shirts.​Fall is in the air (what, you can't feel it? just trust us), which means that the first of the fall ingredients are hitting tables across the city. At Prego (2520 Amherst), Chef John Watt is featuring a menu of mushroom madness courtesy of the wonderful organic mus ... More >>

Baytown's 4th of July Parade and Celebration

Houston's small-town neighbor throws a big, big independence bash

Girl Talk Toilet Paper Mash-Ups Balloons = Party!

Marc Brubaker​ Aftermath didn't think it was possible to up the ante any more at this year's Summerfest until Girl Talk took the stage Saturday night. In our estimation, it was the biggest and baddest Summerfest party to date. We might even venture to say that achieved the biggest and baddest summ ... More >>

Traders Village 5th Annual Cinco de Mayo

Celebrate this Mexican holiday with a little music, a little dancing and a little (or a lot) of drinking

Wowee Zowee! Summerfest and Pegstar Do It Again!

​ Since the Summerfest 2010 announcement in February, Houston has been abuzz about the festival's line-up, heading up the Flaming Lips and Girl Talk. Word came down last night that another name has been added to the list of headliners. Let's just say that you summer babes may have to cut your hair ... More >>

Houston Hispanic Book Festival

Reading is fundamentale

3rd Houston Brazilian Carnaval

Katia Moraes brings her infectious rhythms to Houston

Free Press New Year's Eve

Katia Moraes brings her infectious rhythms to Houston

2009 Concert Rewind: Backtracking to Free Press Houston Summerfest

Craig Hlavaty"Hippie Mike" may have been a bigger hit at Summerfest than any of the bands.​ Craig Hlavaty: "The two-day concert reminded us of a fun-size Austin City Limits Festival, with the best bits of Westheimer Block Parties of yore thrown in for good measure, with sprinkles of Houston's ... More >>

Festival of Lights

We don't want to see Moody Gardens' light bill

Thanksgiving with Santa

Get grateful with the big guy

Eating at the Renaissance Fest

We were happy to be in the audience at the Texas Renaissance Festival for the turkey leg-eating contest, with not one of the 10 contestants kneeling in the dirt picking sinew out of their teeth (see video). Winner "Albert Zero One" of Austin inhaled his in about three-and-a-half minutes, then walke ... More >>

The Celebration of African Arts and Music Festival

Web exclusive

A Gift of Christmas — LIVE

Web exclusive!

Reel Teen Festival Editing Session

Web exclusive!

Slideshow: HEB Thanksgiving Day Parade in Downtown Houston

Low-riders, art cars, SpongeBob, Santa Claus, D-list celebs, marching bands, stick-fighting Sikhs and plump Shriners in souped-up go-carts -- where else could it be but the HEB Thanksgiving Day Parade? And although we lack quality photographic proof -- amazingly, even Sheila Jackson Lee was there. ... More >>

58th Annual H-E-B Holiday Parade

See floats, bands, balloons and more at this “Circus Celebration”

Show Some Pride

See floats, bands, balloons and more at this “Circus Celebration”

When Stars Don't Align

See floats, bands, balloons and more at this “Circus Celebration”

Space City Snapshots

See floats, bands, balloons and more at this “Circus Celebration”

The Boys Are Back

See floats, bands, balloons and more at this “Circus Celebration”

Great Globes of Flesh

A Carnaval celebration, Austin-style

Just Like Winter

Ice skating glides outside at Moody Gardens

Seabrook Music Festival

October 4-6

Best Place to Fly a Kite

Galveston East Beach

Best Novelty Store

Erotic Cabaret

Gay Ride

The Pride Parade comes out like a light

The Music! The Gaiety! The Samba!

The Houston International Festival

Women at Work

The Houston International Festival