A note regarding COVID-19
Upcoming Events in Gulf Coast
Sugar Land
Nothing But Blue Skies Contemporary Handweavers of Texas Conference
May 31-June 4
Houston Marriot , 16090 City Walk
Learn a new skill or expand a current one in a variety of workshops covering tapestry weaving, dyeing, spinning, floor loom weaving, bead weaving, and design techniques. Exhibit your creations in the Members’ Exhibit and Fashion Show, and dazzle at the work of others. Shop for quality goods in the vendor hall and sell your own work in the members’ sale. Enjoy the company of fellow weavers and fiber artists, all under the Texas sky.
Corpus Christi
Pride Corpus Christi
June 1-30
Various locations
Everyone is invited to Corpus Christi during the month of June to see how Pride 2023 is celebrated in the Gulf Coast capital. Festivities throughout the month include movie, comedy, and poetry nights; a pub crawl; the Rainbow Run/Walk; the Pet Paw-rade, and Pride Night at the Corpus Christi Hooks at Whataburger Field.
Wharton
City Wide Garage Sale
June 2-3
Various locations, 225 North Richmond Road
Each year, an online map is available so you can navigate your way through Wharton's best bargains. The sale includes everything from antiques to new items. There are over 50 separate sites to shop from.
South Padre Island
Dargel Boat Owners Fishing Tournament
June 2-3
South Padre Island Convention Center, 7355 Padre Blvd.
When summer is in full swing, South Padre Island celebrates the angler approach to island enjoyment by hosting the annual Dargel Boat Owners Tournament each June. For this tournament, the angler who catches the redfish with the most spots wins.
sopadre.com/event/dargel-boat-owners-fishing-tournament/1131
Victoria
Bach Festival
June 3-10
Various locations
Artistic director Alejandro Hernandez-Valdez leads this festival that celebrates the works of J.S. Bach and composers spanning the ages. Orchestral, choral, and chamber works are performed by local and national musicians in venues in and around Victoria.
Houston
Go Bananas!
June 3
Houston Botanic Garden, 1 Botanic Lane
The Houston Botanic Garden goes bananas this June, in celebration of the world's most popular tropical fruit. The festival, which features food and drink, educational programs, and entertainment, highlights the 11 types of banana plants in the Garden's global collection. Everyone knows the fruit, but many don't know how amazingly unique the banana plant itself is. Go Bananas! introduces visitors to new and unexpected culinary uses and benefits of bananas, while also exposing them to cultural, botanical, environmental, and community impacts of the plant and its fruit as well.
Galveston
Mary Chapin Carpenter in Concert
June 3
The Grand 1894 Opera House, 2020 Postoffice St.
Grammy Award winner Mary Chapin Carpenter takes the stage for one dynamic concert. Chapin is just one of only 15 female members of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and has also won two Academy of Country Music awards.
Houston
Accordion Kings and Queens Concert
June 3
Miller Outdoor Theatre, 6000 Hermann Park Drive
Deemed the unofficial national instrument of Texas by many, the accordion plays a key role in diverse folk music genres and cultural communities in Texas. Dust off your dancing boots for a historic celebration of the accordion with accordion-fronted music performances from top bands including Cedric Watson and Bijou Creole, Grupo Imagen, Alex Meixner Band, and the winners of Texas Folklife's 2023 statewide Big Squeeze Youth Accordion Contest.
Lake Jackson
Abner Jackson Plantation Site Tour
June 3
Abner Jackson Plantation Site, Farm-to-Market Road 2004 near State Highway 332
Visit the historic archeological site of Maj. Abner Jackson, the namesake of the city of Lake Jackson. Once a prosperous sugar plantation, the site was destroyed by the same hurricane that devastated Galveston in 1900. Discover the sugar-making process of the 1840s and how convict labor replaced slave labor during the 1870s.
Youth Fishing Event
June 3
Sea Center Texas, 302 Medical Drive
Pack your sunscreen, hat, lawn chair, and fishing gear for a couple of hours of catch-and-release fishing at this marine fish hatchery and visitor education center.
Clute
Planetarium Show
June 6, 13, 20, 23, 27
Center for the Arts and Sciences, 400 College Blvd.
Featuring a 30-foot dome equipped with a Spitz Star Ball projector and a variety of high-tech equipment, this show recreates the night sky as it appears to the naked eye, giving viewers a close-up feel for comets, exploding stars, and black holes.
East Bernard
Czech Kolache Klobase Festival
June 10
Riverside Hall, 14643 Buls Road
Enjoy live music, dancing, and lively entertainment with bands and entertainers from morning into the night. A plate lunch of barbecue chicken, sausage, sauerkraut, and trimmings is available for purchase. Hamburgers are available in the evening. There are also arts and crafts, raffle prizes, a cake walk, and plenty of kolaches for sale.
Galveston
The Texas Tenors in Concert
June 10-11
The Grand 1894 Opera House, 2020 Postoffice St.
The most successful touring group in the history of "America's Got Talent," the Texas Tenors have created a special performance for The Grand that celebrates music legends.
Rockport
Downtown Farmers Market
June 10, July 8, Aug. 12
Downtown Farmer's Market, 105 S. Austin St.
Every second Saturday of the month, vendors sell local produce, jams, jellies, pickled produce, fresh-baked bread, local honey, eggs, locally raised beef, hen fruit, and goat soap.
Makers Market
June 10, July 8, Aug. 12
Rockport Daily Grind, 302 S. Austin St.
At this local outdoor market, find handmade items from local artists and fun, one-of-a-kind home décor.
Austin Street Art Walk
June 10, July 8, Aug. 12
Various locations
Held on the second Saturday of the month, this art walk is an alfresco art experience featuring an ever-changing mix of participants and art mediums such as paintings, pottery, jewelry, photography, and textiles, as well as live music, artists demonstrations, and food.
Galveston
World Ocean Day
June 10
East Beach Park, 1923 Boddeker Road
Galveston's World Ocean Day features kayaking, beach tours, interactive exhibits hosted by eco-friendly businesses, and other attractions.
Lake Jackson
Alden B. Dow Office Tour
June 10
Alden B. Dow Office Museum, 101 S. Parking Place
Witness the restored mid-century architectural beauty of Alden B. Dow’s 1943 office in downtown Lake Jackson. Learn all about the city’s beginnings and the indelible mark that Dow left as the principal architect of Lake Jackson.Â
Farmers Market
June 10
Parking Place Pavilion, 110 S. Parking Place
At the market you can select locally grown fruits and vegetables, locally roasted coffee, homemade food, handmade products, and other items.
Port Aransas
"Five Lesbians Eating A Quiche"
June 15-18
Port Aransas Community Theatre, 2327 SH 361
Winner of the 2012 NYC International Fringe Festival as Best Overall Production, "5 Lesbians Eating A Quiche" is a tasty recipe of hysterical laughs, sexual innuendoes, unsuccessful repressions, and delicious discoveries. As the assembled widows await the announcement of the society's prize-winning quiche, the atomic bomb sirens sound. Has the Communist threat come to pass? How will the widows respond as their idyllic town and lifestyle faces attacks?
Galveston
Juneteenth Celebrations
June 15-19
Various locations
Galveston is the birthplace of Juneteenth, and every year the community hosts citywide events that include symposiums, galas, an emancipation gospel celebration, a Juneteenth parade and picnic, and a reenactment of the reading of General Order No. 3, which informed the people of Texas that slavery ended.
Rockport-fulton
Market Days
June 16-18; July 14-16; Aug. 18-20
Rockport Festival Grounds, 1500 E. Laurel St.
Every third weekend of the month, come see live music, peruse the merchandise of over 100 vendors, and choose various eats from food trucks.
Baytown
Juneteenth Celebration
June 17
Bicentennial Park, 1001 Market St.
Baytown commemorates the emancipation of enslaved people with live entertainment, food, shopping, and family fun.
Lake Jackson
Bird Banding
June 17
Gulf Coast Bird Observatory, 299 SH 332 West
Watch volunteers collect baseline data on bird populations at the sanctuary. The banding station is an excellent opportunity to see birds up close and to learn all the birds of the Brazosport area.
South Padre Island
Beach Bash Skate Jam
June 21-22
John L. Tompkins Park, 6100 South Padre Blvd.
At South Padre Island's annual skate competition, there's live music, food, and cash prizes.
Baytown
Summer Music Festival
June 24
Town Square, 213 W. Texas Ave.
Summer months are meant for fun, sun, and relaxation. Listen to good tunes from numerous artists while hanging out on the town square. Headlining is the Brightwire Band, a Houston-area folk-rock band.
Freeport
Fort Velasco Day
June 24
Freeport Historical Museum, 311 E. Park
Fort Velasco Day commemorates the 191st anniversary of the Battle of Fort Velasco. This living history event brings reenactors from across the state to give visitors a glimpse of what life and conflict was like at the mouth of the Brazos River in 1830s Texas.
Galveston
Hotter Than Birding Competition
June 25-26
Various locations
This birding big day is a fun, fast-paced, semi-competitive race to see which team can identify the most brid species in Galveston County in 24 hours.
Freeport
Fishin' Fiesta
June 29-July 2
Freeport Municipal Park, 421 N. Brazosport Blvd.
Since 1947, anglers have been drawn to this fishing tournament each year in the hopes of catching the biggest redfish, barracuda, or any other offshore or inshore fish. The Fishin’ Fiesta is sponsored by the Freeport Lions Club and offers games, food, live entertainment, dances, and arts and crafts. The fishing tournament is one of the largest on the Gulf and includes prizes for both offshore and inshore categories. A fireworks display takes place on Saturday night.
Rockport
Art Festival
June 30-July 2
Rockport Festival Grounds, 1500 E. Laurel St.
This annual fine art event starts with an art auction and continues with over 100 artists, jury selected from across the nation, showcasing their masterpieces in a variety of media and styles.
Lake Jackson
Abner Jackson Plantation Site Tour
July 1
Abner Jackson Plantation Site, Farm-to-Market Road 2004 near State Highway 332
Visit the historic archeological site of Maj. Abner Jackson, the namesake of the city of Lake Jackson. Once a prosperous sugar plantation, the site was destroyed by the same hurricane that devastated Galveston in 1900. Discover the sugar-making process of the 1840s and how convict labor replaced slave labor during the 1870s.
Rubber Duck Regatta
July 1
Dunbar Park, 803 FM 2004
Get out on Oyster Creek for some kayak and canoe fun. Teams compete to be one of the first 20 boats to retrieve eight different rubber ducks that are corralled along the creek and bring them back to the starting point to win a prize. The total course length is approximately 1 mile. Teams can consist of up to two people and should bring their own kayaks or canoes, lifejackets, and paddles.
Baytown
Fourth of July Celebration
July 3-4
Bicentennial Park, 1001 Market St.
Not one, but two days of free, live entertainment get the crowd going for the Fourth of July. Grammy Award winner LeAnn Rimes brings all of her hits to Baytown as the headliner. She is joined by her primary opening act, Madeline Edwards. R.L. Bell, who is known for his performances on NBC’s hit show "America’s Got Talent" is also playing this night. As for July 3rd, two Grammy Award winners take the stage: Siggno and Sunny Sauceda. The fireworks start right after Rimes' performance on July 4th.
South Padre Island
Beach Parade
July 4
Beach Access No. 21, Gulf Boulevard
Kick off the Fourth of July with a parade on the sand. If there is rain, the event will be moved to July 5th.
Fourth of July Fireworks
July 4
South Padre Island Entertainment District, 211 W. Whiting St.
Celebrate the Fourth of July with a spectacular display of lights over the bay.
Rockport
July Fourth Celebration
July 4
Rockport Beach, 100 Seabreeze Drive
Get in a celebratory mood as you view the patriotic boat parade at noon. Best views are from Broadway Street adjacent to Little Bay or directly across from the north end of Rockport Beach. The Wendell Family Fireworks Show is held at dark in the evening.
Lake Jackson
Firecracker 4 Run
July 4
Dunbar Park, 803 FM 2004
This 4-mile run goes through the neighborhoods of Lake Jackson along Oyster Creek and is a USATF-certified course.
Corpus Christi
Mayor’s Fourth of July Big Bang Celebration
July 4
Corpus Christi Bayfront
The 2023 Mayor’s Big Bang Celebration takes place at the downtown Corpus Christi bayfront with fireworks, festivities, and family activities all day long on the bayfront and at Water’s Edge Park. Enjoy food trucks along the bayfront and a watch party at the USS Lexington Museum. At night, fireworks go off from a barge located in the Corpus Christi Bay just north of People’s Street T-head. Shoreline Boulevard is closed to traffic to ensure pedestrian safety.
Lake Jackson
Alden B. Dow Office Tour
July 8
Alden B. Dow Office Museum, 101 S. Parking Place
Witness the restored mid-century architectural beauty of Alden B. Dow’s 1943 office in downtown Lake Jackson. Learn all about the city’s beginnings and the indelible mark that Dow left as the principal architect of Lake Jackson.Â
Farmers Market
July 8
Parking Place Pavilion, 110 S. Parking Place
At the market you can select locally grown fruits and vegetables, locally roasted coffee, homemade food, handmade products, and other items.
Clute
Planetarium Show
July 11, 18, 21, 25
Center for the Arts and Sciences, 400 College Blvd.
Featuring a 30-foot dome equipped with a Spitz Star Ball projector and a variety of high-tech equipment, this show recreates the night sky as it appears to the naked eye, giving viewers a close-up feel for comets, exploding stars, and black holes.
South Padre Island
Ron Hoover Fishing Tournament
July 14-15
South Padre Island Convention Center, 7355 Padre Blvd.
Anglers compete in an exciting bay tournament, with a portion of proceeds going to Make-A-Wish of the Rio Grande Valley.
Clute
"The Sound of Music"
July 14-16, 20-23
Center for the Arts and Sciences, 400 College Blvd.
An intimate, heartfelt retelling of one of history’s most thrilling and inspirational stories. This final collaboration between Rogers and Hammerstein follows Maria, serving as governess to seven children of an imperious Captain, as the forces of Nazism take hold of Austria. Join the von Trapp family in one of the world’s most beloved musicals.
Rosenberg
Open House
July 15
Fort Bend Art Center, 2012 Avenue G
Nestled in the heart of historic Rosenberg, Fort Bend Art Center opens a new, eclectic show by a group of 30 talented artists. Pottery, paintings, illustrations, textiles, and jewelry are on display, accompanied by cheese and wine for snacking. Experience the art and meet the artists.
Lake Jackson
Bird Banding
July 15
Gulf Coast Bird Observatory, 299 SH 332 West
Watch volunteers collect baseline data on bird populations at the sanctuary. The banding station is an excellent opportunity to see birds up close and to learn about all the birds of the Brazosport area.
Brazoria
Santa Anna Ball
July 16
Brazoria Heritage Foundation Civic Center, 202 W. Smith St.
This ball is a reenactment of the Santa Ana Ball that was given in Brazoria at Jane Long's Tavern in 1832. The annual fundraiser for the Brazoria Heritage Foundation includes a gourmet dinner with wine and silent and live auctions.
Victoria
"Disney's Little Mermaid"
July 21-30
Leo J. Welder Center for the Performing Arts, 214 N. Main St.
Theatre Victoria presents the musical about a young mermaid who longs to leave her ocean home and live in the world above, with songs from the Disney hit movie.
Sabine Pass
Kids Fish
July 22
Sea Rim State Park, 19335 S. Gulfway Drive
At this annual event, children between the ages of 1 and 12 receive a free fishing rod and T-shirt while supplies last. Kids can then use that rod to catch as many fish as they can to compete for prizes. Volunteers are on the beach to record size and number of fish caught for each kid as well as provide bait and fishing advice.
Port Aransas
"The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical"
July 27-Aug. 13
Port Aransas Community Theatre, 2327 SH 361
Adapted from the best-selling book "The Lightning Thief" by Rick Riordan and featuring a thrilling original rock 'n' roll score, "The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical" is an action-packed mythical adventure. As the half-blood son of a Greek god, Percy Jackson has newly discovered powers he can't control, a destiny he doesn't want, and a mythology textbook's worth of monsters on his trail.
Clute
The Great Texas Mosquito Festival
July 27-29
Clute Municipal Park, 100 Parkview Drive
The Great Texas Mosquito Festival is three days of family fun with a carnival, vendors, barbecue contest, 5K run, tournaments, and the ever-popular mosquito legs and calling contests. The evenings are topped off with live music. Don't forget to take your picture with everyone's favorite mosquito, "Willie-Man-Chew."
Planetarium Show
Aug. 1, 8, 15, 22, 25, 29
Center for the Arts and Sciences, 400 College Blvd.
Featuring a 30-foot dome equipped with a Spitz Star Ball projector and a variety of high-tech equipment, this show recreates the night sky as it appears to the naked eye, giving viewers a close-up feel for comets, exploding stars, and black holes.
South Padre Island
Texas International Fishing Tournament
Aug. 2-6
South Padre Island Convention Center, 7355 Padre Blvd.
Surrounded by the sparkling waters of the Laguna Madre Bay and Gulf of Mexico, Port Isabel and South Padre Island play host to Texas’ largest saltwater fishing tournament. Anglers compete in one of three divisions: bay, tarpon, and offshore. Dockside, thousands of spectators turn out to view impressive catches of blue marlin, white marlin, and sailfish brought in by the big boats offshore.
Houston
"The Iconic Portrait Strand by Nestor Topchy"
Aug. 4-Jan. 21
The Menil Collection, 1533 Sul Ross St.
This exhibition presents over 100 portraits made over the past 20 years by Houston-based artist Nestor Topchy (b. 1963). The small paintings, with their gold backgrounds, resemble Byzantine icons; however, rather than represent religious figures, Topchy depicts friends and colleagues in the art community.
Lake Jackson
Abner Jackson Plantation Site Tour
Aug. 5
Abner Jackson Plantation Site, Farm-to-Market Road 2004 near State Highway 332
Visit the historic archeological site of Maj. Abner Jackson, the namesake of the city of Lake Jackson. Once a prosperous sugar plantation, the site was destroyed by the same hurricane that devastated Galveston in 1900. Discover the sugar-making process of the 1840s and how convict labor replaced slave labor during the 1870s.
South Padre Island
Ladies Kingfish Tournament
Aug. 11-13
South Padre Island Convention Center, 7355 Padre Blvd.
The first all-ladies tournament in Texas is divided into two divisions: bay and offshore fishing.
Galveston
Air, Car, and Boat Show
Aug. 11-13
Moody Gardens, 1 Hope Blvd.
The air show ranges from P-63 King Cobra and DH-115 Vampire to the Ghostwriter pyrotechnics show planes with daredevil pilots sending off fireworks trails to light up the night sky. The boat show showcases an array of yachts at the Moody Gardens Marina. The car show at Moody Gardens Convention Center is filled with rows of classic vehicles and the stories that accompany them.
AIA Sandcastle Competition
Aug. 12-13
East Beach Park, 1923 Boddeker Road
Members of the Houston chapter of the American Institute of Architects hit the sand and build for hours to win the Golden Bucket Award. Structures remain in place for Sunday viewing.
Lake Jackson
Farmers Market
Aug. 12
Parking Place Pavilion, 110 S. Parking Place
At the market you can select locally grown fruits and vegetables, locally roasted coffee, homemade food, handmade products, and other items.
Alden B. Dow Office Tour
Aug. 12
Alden B. Dow Office Museum, 101 S. Parking Place
Witness the restored mid-century architectural beauty of Alden B. Dow’s 1943 office in downtown Lake Jackson. Learn all about the city’s beginnings and the indelible mark that Dow left as the principal architect of Lake Jackson.Â
Laguna Vista
South Padre Island Junior Golf Championship
Aug. 14-16
South Padre Island Golf Club, 1 Golf House Road
The nation's best junior golfers compete for the championship on the Gulf Coast.
Baytown
Eastern Rim Funny Book and Vintage Con
Aug. 19-20
Goose Creek Memorial High School, 6001 E. Wallisville Road
If you're into cosplay, head to the Eastern Rim Funny Book and Vintage Con, where there's a cosplay contest, special comic book guests, vendors, authors, artists, and food. Parking is free.
Victoria
Jimmy Fortune in Concert
Aug. 19
Leo J. Welder Center for the Performing Arts, 214 N. Main St.
Part of the Charity Concert Series, this concert invites audiences to experience the music of Jimmy Fortune, whose career includes 21 years of singing and performing with the legendary Statler Brothers followed by a solo career.
Lake Jackson
Bird Banding
Aug. 19
Gulf Coast Bird Observatory, 299 SH 332 West
Watch volunteers collect baseline data on bird populations at the sanctuary. The banding station is an excellent opportunity to see birds up close and to learn all the birds of the Brazosport area.
Galveston
Esports Summit
Aug. 25-27
Galveston Island Convention Center, 5600 Seawall Blvd.
Attendees can look, learn, and participate in the fastest-growing entertainment industry in the world. Panel discussions, hands-on opportunities, and celebrity appearances are part of the fun.
Clute
Spooktacular Trick-or-Treat Trail
Oct. 26
Clute Municipal Park, 100 Parkview Drive
Drive through Clute Municipal Park and trick-or-treat your way through to see the sights and sounds of the Spooky Trail.
Tomball
Tomball Holiday Parade
Nov. 18
Main Street(FM 2920), 100 W. Main Street
58th annual parade down Main Street with over 150 entries
Clute
Christmas in the Park
Dec. 8-9
Clute Municipal Park, 100 Parkview Drive
Christmas in the Park is an event that gets the whole family in the holiday spirit—from watching performances by local choirs and dance groups to fixing s'mores by the crackling fire to a visit with Santa. The drive-thru holiday light display is available the entire month of December.
