Pub Night @ Saint Arnold Brewery Friday, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. 2000 Lyons
The October Pub Night at Saint Arnold Brewing Co. has arrived. From 5 p.m. until 9 p.m., the brewery will serve as a bar so you can purchase your beers by the glass or the bottle. As always, there's no entry fee for Pub Night. Saint Arnold will offer select Divine Reserves and Bishop's Barrels, as well as select beers on tap, such as Fancy Lawnmower, Amber Ale and Oktoberfest, throughout the night. Pair those beers with English Chicken Curry served with roasted red peppers, chickpeas and rice, or try something with a little more grease, such as the hand cut frites topped with corned beef, Oktoberfest aioli and sauerkraut.
Diplomats of Drum Malaysian Cooking Class @ Central Market Friday, 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. 3815 Westheimer
The Diplomats of Drum, a 16-member Malaysian percussion group, has been visiting Houston this past week and to end their visit, they will host a Malaysian cooking class at Central Market tonight beginning at 6:30 p.m. Tickets to the class cost $45; each guest will learn about Malaysian cuisine and will feast on a variety of dishes incorporating Chinese, Malaysian and Indian flavors. The cooking class menu includes penang char kuey teow (flat noodles), chicken curry and roti jala (net pancake), as well as a Malaysian fruit salad, rojak.
Buffalo Bayou Shrimp Festival Saturday, noon to 6 p.m. 901 N. York
How does a day filled with beer, shrimp, live music and games sound? Pretty awesome, right? Especially because this festival is free. The Buffalo Bayou Shrimp Festival will take place in Houston's East End on the banks of the Buffalo Bayou and will feature shrimp from Shrimp Boat Projects along with beer from Karbach Brewing Co. Teams will also compete in the Shrimp Cook-Off presented by Urban Harvest. Sampling tickets will be sold as soon as the first dish is turned in to the judges, allowing guests to vote on the People's Choice Award. Judges will help determine the winner in three categories: best etouffe, best grilled shrimp and best open shrimp dish. Play a couple games of horsehoe and listen to live music from Kelly Doyle Trio, Hayden Jones and The Roosevelt House Band, Umbrella Man and Craig Kinsey, while you sip on Karbach beer and eat some mighty fine shrimp dishes.
Evenings on the Esplanade Saturday, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. 2600 Navigation
Head to the Esplanade on Navigation Boulevard Saturday night to check out some local businesses. Enjoy some barbecue from El Burro & the Bull, ice cream and treats from Chocolate Wasted Ice Cream Bus and espresso drinks from Southside Espresso. The weather should be nice as the sun goes down, so enjoy every second of the cooler temperatures while supporting local businesses.
The Original Greek Festival @ Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral Friday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; and Sunday, noon to 6 p.m. 3511 Yoakum
Come stuff your face with Greek food at this year's Greek Festival. Along with the Greek dancing and music, and Cathedral tours, there will be tons of authentic Greek pastries, gyros and souvlaki available for you to enjoy. Build a dinner plate with pastitsio (baked macaroni with beef and Romano cheese topped with bechamel), tiropita (triangular-shaped puff pastry stuffed with cheese), spanakopita (filo stuffed with spinach and feta cheese), keftedes (Greek meatballs) and a traditional Greek salad. Cap it all off with pastries, such as finikia (sweet honey cookies topped with nuts) and koulourakia (twisted butter cookies). And don't forget about the Greek coffee! Tickets cost $5 for adults; children 12 and under are admitted free; and admission is free for everyone on Friday from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m.
