10 Best Festivals in Houston

The Houston Children's Festival is a special 2-day celebration that targets just the little ones, offering hands-on fun, circus acts, movies, workshops, and entertainment. The kids can thrill to live trapeze acts, animal encounters, and even art and painting contests. They can enjoy children's movies and take workshops in art, dance, and other fun activities.

The festival, sponsored by McDonald's, was originally formed to raise awareness of child abuse, but today is a more general celebration built to offer an entire world of fun and celebrate all that being a child means. It's held in the heart of Houston on Aldine Bender Road.

The Japanese Festival of Houston is held every year for 2 days in May and celebrates Japanese art, culture, food, and music with vendors, workshops, and live entertainment. You can explore dozens of stalls where vendors showcase everything from Japanese calligraphy to handmade fans and kimonos. You can take in performances of Japanese music and dance and learn about the traditions of this ancient people while being enmeshed in stunning surroundings.

You'll learn about bonsai trimming, origami, ink-drawing, and performance art. You'll taste traditional Japanese cuisine, explore the ancient art of block printing, and view gorgeous Ikebana flower arrangements. Top it all off with a romantic Japanese tea ceremony, all in the heart of downtown Houston in Hermann Park.

Fans of jazz music flock to the Houston International Jazz Festival, which offers live performances all across the city by well-known artists from all over the world. Jazz clubs and bars all over Houston participate in this festival, which goes on throughout August and is intended to raise money to run jazz education programs.

During the festival, you can attend concerts from iconic artists and the newest up-and-comers, all celebrating this popular and decades-old genre of music. You can even take workshops to learn about the history of jazz and its performance aspects. It's a grand experience that lets you get up close to world-class musicians and artists.

Houston Gay Pride, held for 1 weekend every June, offers a colorful and vibrant parade, live entertainment, food, vendor stalls, and fun in celebration of LGBTQ+ culture. The festival celebrates the legalization of gay marriage across the country and seeks to raise awareness of the fight against prejudice and discrimination.

As you stroll the stalls, you'll catch musical performances, take part in educational workshops, see exhibits celebrating LGBTQ+ history, and find arts and crafts all in celebration of unity and diversity. It's one of the biggest parties of the year and is held in the heart of downtown Houston.

Bayou City Art Festival offers a look at some of the most exciting established and up-and-coming artists in the region and the chance to engage with artists and art enthusiasts. This festival, held just 10 minutes west of downtown every March, is a cultural destination for some of the most creative minds in Houston and the surrounding area.

At the festival, you'll encounter musicians, dancers, painters, sketch artists, sculptors, and creative minds of every variety. You can attend workshops, literature and poetry readings, and live performances or shop vendor booths to buy original art. Naturally, the art extends to food as well, with tons of unique food vendors offering street food of all varieties.

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo offers an authentic Wild West show spanning 3 weeks in February and March with concerts, horse shows, food, clowns, shopping, and live entertainment. This show has been a tradition since the 1930s and draws tens of thousands of people to the heart of downtown Houston at the NRG Center.

Activities include barrel racing, steer wrestling, bull and bronco riding, livestock and horse shows, a Texas barbecue contest, and even live concerts featuring huge names in country music. Past shows have seen acts such as Reba McEntire, Taylor Swift, and even Elvis perform. It's a family-friendly event that's sure to offer experiences you'll never forget.

The Martin Luther King Grande Parade honors the famed civil rights leader and raises awareness of the struggle for racial equality and harmony with a grand parade and performances. The parade's message is that we are all members of the human race and that we need to strive together to rid ourselves of the evils represented by racism and prejudice.

The parade weaves its way through downtown Houston every late January along Midtown in San Jacinto Street. It features music, dancing, floats, and fun for the entire family. It's one of the more popular parades in Houston.

Buzzfest, a biannual music festival hosted by local radio station 94.5 The Buzz, features the hottest names in all rock genres, from punk to pop, grunge, and beyond. It's been going on since 1995 at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, about a half-hour north of downtown Houston.

The event runs all day long and features a full day of live performances from new and classic artists. Past shows have included such names as The Offspring, Seven Mary Three, Train, Papa Roach, Third Eye Blind, Tonic, Evanescence, Maroon 5, My Chemical Romance, Chris Cornell, and many others. Whether you're there for the main- or second-stage events, you're sure to have a wild and rocking time.

WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival offers a broad selection of films in categories spanning all genres, from experimental and drama to comedy and horror and beyond. This must-attend event is among the most popular and longest-running indie film festivals in the city.

The festival sees thousands of films submitted in an equal number of categories, more than many other famed festivals. If there's a style or genre of film you enjoy, you're almost certain to find an example here, and you'll get to witness the rise of the next up-and-coming directors. It's just about 22 minutes southwest of downtown.

The Houston Italian Festival offers social events, singing and dancing, food, community involvement, and shopping dedicated to the celebration of Italian culture and heritage. It's held every October in the heart of Houston and allows you to explore dozens of vendors serving authentic Italian cuisine, shop booths with traditional arts and crafts, and even catch a live concert with traditional Italian music.

It's more than just visiting vendor stalls and catching concerts, however. You can also participate in workshops to learn about Italian culture, play games, sing, dance, and get involved with the local Italian community. It's a great time for the entire family.