Rachael Cherry

Latest posts by Rachael Cherry

Things to Do in Houston This Weekend with Kids: Houston Creole Mardi Gras Parade, Opera to Go!

Submitted by Rachael Cherry on Wed, 01/29/2020 - 11:47pm

Celebrate the start of the Mardi Gras season with the Houston Creole Mardi Gras Parade. Photo courtesy of Houston Creole & Heritage Festival.

This time of year can be a little tricky. We're in a long stretch of school, the days are still short on light, and it's a constant toss up what the weather is going to be like; will it be a balmy 70-degree day today or somewhere below freezing? No one knows!

Which is why we like to have a handy little arsenal of indoor activities packed away, ready to bust out at a moment's notice. Some of our very favorites include:

8 Must-See Houston Museums You've (Probably) Never Heard Of - perfect for switching up the normal Museum rotation
Texas' Hidden Children's Museums You Have to Visit - we all love a good children's museum and some educational fun
30+ Free Things To Do Indoors in Houston with Kids - because we all need some good indoor activities
The Best Indoor Play Spaces for Houston Kids - you can never have too many good indoor play spaces

Not to mention the new Kanga's Indoor Playcenter that is definitely worth making a little trip to visit when you need some indoor fun.

We also highly recommend printing out a copy of our 100 Things To Do With Houston Kids Before They Grow Up so you can start checking these Houston favorites off your bucket list. Don't forget: our event calendar is always serving up daily inspiration, and our February GoList is your go-to place for the hottest happenings throughout the month. Staying in the loop with all the events and activities in our city has never been easier (especially when you sign up for our weekly newsletter!).

With so many fun places to go and see, the hardest part is picking what's going to make the cut this weekend!

Things To Do in Houston this Weekend with Kids: Lunar New Year Celebrations, Texas Children's Art Festival

Submitted by Rachael Cherry on Wed, 01/22/2020 - 9:11pm

Ring in the Year of the Rat at Asia Society's annual Lunar New Year Festival. Photo courtesy of Asia Society Texas Center.

Where do we even begin with this action-packed weekend? If it's outdoor fun you're after, we recommend Arbor Day at Houston Arboretum & Nature Center, Animal Tracks & Signs at Jesse H. Jones Park & Nature Center, or Family Owl Prowls at Houston Audubon Raptor and Education Center at Sims Bayou. For educational fun, there's the annual Galveston Museum Day (that's really all weekend long!), Ancient Texas at Bayou Bend (which is happening in conjunction with the annual Texas Children's Art Festival at Bayou Bend), and Beautiful Butterflies at Kingwood Branch Library.

And then, of course, is the big event of the weekend: the Year of the Rat is kicking off with a bunch of awesome Lunar New Year festivals like Asia Society's Lunar New Year Family Day, the annual Texas Lunar Festival, and the Lunar New Year Festival and Fried Rice Cook-Off, just to name a few.

This is just a sneak peek at what this weekend has to offer, too. Crazy, right? You can also check out our event calendar for even more daily activities and events, our Free Things To Do with Houston Kids in January round-up and our January GoList for an overview of the month's biggest and best. If you have an event you want to share, we'd love to know! Just submit your event to our event calendar for publication.

Houston's Coolest Storytimes for Kids You Won't Find at Your Local Library

Submitted by Rachael Cherry on Mon, 01/13/2020 - 3:09pm

Storytime at the Rienzi. Photo courtesy the Museum of Fine Arts Houston.

Libraries are by far the most well-recognized home to baby and toddler storytimes, bringing in hundreds of kids each week to gather 'round the familiar storybook circle. However, Houston is home to a variety of unique storytime sessions as well, bringing the traditional book reading sessions to unique environments that spice up story sessions. From afternoon storytimes at Bellaire's Nature Discovery Center to storytime and crafts at the popular Levy Park, these reading sessions are as unique as their locations and are sure to foster a love of reading in kids of all ages.

Things to do in Houston This Weekend: Houston Boat Show, Zoo Lights

Submitted by Rachael Cherry on Wed, 01/08/2020 - 7:09pm

There is still one more weekend to check out Zoo Lights before they disappear until the next holiday season. Photo courtesy of Stephanie Adams.

The kids are finally back in school and the holidays have officially come to a close, which means it's time to start counting down to summer, right? I kid, I kid... it's actually around this time that we start trying to implement some sort of routine again while continuing to seek out free activities for the kids so we can take a break from all that holiday spending. And what better place to come for lots of free fun inspiration than here? We've got you covered with all the f ree things to do with kids in January, when to take advantage of free admission at the Houston museums, where you can do free things indoors, and even where and when kids eat free around Houston.

This weekend is also packed with lots of unique events that are sure to spice things up, like the annual Houston Boat Show, Pioneer Campfire at Jesse H. Jones Park, and Sunday Drum Jam at Levy Park.

Also worth checking out: our event calendar and January GoList are the places to find the coolest stuff happening in Houston right now, no matter what day of the week it is. You can also sign up for our weekly newsletter to have everything we publish emailed to your inbox.

Now let's check out what this weekend has in store.

Things to Do in Houston This Weekend: Holiday Lights, Trains Over Texas

Submitted by Rachael Cherry on Thu, 01/02/2020 - 12:46am

Enjoy one last round of festive fun at Sugar Land Holiday Lights this weekend. Photo courtesy of Sugar Land Holiday Lights.

Happy New Year! We hope you had a safe, fun, festive time ringing in the new year with family and friends!

Even though the holidays are technically over, there's still time to get in some last minute holiday fun. Magical Winter Lights, White Christmas at the Cockrell Butterfly Center, Galaxy Lights at Space Center Houston, and Sugar Land Holiday Lights are all running through this weekend, giving you one last opportunity for festive fun before reality sets in.

Ready to kiss the holidays goodbye, but still need some awesome activities to keep the kiddos busy? We feel you. Which is why we have our Winter Bucket List at the ready, as well as a round-up of some of 30 Things to Do with Houston Kids Over Christmas Break and the best indoor play spaces.

Our event calendar is updated daily so you always have inspiration, and our January GoList highlights some of the best events happening throughout the month. Now is also the perfect time to sign up for our weekly newsletter so you can stay up to date with minimal work.

Let's make this year a great one for our families, starting with this weekend.

Things to Do This Weekend in Houston: Bayou Bend's Christmas Village, Stearman Santa

Submitted by Rachael Cherry on Wed, 12/11/2019 - 7:54pm

Bayou Bend's annual Christmas Village is a sparkling wonderland the whole family will enjoy./Photo courtesy of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

What a weekend we have up ahead! Holiday plays, ballets&nband musicals are in full-swing, with fun favorites like BalletForte's The Nutcracker, Ensemble Theatre's More Than Christmas, and TUT's Elf - The Musical taking the stage and spreading plenty of Christmas cheer. This weekend is also offering up some amazing Christmas music; you're definitely going to want to head to Chapel of the Villa de Matel to hear Christmas at the Villa with Houston Chamber Choir or to St. Martin's Episcopal Church to listen to the Houston Boychoir Winter Concert. Not to mention all the great light displays, breakfast with Santa events, and awesome Santa activities happening around Houston. The holidays have taken over Houston, that's for sure!

But, if you're feeling a bit Scrooge-y or just need a break from all the holiday activities, there are some awesome non-Christmas events happening, too! You can Walk on the Wild Side at Nature Discovery Center, visit Trains Over Texas at HMNS, or go on a Family Owl Prowl at Houston Audubon Raptor and Education Center.

You can also check out our event calendar, December GoList, Winter Bucket List, and Guide to Holiday and Christmas Events for Houston Families for more holiday and non-holiday related family fun, and sign up for our weekly newsletter to have everything delivered to your inbox. You can also submit your own event to our calendar, so send them over so we can share them!

Things to Do This Weekend in Houston: Dickens on the Strand, Galaxy Lights,

Submitted by Rachael Cherry on Wed, 12/04/2019 - 9:28pm

Step back in time to 19th century Victorian London at Dickens on the Strand and enjoy a weekend full of festivities. Photo courtesy of Galveston Historical Foundation.

The weekends leading up to Christmas just keep getting better and better, am I right? I mean, with options like touring Santa's Wonderland, watching The Nutcracker on Ice at Memorial City Mall, or attening the Arboretum's annual Trees and Stars Winter Celebration filling the calendar, it's hard to choose the wrong event! Sure, the hustle and bustle of the holiday season can be overwhelming at times - especially if you're walking into Target on a Saturday - but when you take a second to step back and immerse yourself in the magic of Christmas as your kids do, it can be pretty amazing. To help get you in the holiday spirit, we have all sorts of resources full of seasonal family activities:

And that's just the start! Our event calendar is packed with awesome activities and constantly being updated, our December GoList features all the hottest events happening throughout the month, our Guide to Holiday and Christmas Events for Houston Families is an unparalleled treasure trove of events, and our weekly newsletter keeps you up to speed by delivering everything straight to your inbox. Plus, if you're the one planning an event, you can also submit your own event to our calendar so we can share it with all of our readers!

Things to Do in Houston This Weekend: Texas Renaissance Festival, Pecan Harvest Festival

Submitted by Rachael Cherry on Wed, 11/20/2019 - 11:45pm

There are only a few weekends left to take advantage of all the medieval fun happening at the Texas Renaissance Festival. Photo courtesy of Steven David Photography.

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, which means it's time to finalize all those holidays plans! If you find yourself in a last-minute panic over how to feed incoming guests, we feel your pain and to ease that panic have rounded up a list of restaurants open on Thanksgiving Day ready to serve you and your family and friends. For those interested in giving back this holiday season, we've also found different holiday volunteering opportunities around the city. Giving back to the community is the perfect way to help those in need and reinforce how much we have to be thankful for this season.

For those looking to get a jump start on the Christmas festivities, we highly recommend checking out the different places offering photos with Santa, dining on breakfast, brunch, and more with the big guy, and attending one (or more!) of the many craft fairs and markets happening around town.

Find yourself in need of some family-friendly activities to fill up the upcoming weeks and weekends? Check out our fall bucket list, event calendar, Free in November list, and November GoList for tons of family events and activities. You can also subscribe to our free weekly newsletter to make sure you're always in the loop with everything happening around Houston.

Have an event you want to share? You'll definitely want to submit your event to our calendar, and we'll share it with all of our loyal readers.

Now, let's get on to this weekend's events!