Top Things To Do This Weekend: May 15-17
Celebrations
Asia Fest
Anjali Center Dancers, ready to perform this weekend.
Image: Asia Society Texas
Celebrating nearly 20 countries and their unique cultures, Asia Fest is hosted by the Texas chapter of the Asia Society. Featuring more than 50 different vendors, music, food, and activities like henna tattooing, the weekend will showcase performances by Anjali Center Indian Dance, Kalkriti Indian Folk Dances, Taiwanese Aboriginal Cultural Tour Group Dance and Rocko Stedy Hip Hop (a Filipino dance group). Food trucks on hand include Casian King, Doughmaker Doughnuts, Belly Up, Flip n Patties, Muiishi Makirritos, Pho-Jita Fusion, Waffle Bus and Wokker Texas Ranger, just to name a few. To put the cherry on top of this cultural cake, all attendees will get in free to the Asia Society’s current exhibitions, The Other Side: Chinese and Mexican Immigration to America and Round Trip, Bicycling Asia Minor, 1891.
May 16–17. Free. Asia Society Texas Center, 1370 Southmore Blvd. 713-496-9901. asiasociety.org/texas.
Comedy
Screen on the Green—Parks & Rec
From the Discovery Green website.
Good new for fans of the hit comedy Parks & Recreation: Bank of America is hosting a Screen on the Green three-hour marathon (that’s a whole SIX episodes to Treat Yo’self to). While we don’t know which episodes will be shown, they will no doubt be spectacular, especially if Lil’ Sebastian makes an appearance. So get together your picnics, lawn chairs and blankets—and don’t forget the dog—and head out. Wine and beer, among other beverages, will be on sale.
May 16. Free. 8:45 p.m.–11:45 p.m. Discovery Green, 1500 McKinney St. 713-400-7336. discoverygreen.com.
Family
Texas Children’s Art Festival
Courtesy of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
Held at the beautiful Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens, this spring arts festival is packed with opportunities for families with a creative bent. The free event will include fun arts and crafts projects like Texas landscape painting with Judi Burton, a Texas Art Quiz, and the Children’s Library Story Zone, plus demonstrations by painters, a potter, a wood turner, a silversmith, and quilters. Tours of the historic Hogg house take place on the ground floor, as well as live music from Rambling Bob the Banjo Man. With this many events and activities, just trying to fit them all into the four-hour festival will be a feat all its own.
May 17. 1 p.m.–5 p.m. Free. Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens, 6003 Memorial Dr. at Westcott St. 713-639-7750. mfah.org/visit/bayou-bend-collection-and-gardens.
Concert
New Kids on the Block
From wikimedia commons.
Image: Schokohäubchen
Oh yeah, that’s right. New Kids are back on the block! Upping their record-breaking box office numbers from the past 30 years—and with over 200 international tours already under their belt—NKOTB aren’t retiring quite yet. They’re ready to squeeze your adolescent nostalgia right from your bones. This concert isn’t just for those of us who were into boy bands (I’m a guilty Backstreet gal), though. The tour of pop icons will also feature Nelly and TLC. So step by step, come take a ride with them, and remember not to go chasing waterfalls, and your weekend will be steeped in old-school pop.
May 16 at 7p.m. $39.50–89.50. Toyota Center, 1510 Polk St. 866-446-8849. houstontoyotacenter.com.
Dance
Giselle
This is the tragic story of a young peasant girl, Giselle, who falls in love with the deceptive Count Albrecht. Albrecht charms Giselle, in the prime of her innocence and beauty, only to abandon her on what should have been their wedding day. Such pain and betrayal kills the poor girl, transforming her into a Wili (ghost of lovers scorned on their wedding days). This story, performed by the Houston Ballet and choreographed by Marius Petipa, tells a tale of sorrow and forgiveness. Dance lovers can also view Clear, an original work by Houston Ballet artistic director Stanton Welch.
May 15–May 17. 8pm. Free. Miller Outdoor Theatre, 6000 Hermann Park Dr. 281-373-3386. milleroutdoortheatre.com.
