Spring into the Season with These Fun Events (That Don't Involve Rodeo Crowds)

Spring into the Season with These Fun Events (That Don't Involve Rodeo Crowds)

Houston Arboretum

WE ALL LOVE a Rodeo, but sometimes we need options for events that have a different energy, speed — and crowd size. Check out some artsy, unique happenings around Houston in March!


Bayou City Art Festival

Work by Jasmine Bousie

The alfresco art festival returns to the streets of Downtown March 29-30. Walk the streets, sidewalk, and grounds of Sam Houston Park along Allen Parkway and enjoy hundreds of artist booths, a craft beer garden, live music, craft stations and more! This year's spring fest features four Houston-area college art students in a special exhibit. Maryam Abdullahi of Houston Community College, Jasmine Bousie of the University of Houston Downtown, Tetzal Cornejo of Rice University, and Ashley Guevara of the University of Houston will debut their artwork while representing their school to showcase and sell their art at Houston's signature art festival.

'Monarch Story' at the Houston Arboretum

The migratory path of the Monarch butterfly goes through Texas, and the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center has erected an interactive art installation celebrating the beautiful creature and its habitat! A collection of larger-than-life sculptures by artist Michelle Matthews is located near the Butterfly Bungalow just north of the nature playscape at the Arboretum, which in total is home to more than 600 native plant species. Check it out over Spring Break!

'Make Believe: Poems for Hoping Again'

A Houston-based yoga influencer and "handstanding poet" known as the Daily Victorian, Victoria Hutchins is now a published author. The TikTok star (with more than 1.1M followers) celebrates the release of her book, Make Believe: Poems for Hoping Again, at Blue Willow Bookshop on March 19. Blue Willow has sold more than 1,000 pre-orders of her book (and counting!), one of its largest, most successful pre-orders ever. Make Believe tells the story of Victoria abandoning her job as a burnt-out corporate lawyer deep in the midst of a spiritual crisis. She rediscovers herself as a creative person and finds her happiness (and provides the same tools for others).

Dinner and a Show at Brennan's

Mardi Gras doesn't have to be over! On March 16, savor Creole fare at Brennan's and enjoy an evening of top-40 rock from the 1960s and '70s courtesy of P.F. & the Flyers. A three-course dinner — salad, creole-stuffed chicken or beef tenderloin, and the famous bananas Foster — is served at first-come-first-served communal tables of 10-12 guests. Doors open at 5:30pm and entertainment begins at 6:30. Rock on!

Ancient French Wellness Cures Reimagined at Houston’s Escape Spa: The Power of Vichy

Serial entrepreneur and spa visionary LeBrina Jackson

NESTLED IN THE heart of France, the town of Vichy holds a rich history in the world of wellness and hydrotherapy. Acquiring fame for their alkaline springs in the 17th century, the Romans were among the first to recognize the therapeutic benefits of the springs. They established a French spa known as “Vichy,” which still exists today and continues to attract spa-goers from around the world to experience the transformative effects of hydrotherapy.

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Paella Valenciana at Mi Luna

THOUGH IT'S BEEN in Houston less than a decade, Sof Hospitality has made major inroads with foodies and critics alike. Its concepts include Doris Metropolitan, Hamsa and Badolina Bakery, all of which deliver the rich flavors of Israeli cuisine in complex, photogenic and delicious dishes. Its newest, Októ, opened earlier this year, one of several energetic restaurants to bow in the Montrose Collective, just in time for the holidays.

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Food

Bill Viola’s ‘Ascension,’ on display as part of ‘Living with the Gods’ at MFAH

THE ARTIST WHO ushered in the expressionist movement in the early 20th century was not, in fact, Picasso or Matisse. It was Paul Gauguin, whose career spanned the decades just preceding the turn of the century. The French painter is the subject of the Museum of Fine Arts’ latest exhibit, Gauguin in the World, which was organized by Henri Loyrette (formerly of the Louvre and the Musée d’Orsay, Paris). The show, just one of the museum’s diverse winter season shows, debuted in Australia in June and will be on display through Feb. 16, 2025, at the MFAH, the only U.S. venue for the survey.

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Art + Entertainment