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Houston festivals and annual events

In 1872 formerly enslaved Houstonians paid $800 for ten acres in the Third Ward so Juneteenth would have a place of its own. The celebration is still held there, in Emancipation Park. On a Saturday in April the Art Car Parade takes anything with wheels down Allen Parkway, lawnmowers and unicycles included.

65 events come back to Houston every year, and October is the busiest month with 14. 20 of them are free. A card marked Expected is still waiting on the organisers to confirm a date.

Coming up: Things to do in Houston in December 2026

Month by month: JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJulySeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember

Follow Houston in your calendar: Google CalendarApple or Outlook Confirmed dates only. New ones appear on their own.

Next 30 days

Soonest first. If an event has been cancelled or moved, it says so.

H-E-B Thanksgiving Day Parade, photo 1 of 2
November 2026

H-E-B Thanksgiving Day Parade

Thursday, November 26 Downtown Houston, Houston

At 9 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning, the H-E-B Thanksgiving Day Parade sets off through downtown Houston. The city's Mayor's Office of Special Events puts it on, and the city calls it one of the oldest Thanksgiving Day parades in the nation. Floats and marching bands make up the line, with balloons overhead, on a route of more than 20 city blocks. The city names a grand marshal and a roster of featured performers for each year's parade. Reserved seats along the route are sold as tickets. Hundreds of thousands of Houstonians turn out for it.

See details
Chevron Houston Marathon Sports & Fitness

Chevron Houston Marathon

Sunday, Jan 17 Downtown Houston, start at Congress and Fannin, Houston
Ticketed
MLK Unity Parade Holidays & Parades

MLK Unity Parade

Monday, Jan 18 Downtown Houston (start at Smith Street and McKinney Street), Houston
Ticketed
Houston Art Car Parade Arts & Culture

Houston Art Car Parade

Saturday, Apr 10 Allen Parkway and downtown Houston, Houston
Free
Houston Greek Fest Food & Drink

Houston Greek Fest

Expected May 2027 Saint Basil the Great Greek Orthodox Church, Houston
Ticketed
Pasadena Strawberry Festival Community

Pasadena Strawberry Festival

Thursday, May 13 to Sunday, May 16 Pasadena Convention Center and Fairgrounds, Pasadena, TX
Ticketed
Comicpalooza Conventions & Expos

Comicpalooza

Friday, May 28 to Sunday, May 30 George R. Brown Convention Center, Houston
Ticketed

June 2027

Freedom Over Texas Holidays & Parades

Freedom Over Texas

Expected July 2027 Eleanor Tinsley Park, Houston
$15
Anime Matsuri Conventions & Expos

Anime Matsuri

Thursday, Jul 22 to Sunday, Jul 25 George R. Brown Convention Center, Houston
Ticketed

August 2027

Houston Horror Film Fest Conventions & Expos

Houston Horror Film Fest

Friday, Aug 6 to Sunday, Aug 8 Houston Marriott Westchase, Houston
Ticketed
Viet Cultural Fest Arts & Culture

Viet Cultural Fest

Expected September 2027 Reliant Center, Reliant Park, Houston
Ticketed
Houston Cinema Arts Festival Arts & Culture

Houston Cinema Arts Festival

Expected October 2027 Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Rice Cinema, The DeLUXE Theater and other venues across Houston, Houston
Ticketed
Original Greek Festival Food & Drink

Original Greek Festival

Thursday, Oct 7 to Saturday, Oct 9 Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral, Houston
$10
Nutcracker Market Holidays & Parades

Nutcracker Market

Expected November 2027 Reliant Center, Reliant Park, Houston
Ticketed
Holiday on The Waterway Holidays & Parades

Holiday on The Waterway

Expected November 2027 The Woodlands Waterway, The Woodlands
Free

On every week in Houston

Markets and walks that run year-round, not one-off dates.

Flea by Night Community

Flea by Night

Saturday evenings, usually 6 to 10 p.m., about once a month in... Grace Event Lawn, Discovery Green, Houston
Ticketed

Concerts & shows

Live, ticketed events near Houston.

All events →

Planning the trip around it

What a Houston hotel night costs once parking and fees are added, and the dates that are hard to book.

Houston Marathon weekend

On October 28, six downtown hotels would not sell Saturday, January 16, 2027, the night before the race, as a single night. Hotel ICON is a 2-minute walk from the start, and the Hilton Americas is 3 minutes from the finish and 21 from the start.

Staying downtown

At the nine downtown hotels that publish a parking rate, the nightly fee and the car come to $55 to $95 before tax. December is the cheap month, 45% full at a $188 average rate in 2025, against almost 70% and $266 in February 2026.

Staying near Reliant Park

The Rodeo runs March 2 to 21, 2027, and Houston First put the Medical Center and Reliant Park area near 75% full during the 2024 Rodeo. Parking at the four hotels that print a rate runs $7 to $15 a day.