Houston Area Entertainment

Houston is an incredibly diverse city. That diversity is highlighted in the various festivals and events held in Houston. From hot sauce to parrots, Houston has a festival to celebrate virtually anything imaginable.

The first three weeks of March in Houston mean the annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. This one-of-a-kind event features the second largest fair in North America, daily professional rodeo competitions, and some of the biggest names in music performing daily during the three week stretch.

Each year, the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo is one of Texas' most anticipated events. This is due, in large part, to the impressive lineup of musician the Show puts forth each year. The 2011 edition is no different, as some of music's biggest names will take the stage at the 2011 Houston Livestock Show...

An annual Thanksgiving Day tradition for almost 60 years, the HEB Holiday Parade signifies the official beginning of the holiday season in the Houston area.

Houston is the largest city in Texas and fourth largest city in the nation. It stands to reason a city that size would offer visitors plenty of options when it comes to ringing in the New Year.

The Houston Hot Sauce Festival is the Bayou City's showcase event for any type of sauce with a little "kick" in it, including hot sauce, salsa, barbecue sauce, Bloody Mary mix and more.

For more than a three decades, the Houston Italian Festival has celebrated Italian heritage, culture and romance. The festival features live entertainment, bocce ball, a grape stomp, pasta eating contest, food and more.

Held each year in Houston, the Bayou City Cajun Fest includes plenty of Cajun cuisine, live music, entertainment and more.

Games, simulators, billiards, food and more await Houston area visitors at Dave & Buster's.

The heart of Houston shopping, the Galleria offers upscale shops, restaurants and an ice skating rink.

Located in the Houston suburb of Katy, Katy Mills Mall is host to a tremendous variety of specialty stores, including Bass Pro Shops, American Eagle, Bath and Body Works, Mikasa Factory Store, and more.

Located in Houston's Hermann Park, Miller Outdoor Theatre is a free, open-air theatre that has housed a variety of musical acts and performing arts since its creation in 1968.

Offering a wide array of high end retailers, restaurants, spas and salons, Uptown Park is one of Houston's more upscale shopping experiences.

Catch a movie and a meal all at one place - the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema is a unique setting which allows for both a movie and a meal. Each row of seats within the theatre has a table in front of it and patrons can order drinks, appetizers, salads, entrees and desserts, all while enjoying their favorite movie on the big screen.

Held just outside of Houston in Spring, the Texas Crawfish Festival offers Texas and Cajun music, family entertainment, arts, crafts, and, of course, plenty of boiled crawfish.

Located an hour's drive from Houston, the Conroe Outlet Center offers visitors over 60 shops with brand name products priced to move.

Trader's Village offers shoppers a blend of vendors and concessionaires blended with entertainment and attractions, so they can get "good deals in a state fair atmosphere."

The largest seasonal ice rink in the southwest is located in the Woodlands, just a short drive north of Houston. The Ice Rink at Woodlands Town Center is open from mid-November through the beginning of January and is one of the "coolest" spots to be during your Houston vacation.

For more than a quarter century, the Houston Italian Festival has celebrated Italian heritage, culture and romance.

One of Houston's largest food festivals, the Original Greek Festival has been held on an annual basis since 1966 and serves up a variety of Greek cuisine, including souvlaki, gyros, tiropita, spanakopita, dolmades and more.

Sponsored by the National Parrot Rescue and Preservation Foundation, the Parrot Festival is held in Houston annually during the last weekend of January. Experts from around the world speak on topics such as parrot behavior, care, nutrition and preservation.

Located in Houston's historical Heights district, the Opera in the Heights provides Houstonians with high quality opera and concert performances.

Held over the course of two weekends, the Houston International Festival displays a wide variety of dance, theatre and visual arts from around the world, as well as international foods for the thousands of patrons who attend the annual event.

Clear Lake's Ballunar Liftoff Festival is the "Largest Hot Air Balloon Event in Texas" and features over 80 hot air balloons, the world's largest hot air ballon, skydiving competitions, aerial demonstrations, games, music, food and more.

Although natural snow is a rarity in most of Texas, each November, cities around the state receive a man-made blizzard. Austin, Dallas and Houston are among the cities have a "snow day" as part of the Texas Snowfest.

Held in Shenandoah, just north of Houston, Music on the Plaza features local groups and artists performing to raise funds for local music scholarships.

Benefitting the Center for Hearing and Speech, Via Colori is a free street painting festival featuring more than 175 artists. During the event, these artists will transfer their original masterpieces directly onto the streets of Houston's Allen Parkway and Bagby in and around Sam Houston Park. The event also features live music, great food and other entertainment.