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Get Outside!
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Beat the summer heat by exploring at night Discovery Green, one of Houston’s favorite parks! Park After Dark happens on Thursdays in June at Discover Green — enjoy glowing fountains, the "Rocket Dog" toy cart, and lawn games. You can grab a treat from a food truck and catch the sunset just in time for line dancing and DJ sets once the sun goes down.
Get ready for the World Cup by catching a free showing of Bend It Like Beckham during Screen on the Green on June 5 (costumes and PJs encouraged!), or head over Saturday mornings for Soccer Skills and Sweet Treats to practice your footwork with Futbolito en el Barrio. For a bit of mid-summer zen, don't miss the International Day of Yoga on June 21, featuring Bollywood dancing and a unique "Sound Labyrinth.” See the full calendar.
There’s always something to explore at Hermann Park! Start your day with Zoolates at the Houston Zoo (June 20 or August 15) for a unique Pilates session among the animals. Afterward, head to Miller Outdoor Theatre for their legendary free performances on the hill. June 19 features the Juneteenth Culture Fest with Maze and Chanté Moore, while the Houston Shakespeare Festival kicks off July 30 with The Tempest and The Comedy of Errors. Don't miss The Art of Circus on August 29, where acrobats bring world-famous paintings to life in a gravity-defying show!
Levy Park is the place to be for families looking for free programming this summer! Every Tuesday at 10 a.m., Family Storytime pairs a great book with a creative craft project (supplies included!). For a bit of culture, the Houston Grand Opera hosts Storybook Opera on June 6 and July 11, where professional singers turn classic tales into a 30-minute musical adventure. If you’re looking for hands-on fun, mark your calendar for August 15, when Young Audiences of Houston is hosting an interactive workshop spanning dance, theater, and visual arts. See the full calendar.
Galleries & Stages
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The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston has a great lineup for the summer. For local history, Art, Place, and Power looks at how seven Black artists transformed abandoned structures into the legendary Project Row Houses back in the '90s. In Cullinan Hall, you've got Ernesto Neto's SunForceOceanLife (pictured above) —a vibrant crochet maze suspended 12 feet in the air where you can walk across shifting plastic balls.
The big draw for summer, though, is the Thursday family workshops. In June and July, teaching artists take over the galleries from 11 AM to 2 PM to lead hands-on projects, so everyone can experiment with new materials, tools, and processes.
The Alley Theatre line-up is anything but cockadoodey! Kathy Bates fans won’t want to miss Stephen King’s Misery from May 29 to June 21. Then, from July 24 to August 30, the paranoia kicks in with The Girl on the Train. This thriller follows Rachel as she tries to piece together a blackout night to solve a missing person case, leaving you wondering who to trust when you can’t even trust yourself.
Installation by TUNDRA, photo by Freddy Cedeno (courtesy)
Art Club at POST is a futuristic museum of new media where digital installations use lasers, LEDs, and interactive soundscapes to create an otherworldly experience. While the current season wraps up on May 24, the venue reopens in early June with nine all-new installations. For a dose of skyline views and live music, head up to the Skylawn for their rooftop concert series. Catch The Texas Eagles on June 19 for a soulful tribute to the Eagles, followed by the premier Journey tribute band, Escape, on June 27. The rooftop will also host a Fourth of July Celebration, so keep an eye out for upcoming details on fireworks and festivities. See the full calendar — including what artists are stopping by 713 Music Hall this summer.
Mrs. Peacock, Colonel Mustard, and the rest of the crew are heading to the Hobby Center this June. Clue! Live on Stage kicks things off from June 14–19, bringing the classic board game and 1985 movie to life. Right after that, the energy shifts to the HTX Contemporary Dance Fest from June 24–25, which features on-stage dance classes, community meetups, and unique concerts from local companies like Houston Contemporary and Open Dance Project. Then in July, Moulin Rouge! The Musical takes over, bringing the 10-time Tony-winning pop music mash-up to the stage.
Out to Eat
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Can’t get enough of dancing at brunch?? Brasserie 19’s Le Brunch de Funk is back with DJ GFunk spinning, heavy-pouring cocktails, and a stylish crowd that definitely isn’t there for a quiet morning. They are kicking off the summer stretch early with a special Pride Brunch de Funk on June 7, followed by their classic end-of-the-month bashes on June 28, July 26, and August 30. If you’re looking to trade your usual low-key Sunday for a high-energy party by the patio, this is where you want to be from 12:30 PM to 4:00 PM.
On the first Sunday of every month this summer, a’Bouzy is resurrecting the spirit of Houston’s most legendary daytime disco with a La Strada Sunday Brunch. For those who missed the 90s, La Strada was the birthplace of Sunday Funday in Montrose — a high-energy institution famous for frozen Bellinis and people dancing on the bars. To honor that legacy, a’Bouzy is bringing back the full nostalgia with DJs, plenty of Jell-O shots, mimosas, and those iconic frozen peach Bellinis. Grab a pitcher of Bellinis and get ready to party like it’s 1999!
Pitch Live is a 39-day pop-up transforming the former Warehouse Live into an air-conditioned soccer sanctuary for the World Cup. The name and concept serve as an evolution of The Ranch Saloon + Steakhouse, Ben Berg’s record-breaking hospitality experience at the Houston Rodeo. It’s driven by a Houston dream team: restaurateur Ben Berg, nightlife impresario Army Sadeghi (Clarkwood, Melrose), and Dynamo legend Brian Ching (Pitch 25). Together they’ve merged Texas-inspired dining with world-class nightlife. The venue features three distinct environments — from a grand main stage to a VIP lounge — and the party spills onto a pedestrian-only Walker Street connecting to the FIFA Fan Fest.
Also in EaDo, the team behind Chapman and Kirby is taking over the former True Anamoly space and making it a World Cup HQ. Expect a Bacardi lounge with food trucks from all across Houston. Plus, a giant screen and local makers selling H-Town wares — all just steps away from FanFest!
Where to Check-in
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If Wes Anderson came to Houston, he would absolutely be staying at Hotel Daphne. This new boutique spot in the Heights is pure design candy, and the big news is that Bar Daphne just opened its doors. This artsy cocktail den channels the neighborhood's old-school dry era secret club energy, serving drinks named after the modern paintings hanging on the walls. It’s the perfect spot for bar bites before heading into Hypsi, their sun-drenched Italian resto featuring a roving tableside mozzarella cart. Or, you can grab your crew for Monday Mahjong inside their gorgeous library and order lunch delivered straight to your table.
Hotel ZaZa Memorial City is leaning all the way into the World Cup with Après Sport, opening its poolside oasis to non-guests from 6 to 9 PM on match days (June 11–July 18). You can catch the Fox Sports broadcast and sip global cocktails in a private cabana, or kick things off on June 12 with an Around The World Wine Tasting paired with chef bites.
Not a soccer fan? Score all-day pool access without a room key through the Summer of Spa. Booking any signature ZaSpa treatment unlocks access to the pool, valet, and infrared sauna — plus, you and a friend get $50 off each when booking together Sunday through Friday.
La Colombe d’Or, a storied boutique hotel in Montrose, offers a refined summer retreat where art and hospitality seamlessly intertwine. With its elegant suites and curated collection of over 425 works of art and sculpture, every stay feels like a cultural getaway.
Book the Sips and Bites Staycation package and enjoy a welcome spread of charcuterie and cheese paired with a bottle of sparkling wine, a $100 hotel credit, complimentary overnight parking and a 4 PM late check-out. Use your late check-out to explore the nearby Museum of Fine Arts, Menil Collection, Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, or all four!
