The Ultimate Holiday Family Fun Guide

Our guide to locally made gifts, the city’s best cultural events, great places to see lights, the tastiest holiday food, belly-warming drinks, and free—yes, free!—family events to keep everyone entertained. Sixty great ideas for the best season ever. Plus: how to experience a real winter, Urban Harvest turns 25, bringing new life to an old house, how a small-town kid became an H-Town driver, and more.

In this issue:

Arts & Culture

Holly, Jolly Houston

The Ultimate Holiday Family Fun Guide

How to make the most of the best time of the year.

10/28/2019 By Houstonia Staff

Holly, Jolly Houston

Deck Your Christmas Calendar With These Events

Get your dose of holiday culture.

10/28/2019 By Morgan Kinney

Origin Stories

Do You Know Who Grew Your Food?

'The Hands That Feed Houston' photo exhibit will introduce you to our region's local farmers.

10/28/2019 By Timothy Malcolm

Face Off

Meet Lady Iris, the Ren Fest Face Painter

At 26 years and counting, Lady Iris is one of the fest's longest-serving artists.

10/28/2019 By Morgan Kinney

Secret Sharer

The Ideal Houston Scavenger Hunt Can Be Found In This Book

Secret Houston: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure details all sorts of obscure Houston lore.

10/28/2019 By Chris Gray

Eat & Drink

Holly, Jolly Houston

How to Serve a Houstonian Holiday Feast

Stressed about what to serve this season? Let someone else do the work, and hit up one of these beloved spots for holiday cooking guaranteed to impress any guest.

10/28/2019 By Timothy Malcolm

Flying High

How Many Pies Does Flying Saucer Pie Co. Sell for Thanksgiving?

A Houston institution for Thanksgiving pie, by the numbers.

10/28/2019 By Gwendolyn Knapp

The Best Restaurants for Celebrations

When you want a night out to feel like an occasion, head to one of these fancy, festive eateries.

10/28/2019 By Timothy Malcolm

Restaurant Review

At River Oaks District, Two Must-Try, See-and-Be-Seen Spots

Are MAD and Ouzo Bay worth the hype?

10/28/2019 By Timothy Malcolm

Editor’s Note

Editor's Note

This Thanksgiving, We're Grateful for Lizzo

We're a little late to the party, but at least we got there.

10/28/2019 By Catherine Matusow

Home & Real Estate

Space City

In with the Bold: A Makeover Brings New Life to an Old House

A Memorial-area family finally got their dream house, but it was stuck firmly in 1967. So they gutted the place, remodeled it, and—with the help of a great designer—added whimsical wallpaper, lush textures, and pops of color galore.

10/28/2019 By Abby Ledoux

News & City Life

Holly, Jolly Houston

Where to See the Best Christmas Lights in Houston

All of the must-see holiday light shows to attend in Houston.

11/21/2022 By Shelby Stewart and Geneva Diaz

Spacing Out

Who Will Build the First Commercial Space Station?

If everything goes according to plan, Houston-based Axiom Space may start sending people to space starting in 2021.

10/28/2019 By Dianna Wray

The Enforcer

Did You Know That You—Yes, You—Could Write Parking Tickets?

Just complete the City of Houston’s Volunteer Parking Enforcement Program, and the power could be yours.

10/28/2019 By Morgan Kinney

Perfect Party

November's Perfect Party: Ladies' Night Edition

This month is all about female empowerment.

10/28/2019 By Catherine Matusow

Thanks to HOU

What We're Thankful For Right Now

No. 1: The Astros.

10/28/2019 By Craig Hlavaty

The Drawl

A Houston Holiday Timeline

The actual season may only last a couple of months, but the planning and the buying and the drinking? They go on all year long.

10/28/2019 By Jeff Balke

H-Town Diary

Becoming a Houstonian, Mile by Mile

"I’ve associated Houston itself with driving for as long as I can remember, and hard, crazy driving at that, full of traffic and complicated roadways that could throw off even the most seasoned drivers."

10/28/2019 By Schaefer Edwards