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Summer 2025
Hello, GISH PICKS reader!
I am Sarah Gish and I adore Houston, the most diverse city in the country. I have been writing this blog, subtitled CURATED CULTURE FOR KIDS & ADULTS, since 2004. In it, I focus on my passion to amplify unique Houston arts and culture events and organizations. I am an artist and writer and teacher and I am very involved with the art car community, having made 5 "daily driver" art cars including my current car, Iggy the Igniter. I also have an art project, Ignite Your Life!, which is at the center of all that I create and all that I do.
I love to ignite lives and create connections and my words and my art are some of the ways I do that.
Thanks for joining me on my explorations of creative Houston!
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Each week, I usually bring you
KID PICKS and ADULT PICKS --
my PICKS of the best and most unique arts events each weekend
in the greater Houston area.
However, this edition is different.
I decided to start taking the summers off a few years ago so that I can re-group and work on things related to my IGNITE YOUR LIFE! art project. I also want to mirror the calendar of our performing arts organizations -- there is much less going on in the summertime since their seasons tend to run September through May.
So I am signing off until September 11 with this handy dandy SUMMER PICKS guide to Houston arts & culture. As you'll see, there are plenty of fun summer happenings in all sectors of the arts -- and those are listed below. I'm sharing with you ideas that I use and I hope you will too! PLEASE NOTE THAT THE PICKS AREN'T DIVIDED UP BY ADULTS OR KIDS AS THEY ARE IN MY REGULAR WEEKLY BLOG.
You can do 3 things to keep this info handy so you can return again and again to all my many suggestions. I promise you will enjoy loads of fun and loads of art!
I. Print this up.
II. Save this email.
III. Head to GISH PICKS ADULTS for the archived link.
One more thing: I don't want to put a damper on our summer fun (literally!) but Houston is known for its hurricanes...SO...if you're new to them, check this page now before one happens and be ready. The season runs June 1 through November 30, but of course: Mother Nature does not keep a calendar so always be ready!
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Doncha worry: I'll still be sending occasional notices of events or notes about whatever strikes my fancy! I suggest that you take the summer to get to know Houston's many arts groups. You can already get first dibs tickets for their upcoming shows and the 2025/2026 season. Pick your faves and hop on their websites. And in August, be sure to check for Houston Theater Week BOGO deals (Buy One, Get One). Click here mid-August for the scoop.
Want to get a jump start on low cost summer fun? Listen to my info-FULL interview with Houston Matters here. Your head will spin with all the indoors fun out of the sun!
Please take care in the coming days and enjoy it out there. Stay cool and curious and I'll see you online again soon!
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| | SUMMER SOUP. Before I begin with my SUMMER PICKS, I want to give you 2 gifts: the first is my GISHpacho recipe. It's my signature, tried-and-tested hot Houston cold summer soup, and I make it every year. Click on the bowl and enjoy. | | MY ROUND-UPS. My second gift to you is my many round-ups. I'm an "info-preneur" and I love to round up info for ya'll -- click on the images for lists that I've created. Save money, eat well, enjoy the earth, expand your mind, and choose plants! | | |
PERFORMING ARTS CALENDARS. If you’re looking for a variety of free-and-fab arts, click here to check out what Miller Outdoor Theatre is presenting. Be sure to also check out the calendars for Discovery Green (here) and MATCH / Midtown Arts and Theatre Center Houston (here) – there’s always something upon their stages too. And for a list of a variety of Houston arts events, check out the Houston Cultural Events Calendar by the Houston Arts Alliance.
HOUSTON NEWS. If you're looking for media that focuses just on Houston, check out City Cast Houston, Encore Houston, Houston Innovators, Houston Landing, Houston Matters, HouWeAre. Get instant updates from the City of Houston by subscribing to their CitizensNet service -- and if you are looking for any kind of help navigating Houston's resources, call 311 (this number works in major cities around the country and Canada!).
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JUNETEENTH. The end of slavery was announced in Galveston on June 19, 1865 -- and one year later, that event sparked celebrations starting in Galveston and spreading around the country. It became a Federal Holiday in 2021 and there are events all around Houston commemorating it (click on the images for more info).
Highlights include the Juneteenth Culture Fest at Avenida Houston and Discovery Green on Saturday, June 15 and Sunday, June 16 and a Juneteenth Celebration on Thursday, June 19 at the Children's Museum of Houston. Emancipation Park is hosting a Juneteenth Family Fun Day (June 19) and Acres Homes Chamber is hosting the late Sylvester Turner's creation, the Juneteenth Parade (June 21). Post Houston is hosting a BLK FLO Juneteenth Wellness Celebration and the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft is hosting Juneteenth at HCCC, both events are on June 19.
Kindred Stories has created a Juneteenth book list and the Absolute Equality project features Juneteenth murals around the country, including one at the Houston Public Library African American History Research Center (a great place to explore!). And if you are in Galveston, be sure to see the year-round Juneteenth exhibit, And Still We Rise... at Ashton Villa and, before you go, check out the Visit Galveston's roundup of Juneteenth events here.
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SUMMER SOLSTICE. The solstice is on June 20 and it marks the longest day of the year as well as the official first day of summer. One of my favorite ways to celebrate the sun is at Rothko Chapel, which is presenting a Summer Solstice Evening with Kaminari Taiko drumming on June 20 at 7pm.
International Day of Yoga is celebrated around the world on or near Saturday, June 21 to coincide with the solstice. Houston yogis will be at India House Houston on Friday, June 20 for their annual event and at Eternal Gandhi Museum on Sunday, June 22 for all level yoga activities led by my friend Saumil Manek.
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FOURTH OF JULY. The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion hosts the Houston Symphony for their Star-Spangled Salute on July 3 and Miller Outdoor Theatre hosts the Houston Symphony for another Star Spangled Salute on July 4 (so catch it where you can!). Unfortunately, the Symphony is not offering a schedule of free summer concerts this year -- but you can catch their Summer Sounds series by purchasing tickets.
On the 4th of July, the Lindale Park Civic Club is hosting their sweet Annual Fourth of July Parade, the City of Houston is bringing back their 6-hour rockin’ fun patriotic festival, Freedom Over Texas at beautiful Eleanor Tinsley Park, and the Children's Museum of Houston is hosting their annual festive Kidpendence Day Party.
And...if you'd like to hear the full Declaration of Independence -- as read by me and my friends -- click here. It's an antiquated document in some ways, but an important read because it is central to the story of our nation's birth. We were created to escape government by a monarchy to be a democratic government of the people, by the people, for the people.
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FILM. Be sure to visit the now open and beautifully remodeled historic 1939 River Oaks Theatre this summer (and beyond!). They offer a year-round robust schedule of films as well as live shows. Arthouse Houston is a group I co-founded that helped save the theatre after it almost didn't re-open post-pandemic. They host occasional screenings at the theatre and are currently working on a documentary about the organization as well as on their podcast -- very exciting!
There are many other screens lighting up around town -- click on my list of Houston Movie Venues and be sure to check out the offerings at Alamo Drafthouse La Centerra, Aurora Picture Show (in a brand new location at 5601A Navigation Boulevard!), and The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Rice Cinema shows fantastic indie films too but they take a break over the summer. Be sure to check my first blog in September for news about their soon-to-open Susan and Fayez Sarofim Hall.
The Houston Cinema Arts Society has screenings year round; click here for that calendar. Their next event is the monthly Houston Filmmaker Showcase on Wednesday, June 18; it takes place at the River Oaks Theatre and is co-presented with the Southwest Alternate Media Project (SWAMP). Both orgs are also presenting the annual Houston Media Conference from August 22-24. And the Houston Film Commission hosts monthly First Thursday Short Film Screening & Filmmaker Mixers which are fun and free! HTX MADE is a new screening series supporting local filmmakers; their next event, co-presented with The Big Queer Picture Show, is on Friday, June 27 and features filmmaker Andrew Thomas Huang at the Moody Center for the Arts.
Yeah, it's hot -- but OUTDOOR MOVIES are cool at Rooftop Cinema Club, Discovery Green, Levy Park, Historic Market Square Park, Post Houston, and Miller Outdoor Theatre (check their calendars for specifics). And if you like old school movie adventures, check out Moonstruck Drive In Cinema, which recently relocated to 45 Delano Street.
KID MOVIE CLUBS. If you have kids, there is plenty of film fun for them at special screenings hosted by Alamo Drafthouse La Centerra & Cinemark & Regal Cinemas & Studio Movie Grill. The River Oaks Theatre screens Kids Camp movies every Saturday morning at 10:30am (check their schedule here) and on Saturday, August 16, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston is presenting the world premiere of short films by 7-12 year olds who attended the annual Aurora Picture Show Summer Filmmaking Camp.
There are 2 other cool summer camps relating to film media for kids: the FotoFest Summer Camp runs from June 23-27 and SWAMP hosts 2-week Teen Filmmaker Boot Camps starting June 23 or
July 7.
And if you're looking for help deciding on which films are ok for your children, Kids In Mind is a great resource I've been using for years.
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LABYRINTHS. I'm a Certified Veriditas Labyrinth Facilitator and I love to lead labyrinth walks around the city as they are a peaceful form of meditation, something we need more than ever. For each walk, I bring inspirational readings, hand-held labyrinths, and plenty of educational materials.
This year I've been hosting Serenity Labyrinth Explorers Walks, which are pop-up labyrinth walks at one of the city's over 20 spots. Up next: I will be co-hosting a body/mind/soul labyrinth walk with First Unitarian Universalist Church on Thursday, September 18 to coincide with the Fall Equinox. I will let everyone know the specifics soon via this email list and on my Houston Labyrinth Walkers Facebook group page. I hope you'll walk with me!
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THEATRE. It wouldn't be summer without the Alley Theatre’s annual Summer Chills -- this year it's Agatha Christie's The Mirror Crack'd -- from July 11 through August 17; the Catastrophic Theatre production of Another Ding-Dang Tamarie Show from June 26 through August 2; and the Houston Shakespeare Festival which is presenting Henry V and As You Like It at Miller Outdoor Theatre the first weekends between July 31 and August 9. Also on: The Tap Dance Kid at Ensemble Theatre (June 27-July 27) and two shows at Main Street Theater: Elephant & Piggie’s “We Are in a Play!” (June 28-July 20) for children and The 39 Steps (July 12-August 10) for adults.
There are many other shows too -- click here for a handy dandy list from Broadway World. And if you're looking for ways to save money...be sure to check here in August for the Houston Theater Week BOGO deals and here for my list of ways to discount the arts in Houston (performing arts and visual arts).
If you're downtown for a show, take some time walk around the Theatre District and be sure to stop by Lynn Wyatt Square, which is host to events from time to time. There are great restaurants and clubs and the terrific food hall, Lyric Market.
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VISUAL ART. Start your adventures with visual art in our city by clicking on this list of Houston ART MUSEUMS created by Visit Houston, which you can filter by free spaces, area of town, discounts, etc. The Houston Center for Contemporary Craft will have FIVE (!) shows on their walls through August 16, including Case Study: Erika Diamond (pictured) as well as a family event, Hands-On Houston: Prayer Pouches, on Saturday, August 2. The Menil Collection is always free -- bring a picnic and enjoy the park too! Kids can Party All Summer Long! (through August 6) at the Children’s Museum Houston while the Museum celebrates its 45th anniversary. I remember when they opened their doors, wowsa. Time flies! And around the corner, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston is hosting Summer Break at the Museum – free family art-making on Thursdays from 11am-2pm in June and July (and the museum is open for free until 9pm every Thursday!).
Summer is a great time to explore Houston's ART GALLERIES & OTHER WALLS and the Houston Art Gallery Association's list of member galleries is a great place to start. Archway Gallery is an artist-owned space and is hosting their 17th annual Juried Exhibition (July 5-31); the Jung Center is hosting their annual Visions: A Celebration of the Creativity of The Jung Center Community show which this year features art by Suzanne E. Harrill (pictured) and others (through June 28); and the Art League Houston is hosting their annual ALH Summer Exhibitions (through July 22).
Be sure to visit the warehouses and properties of Sawyer Yards as well as the Hardy & Nance Studios and Mother Dog Studios. Housed in a re-purposed post office, the POST has several exhibitions on view over the summer, including my fave -- art cars! Moody Center for the Arts' has 3 exhibitions on view through August 16. It's hot outside but the art is very cool...
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MUSIC. Make Music Day Houston is a vibrant festival of free, live music around the city on June 21, the longest day of the year. This event is part of a worldwide ode to music, Make Music Day, that was started in France over 40 years ago. The Texas Music Festival is here through June 22. The Houston Symphony is busy with their free Summer Symphony Nights at Miller Outdoor Theatre - there is a show on Friday, July 11; the full program will be released soon. Get your live music fix at 713 Music Hall, Anderson Fair, Dan Electros, The Heights Theater, Mucky Duck, and the White Oak Music Hall -- as well as other places listed in this helpful CultureMap Houston article. And this is fun: there's a Mariachi Festival on Friday, August 22 at the Wortham Center; the show is presented by Performing Arts Houston.
Some of the music and performing arts venues livestream their shows so look for those links if couch-listening is your thang. If you want to shop and listen, check out the events happening at Cactus Music. If you want an easy-to-navigate concert calendar, click here for the Blueshound/KPFT one.
To search for more music events in Houston, click here for the Houston Music Card, maintained and updated by a mighty fine music organization, Da Camera. Be sure to check their performance calendar while you're perusing the Card.
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LITERARY EVENTS. Inprint is busy with all kinds of events, from poetry readings (including their long-running First Fridays) to writing workshops to author talks! There are also poetry events galore around the city and I rounded up many groovy indie bookstores for you here.
There are many book clubs around town, including the virtual Inprint Book Club - their upcoming meetings are focused on An Authentic Life and Grace Notes on Sunday, June 22 at 4pm and The Paris Express on Sunday, July 20 at 4pm. Other book clubs are hosted by Blue Willow Bookshop, Brazos Bookstore, Compassionate Houston, Frame Dance, and Kindred Stories. The Houston Public Library has all kinds of book clubs. And if you're still wanting something else, I found this list of loads of Houston book clubs!
If you're wanting to learn to be a wordsmith, there are creative writing workshops presented by Grackle and Grackle as well as creative writing workshops presented by Writespace.
KID READING PROGRAMS. There is the annual summer reading program organized by the Houston Public Library; a Read Strong All Year Long program organized by the Children's Museum of Houston; and CYCLE is helping prevent the "summer slide" by partnering with 4 Houston area reading programs, here. Each summer also brings the Space City Slam Weekend for teen poets by Writers in the Schools - this year it's June 19-21. Fun, fun!
| | GROOVY PASSES. Want to see local attractions at a reduced fee? Check out HOUSTON CityPass. And if you want to try out Houston hotel pools and spas for a day (or pools and spas around the country!), check out Resort Pass. | | |
HAPPY BIRTHDAY HOUSTON. Why oh why did the Allen Brothers (pictured) have to found Houston in the hottest month of the year, on August 30, 1836? Nevertheless, take some time to celebrate with The Heritage Society at Sam Houston Park; check this page later for all the scoop. Celebrating our city is a great way to end your summer!
And if you want to celebrate Houston in a fun way, party on 713 Day - July 13! That's Houston's original area code and a day to play and celebrate what's makes our city unique.
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HIRE ME! If you want to learn ways of getting centered -- or igniting your life -- or getting your creative juices flowing...
click on the images for more about my work and then please contact me if I can be of service at 713.492.1173.
If you want to ignite your wardrobe, be sure to check out my IGNITE YOUR LIFE! t-shirts and sweatshirts shop. Click on the shirt images and let the fun colors start your ignition mission.
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Virtual IGNITE! Sessions: we will meet via Zoom to explore what makes your heart sing and you'll leave with a personal mantra I'll write to guide you in igniting your life. Those are $100/one hour and $50/thirty minutes. I'm also doing sessions in person at Body Mind & Soul most Mondays from noon-6pm; book online or call the store at 713.993.0550 for an appointment.
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One-on-one or small group labyrinth walks or nature mandala-making sessions or art-making workshops...or just about anything creative! The fee varies based on what we are doing. AND: I can also do workshops based on my IGNITE YOUR LIFE! art project concepts. More information about those is given upon request. I post all my events - including workshops and labyrinth walks -- in this blog.
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Virtual or in person meditation & mindfulness lessons for individuals or groups. You can see some of my teachings in my seventeen Meditation Chats and in my interview with Debra Duncan on Great Day Houston about how to meditate with household objects. The fee varies based on what we are doing, and all ages are welcome.
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Whew! So now you have my SUMMER PICKS 2025!
Here's to a great summer...and to many adventures exploring Houston's arts & culture.
Take care and I'll "see" you September 11!
| | P.S. I have 2 lists for GISH PICKS -- one for adults and one for families. Each list is sent the same blog weekly -- both also get separate targeted emails. You can be on both lists or just one if you wish -- it's super easy! Just scroll down and click on "Update Profile" (see pic above). | | | | |
