TIME TO PAINT the town! This season, a trio of art fairs hits Houston, beginning with the Houston Art Fair (formerly the Houston Fine Art Fair), where nearly 50 local and international galleries exhibit Sept. 29-Oct. 2 at Silver Street Studios. On the same weekend, the Texas Contemporary event is held Downtown at the George R. Brown Convention Center. Opening-night festivities include a collaborative performance with the Houston Ballet’s Oliver Halkowich and multi-media artist Chris Doyle. And a week later, the semi-annual Bayou City Art Festival returns to the streets of Downtown with hundreds of outdoor booths.
Marla Hurley, Ben Berg, and Laura Goodson
More than 300 invitees donned their western best and headed on out to the fairgrounds for the occasion. The Ranch's new frozen margaritas were a hit, and patrons raised a glass (or two!) while also munching on passed bites — mini versions of Berg's hit dishes, including "carpet baggers," crab cakes and beef Wellington. The 2025 iteration of The Ranch will feature activations from some of Berg's concepts, like Buttermilk Baby, and other Houston bars and restaurants.
The Ranch's decor includes 90-plus pieces by Texas artist Laura Goodson, which are all available for purchase; Goodson herself was on hand during the opening event, chatting with guests about her process. And Round Top's vintage and consignment expert, Marla Hurey of Modern Marla, wheeled in some of her latest finds to set up a bespoke photobooth backdrop, which was quite popular among partygoers!
Ellie Francisco and Michael Francisco
Tiana Lee and James Lancaster
Azameeh Zageer, Arthur Mooradian and Maya Shay
Terry Agris and Tisha Mesa
Brandon Duliakas, Katherine Ross and Armie Sadeghi
Shayna Hawkins, Stephanie Hawkins and Lindsey Nichley
Cameron Edwards, Robin Spilker, Lauren Hundley and Melanie Amua-Sekyi
Randy Paul, Ernie Manouse, and Katie Stone
Fady Armanious
Randi Smith, Christi Rawls, and Megan Ruddy
Rachel Tipton and Thuy Nguyen
Courtney Zavala and Alley Leto
Meghan Bailey and Chelsea Coyne
Demi McCormack, Johnny McCormack and Mike Plank
Maryellen Walsh, Maggie Miller, and Dani Kattan
Jacob Shipp and David Denenburg
Lindsay Yates, Debbie Festari, Courtney Hopson, Melissa Mithoff, and Stephanie Wilcox
Jenny Weber and Allison Bagley
Laura Resendez and Lloyd Segall
Kevin Henry, Danielle Dubois, and Jim Janke