The focus of this blog is to show how fun and dynamic Houston is! Houstonians tend to be very rooted and proud of being natives of Houston. If you ask a Houstonian where they are from, they will likely respond (loud and proud) that not only are they from the great state of Texas, but from the great city of Houston. It would seem that many people are unfamilar with what Houston has to offer. Whether you're planning a trip with family or are visiting to have a good time with friends, Houston has fun events for the tallest to the smallest. In this post, we will be focusing on fun for twenty somethings. The primary goal of this blog is to provide you with a listing of fun events in Houston. Some of the events are available seasonally while others are here for you to enjoy all year long! Hopefully, this blog will help you plan a super fun trip to HTX!
Bayou Place
Bayou Place is located in the center of the Theatre District. Bayou Place is 130, 000 feet of adult oriented fun and a can't miss Houston attraction. Below, I have listed some of my favorite activities to partake in when visiting Bayou Place. Parking can be an issue so I recommend valet parking which is always available. There is also $2 parking available but that fills up pretty quickly so unless you want to locate self park somewhere near Bayou Place, I recommend valet simply out of convenience.
- Hard Rock Cafe
The Hard Rock Cafe is a can't miss stop when visiting Bayou Place. When visiting the Hard
Rock Cafe, you will dine while surrounded by fun memorabilia and music. The atmosphere is
fun and upbeat and you can dine upon tasty dishes while consuming fun, flavorful drinks. The
waitstaff here is exceptional and I never leave disappointed in my experience!
- LIVE! At Bayou Place
bars and two patios where you can drink and mingle with old friends or make new friends.
The four bars are: PBR which is a "cowboy" bar, Lucie's Liquors which as an old-school Vegas
feel, Shark Bar commonly referred to as "the endless summer," and last Chapel.
Me and two of my girlfriends having a fun night at Bayou Place!
Toyota Center and Cynthia Wood Mitchell Pavilion
Bayou Place is a terrific place to get your eat and drink on, but Houston isn't only about partying. I would consider music to be an enormous Houston attraction. Houstin is home to many global artists such as Beyonce, Blue October, and of course some infamous dirty south rappers: Slim Thug, Pimp C, Z-Ro and so many more! Parking at both locations is a nightmare but such is the nature of any public event. There is free parking in The Woodlands but be prepared for a long walk to the Pavillion. A parking pass at Toyota Center is $25 and, in my opinion, is worth it. The parking garage is right across from the location and, rather than park illegally somewhere downtown which is easy to do in Houston, I'd recommend the parking pass.
- Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavillion
If you're looking for an event that's intimate and friendly, drive out to The Woodlands. The
Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavillion has an enormous lawn where you can spread out a blanket
and get to know the people next to you while listening to some amazing music. If a lawn seat
isn't your thing, there are also chairs under the pavillion available but there's nothing like a
good spot on the lawn to kick back under the stars and have a good time.
A view from of the stage when I went to see 311
Some of my friends at 311! We got free upgraded seats and since it was muddy on the lawn we took them but lawn seats are way better!
- Toyota Center
The Toyota Center is a really fun place to catch a concert as well. The sound is incredible and
the there are bars set up conventiently all around the center. The location is always well staffed
so lines are rarely long.
Madonna Concert
Me and my older sister at the Madonna concert at Toyota Center. So FUN!
The Museum District
The Museum District is a great place to soak up some culture. Some of the attractions that I most enjoy are: Houston Museum of Natural Science, Houston Museum of Fine Arts, Holocaust Museum, and John P. McGovern Health Museum. The museum websites always have listings of upcoming events so you can decide what sounds the most interesting to you. In March, I visited HMNS to view the Titanic exhibit which was really interesting. Another fun attraction at HMNS is the butterfly exhibit where you can walk through a large pyramid filled with butterflies and tropical flowers. Like everywhere in Houston, parking is an issue so, as usual, I recommend parking in the parking garages attached to the museums.
I retrieved this image from: www.google.com
Old Town Spring
Old Town Spring is located in Spring, Texas which is a town in the North of Houston. There are two times of year that Old Town Spring is the place to be. During the spring, the annual Crawfish Festival commences and during the winter, there are the Christmas festivities.
- Crawfish Festival
The annual Crawfish Festival commences in April. Zydeco music sets the tone for 25 tons of
mudbugs to be consumed and washed down by buckets of beer. There is live music performed
on three stages, rides, games, and food. The Crawfish Festival is something I look forward to
every year but haven't been able to attend in the last two years because I've been pretty busy
with work and school. But, no matter how many assignments I have due next April, I'm
going to make time for this event!
- Christmas
Old Town Spring is truly magical at Christmas when there is a festival of lights of sorts. The
quaint town takes on a realistically old-fashioned feel and vendors assemble to sell handmade
holiday crafts and decorations. The smells of kettle corn and hot chocolate fill the air while
choirs and carolers perform on multiple stages.
Texas Renaissance Festival
The Texas Renaissance Festival is a really fun event that takes place on weekends in October and November every year. It takes place in Plantersville which just north of Houston. It's a bit of a drive from what I would consider "main Houston" but it's well worth it. There's a wide variety of food from huge turkey legs to corn on the cob and tasty sweets. The food is served in taverns and pubs or at large wooden tables "King's Feast" style and a plethora of beer is never in short supply! The festival has quite a bit of entertainment such as the popular "Ded Bob Show," jousting, jugglers and so much more. Face painting and shopping are always available as well. The Renaissance Festival is always a good time especially if you get really into it and wear tradition garb which you can rent at the festival or you can buy or make yourself. If you are really into the festival, you can camp out at the campgrounds and party all night with the staff! If I moved away from Houston, I would have to come back for this festival!
Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is a can't miss stop on your agenda of Houston events. The Rodeo begins with a cook-off in February to jump start the events and ends in March. The Livestock Show and Rodeo is one of the largest Rodeo's in the world! The events at the rodeo consist of the calf scramble, barrel racing, wagon racing, bull riding, and so much more! There are also showings of steer, heifers, pigs, turkeys, and more. In addition to the livestock show and rodeo, there is a massive concert series featuring some of the worlds most talented country artists. The year before last I saw the Zac Brown Band and last year I caught the Eli Young Band. Country artists are not the only artists to perform as there are always Latin artists and pop artists on stage on different days during the concert series. The carnival is a really fun feature of the rodeo. There are rides, games, junk food, and of course beer! If you're planning a trip to Houston, sometime in March is a great time to come so you can stop by the Rodeo and get your country on!
Me and my friend waiting for Eli Young
Eli Young Band
REALLY enjoying the cook-off last year!
Houston has so much to do that it would take forever to compete it all in one blog! Many other fun attractions include the Galleria, SplashTown, the Montrose area, the Houston Zoo, and so much more but we'll save those for another day!
