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!

Wellness Pro LeBrina Jackson on Gratitude at the Holidays: It’s a ‘Reset Button for my Mind’

LeBrina Jackson

AS WE GET into the holiday season, we’re reminded of what we have, what we want and what might be lacking. As Sheryl Crow says in her song, Soak up the Sun, “It’s not having what you want, it’s wanting what you've got.” We caught up with LeBrina Jackson, owner of Escape Spa in Cypress, Texas, and learned how she tackles the holiday season with hope, love and most importantly, gratitude.

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The patio at Heights & Co.

IT'S ALMOST TIME for summer vacations, but Heights & Co. is offering escapes on its newly redecorated patio in the form of wine and movie nights — no passport needed! Visit France, Italy, Greece, Spain, and more through wine pairings and tasting menus, all complemented by movies set in each location.

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Food

Ally Shell and Martijn van Koolwijk

BLAME IT ON the Moon! Mercury Chamber Orchestra’s 2025 gala at the Thompson hotel — themed “Moonlight Serenade and chaired by Ally Shell and Martijn Van Koolwijk — was a night of glamour and big band vibes, raising more than $350,000 for the company.

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Art+Culture