Now that we have your interest all piqued about the spectacle that is the Texas Renaissance Festival...who wants free tickets? Houstonist has two pairs of tickets to give away for the Ren Fest: one pair that are good for any weekend in November and one pair that are good for Thanksgiving Friday only no more pairs of tickets left, but you can still buy your own. The Ren Fest is normally only open on......

Gather up the family and your little ninjas-in-training and head down to Miller Outdoor Theatre on Friday and Saturday, September 26 & 27 at 7:30 pm for two nights of high energy Japanese drumming and dancing at the 12th Annual Houston Grand Taiko Festival. The Taiko drummers will be performing along with Japanese dancers as well as some special guests. The performances are free and covered seating is always first-come-first-serve. So get their early......

If you're in the Washington Avenue area (or the Heights area, or Midtown, or Montrose...) and are still without power, we have good news courtesy of our friends at Catalan Food & Wine! The restaurant is very generously giving away what ice they have on hand tonight, after 10:00 p.m. Catalan will be reopening to the public today, September 17th, from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. After today, they'll have regular operating hours again, so......

It's hard to believe that it's been ten years since Max Fischer got kicked out of Rushmore and "made a go of it" at Grover Cleveland High. But it has been ten years, so to celebrate, Discovery Green is presenting Screen on the Green - RUSHMORE 10TH CLASS REUNION! A free screening of this indie classic by Houstonian Wes Anderson at the Anheuser-Busch Stage and Fondren Performance Space, otherwise known as the hill. Rushmore......

If you're still mistakenly laboring under the impression that ballet is dry, dusty and boring, the Dominic Walsh Dance Theater would like the chance to persuade you otherwise. This Saturday and Sunday night at Miller Outdoor Theatre, the Dominic Walsh company is putting on a decidedly modern and contemporary production of the classic ballet Sleeping Beauty, set to Tchaikovsky's original score but with choreography and costumes that are anything but traditional. Dominic Walsh himself......

What do you get when you cross the soul of a big band with the attitude of the P-Funk All-Stars? Big Sam's Funky Nation, of course! Big Sam himself is a killer trombonist who's backed by a motley crew of jazz and brass musicians who put on a raucous, lively show the likes of which you don't often see outside of the Big Easy. Both Big Sam and his Funky Nation wail through the night......

This Saturday morning a group of dedicated skateboarders from P.U.S.H. (Public Use Skateparks for Houston) are going to get together at the Lee and Joe Jamail Skatepark to teach throngs of children, as well as some adults, how to ride a skateboard. The P.U.S.H. - Novice Skateboard Workshop may not be teaching massive aerial maneuvers like the one Ken Fillion is executing in the photo above but they will be emphasizing safety and proper......

Synesthesia is defined as a sensation produced in one modality when a stimulus is applied to another modality, as when the hearing of a certain sound induces the visualization of a certain color. In this case, it's a fusion of light and sound designed and directed by Matthew Schlief with original music performed by Two Star Symphony. Two Star Symphony is a Houston based string quartet who have won many awards and accolades for......

Saturday evening from 4:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. the Heights will unfurl "White Linen Nights in the Heights", so that we can toodle around the neighborhood, exposing ourselves to art, food, shopping and perusing some of Houston 's nearly condo-eradicated architecture. Yes, construction commenced in the 1890's on this, Houston's first, planned community (who knew a planned community could rock!). This event is free, parking is free, pedi-cabs? free! shuttles, yeah free, too!! So, bust......

:: FOTOFEST BIENNIAL :: Fotofest starts tomorrow and continues until April 20th. Houston will be covered inside out with some amazing photography and photo-related art, and we heartily encourage you to see as much as you can. The theme this year is China and the ancillary theme (like minoring in college?) is transformations. Get a preview of the outstanding work on show here. Start tomorrow with the opening over at official HQ: the Vine......

:: 30TH ANNIVERSARY SUSAN SMITH BLACKBURN PRIZE DRAMATIC READING :: The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize honoring women playwrights from around the world, has decided to celebrate its thirtieth anniversary by hosting a reading and the awards in Houston. Five short works by local women playwrights (a talented bunch) will be presented as dramatic readings by Houston’s acting community (another talented bunch) at the Alley Theatre’s Neuhaus Stage this Sunday, March 9th at 3:00PM. Excerpts......

We’ve got a busy week on the concert front. Our favorite duo from New York arrives at The Meridian tomorrow night. They Might Be Giants have been making quirky alt/pop songs for grown-ups over 20 years now, and a few albums for the kids that us grown-ups enjoy, too. Wilco’s Friday night show at Verizon Wireless Theater is sold out, but if you’re willing to pay a little, you can still get your hands......

It's March now; the freakish weather is in full effect and your allergies are making you wish the spring was a figment of your imagination. What better way to celebrate than to go outside? We know: go outside and listen to good music, look at some great art and meet your Montrosian neighbors at The Free Press' Westheimer Block Party on Saturday, April 12. It looks like a veritable schmorgasboard of local goodness, folks. If......

:: Exiles in Paris Concert by Da Camera :: At the turn of the twentieth century, musicians, choreographers, writers and painters from all over the world converged in Paris and began sharing their work and ideas with each other with the goal of revolutionizing their artistic disciplines. (We at Houstonist are expecting the same thing to happen here at any moment.) Da Camera made a series of two concerts highlights the work of these......

::Poison Pen Reading Series with Robert Wilder:: Robert Wilder has taken an extremely fun column about parenting from the Santa Fe Reporter and has turned it into a book, Daddy Needs a Drink: an irreverent look at parenting from a dad who truly loves his kids. He's written for NPR, Salon.com, Details, Newsweek and elsewhere, and when he's not writing, he's teaching -- hence his second book, which came out in December: Tales from......

If you prefer 90’s music over today’s, there are a few shows this week that’ll be right up your alley. Tomorrow night, Matchbook Twenty and Alanis Morisette play a sold out show at Toyota Center (MuteMath opens). For rap fans, check out Too $hort at the Meridian Friday night and Snoop Dogg returns with new material at Warehouse Live Saturday night. Finally, Marilyn Manson gives you an alternative to Sunday night church this weekend.......

::Land Use in Houston: Two Different Approaches:: As demand for more residential and commercial building in Houston continues, the question of how to develop (and how to preserve) becomes more and more important. Houstonians for Responsible Growth is sponsoring a free public forum tonight about land use decisions under consideration of City Hall. Houstonians for Responsible Growth appear to support market- and consumer-driven growth of the city, as opposed to land use regulations and......

::Steve Almond Reads At Brazos Bookstore:: Houstonist saw Steve Almond read several years ago after the publication of his first book, My Life in Heavy Metal. He was fantastic -- very funny, charming, a great storyteller and cute as hell. He's no stranger to writing about sex and all the tension, humor and hubris surrounding the event, which just makes for one more reason to go to Brazos tonight. He's also written a book......

Greetings, Houstonians. We're psyched that so many of you are excited about the upcoming LRPC. We are, too. A few of you have asked if there's anything you can send out to your buddies to encourage them to show up. Well, axe and ye shall receive. Use the email template below to spread the word. Copy, paste, adjust and send. Enjoy. What up, Your_Friend’s_Name? You got a plan for Happy Hour today? Let me......

::Aaron Parazette at McClain Gallery:: Aaron Parazette's elegant paintings are a typographer's dream: he stretches, elongates and reshapes the letters of a word to make a stunning abstract tableau. The color palette is both retro and utterly of the moment, making the lines of his letters pop against each other. His "word paintings" often quite large in scale and the words he employs are all surfing terminology; Parazette grew up on the coast of......

Tonight, catch Grammy award-winning R&B vocalist, singer/songwriter Jill Scott at Verizon Wireless. Frequent visitor Bob Schneider makes his trip from Austin a little bit shorter tomorrow by playing at the Cypress Saloon in northwest Houston. Local faves Orange Is In is opening, which makes for a great double-bill. Another local act, The Mighty Orq, will be presenting a lot of new material at his CD release show at the Meridian Friday night (you’ll probably......

::Chitra Divakaruni reads and discusses her latest novel:: Houston's own award-winning writer Chitra Divakaruni will be at Brazos Bookstore reading from her newest novel, fresh from the printers, entitled The Palace of Illusions. Besides being a Houstonian, Ms. Divakaruni has written fourteen books of fiction and poetry and has been published in over 50 magazines. Her books have been translated into 16 languages; two of them have been made into movies (The Mistress of......

::Miwa Yanagi Panel Discussion: A Conversation about Feminine Beauty:: Well, our eyes popped out of our skulls when we saw this, not just for the topic and the photography, but also because sharp-as-a-tack Peggy Orenstein is coming to town to be a part of this panel at the MFAH. She and several Houston experts will discuss Miwa Yanagi's photography and the themes it encapsulates: gender, identity, body image, age, feminism, and beauty, and how......

It's a leap year, people, so hop on the rail and enjoy some cocktails with us. That's right; it's baaaack. Last year's Light Rail Pub Crawl was such a success that we're doing it again. What's not to love about riding the rail with 60+ folks you've never met before and having them follow you around all night? Houstonist 2nd Annual Light Rail Pub Crawl Friday, February 29th @ 5:30 PM Rally Point: Flying......

::Troy Winscott at Max's Wine Dive:: Troy Winscott's designy giclee prints will be on display at Max's, and the reception for his work is tonight. Winscott studied illustration at the Art Institute of Houston and has a background in jewelry design as well. Both crafts are at play in his tantalizing prints. Max's will host live music, light hors d'oeuvres and offer wine specials for the night. And, of course, the artist. It's a......

::Edward Grigassy Trio - Gypsy Anthems:: We just love Da Camera. And we especially love the free lunchtime concerts. Pack your own and take in some beautiful music at lunch today -- so much better than killing time on the internets. Guitarist Edward Grigassy plays throughout central and east Texas, as well as teaches guitar at Bellaire High School. He has studied classical guitar at UT Austin and received his masters from the New......

::Nooney and the Zydeco Floaters at Jax Grill:: Could you listen to anything else on Fat Tuesday? I didn't think so. Nooney's rep precedes him, and you can check him out for yourself at the Jax Grill on Shepherd. If you want a preview now, you can hear the band play "Kush Kush" while zydeco line dancers move like water across the dance floor. Date: Tuesday, February 5th Time: 6-10PM Location: Jax Grill (1613......

::Cheryl Finfrock: Stars Fall from the Dog's Mouth:: Trip out to some totally inspired art at the Jung Center. Cheryl Finfrock's new show is a collection of dream-inspired art depicting bizarre creatures in a lush, Fauve palette. The exhibition opened this past weekend and it's just the kind of jolt a month like February could use. Date: now through February 28th Time: Mon–Thu 9am-8pm, Fri 9am–5pm, Sat 10am–4pm Location: The Jung Center 5200 Montrose,......

::Vinyl Ranch #6: A Tribute to the Female Legends of Country Music:: Oh Lordy do we need some country lovin'! Vinyl Ranch will be playing the best of the best tonight at the smallest country dance floor in Texas, currently in place at Leon's Lounge. Dave Wrangler and LJ Walker host this very special ladies night, along with guest DJ Chris Kairo. It's February, and if any month could use a little more honky......

::Chantal Akerman: Moving Through Time and Space:: Chantal Akerman is considered one of the premiere film directors ever, and the exhibition at the Blaffer Gallery is showing her work not only as film but also as art. And for good reason. Her visual elegance, coupled with an acute exploration of cultural rifts of our time, have brought her work to the attention of the world over. The Blaffer has five installations on view, so......