As any Texan knows, summer isn’t going anywhere. With about two-and-a-half months left of guaranteed heat, there’s still time yet to check off your summer bucket list items while cosplaying as autumn people. From enchanting candlelight concerts, to rooftop cinemas, beer gardens, and a whirlwind of museum exhibits, here’s a comprehensive list of awesome things to do in Houston this September!
1. Experience Magical Candlelight Concerts
Experience a magical season here in Houston thanks to the amazing venues the city has to offer. Luckily, Fever Originals has brought its popular Candlelight concert series to beautiful venues for the season with concerts.
2. Experience Concerts Under The Stars
From the legendary crooning of Frank Sinatra to the infectious wonder of ABBA, Amy Winehouse, Beyoncé, and more, Concerts Under The Stars offers a wide variety of spectacular musicians on one of the most gorgeous rooftops in Houston.
3. Dine in the Dark
Once you put on your blindfold in the dimly lit room illuminated by candles, you’ll quickly discover that concentrating solely on the sensations of taste and smell can be an incredibly illuminating encounter, as long as you’re not fearful of darkness!
4. Houston Pumpkin Festival
Discovery Green will once again transform into an autumn wonderland this fall for the Houston Pumpkin Festival. Here, Houstonians will be able to revel in magical fall fun. From a giant pumpkin bounce area and Cinderella’s Carriage to kayaks, train rides, sunflowers, and more: the event is the fall experience of the season!
5. Japan Festival Houston
This September, Hermann Park will once again transform into a vibrant celebration of Japanese culture as Japan Festival Houston makes its highly anticipated return. Recognized as one of the largest Japanese cultural festivals in the U.S., the two-day event offers visitors a rich lineup of traditional and contemporary music, dance, and artistic performances, along with authentic food, ceremonies, and cultural experiences—all open to the public at no cost.
6-10. Go for a Round of Mini-Golf
From homey, traditional mini-golf, to cocktail-driven putt putt, a course worthy of PGA legends, there’s plenty of places to enjoy the nation’s pastime in Houston!
- Mini-golf, go-kart, and hit the batting cages at US Golf & Games
- Puttery’s 21-and-over mini-golf restaurant and bar is now open in Sawyer Yards
- Enjoy high-tech mini-golf at Popstroke
- TopGolf’s Puttshack has opened a 26,000-square-foot arcade-style mini-golf venue and bar
11. Untitled Art Fair
The flagship of Miami Art Week, Untitled Art Fair is a nationally-recognized boutique art fair that is set to make its Texas debut in Houston this September. Over the course of three days, the art fair will feature exhibitions, art markets, presentations, special projects, live podcasts, and more at the George R. Brown Convention Center.
11-13. Explore Houston’s Best Gardens
While the city is more reminiscent of an urban jungle, there does lay lush pockets of flora manifested in parks, trails, and gardens. Discover Houston’s tiny pockets of Eden this season at these 10 gorgeous Houston gardens.
- Cast over five acres, the elegant Japanese Garden features elegant touches of lush flora, a stone Yukimi-style lantern, shaded stone paths, bridges, and cascading waterfalls.
- McGovern Centennial Gardens is comprised of 490 trees spanning 50 species, 760 hedge shrubs, 55,000 perennial bulbs, 650 azaleas, and 4.5 acres of grass – not to mention its four gardens.
14. Play Pickleball at the Newly Minted Pickle Mania
Houston’s first dedicated indoor pickleball facility has opened inside Lyric Market in Downtown, Houston. The venue, celebrating its grand opening on September 3, offers drop-in-play as well as tournaments, clinics, and league play. Furthermore, the venue offers prime access to the bar and restaurants of Lyric Market.
15. Celebrate Oktoberfest
No need to travel to Munich, here in Houston the city is daring to go Deutsche with a solid lineup of Oktoberfest celebrations. From bar crawls, to beer garden Bavarian bashes, and more: strap on your leiderhausen and raise a stein at these Oktoberfest events in Houston!
16. Get a Head Start on Halloween
Halloween might be around the corner, but for those of us eager beavers: there’s plenty of ways to get a head start on spooky season this September. From haunted houses, horror movie screenings, festivals, and more: here’s how to get into the spirit of the season in Houston.
17. Phone Home to Houston’s Space-Themed Bar
Houston is aptly named Space City, and one of the most space-themed establishments within it has recently launched in the Montrose area. Allow us to introduce Roswell’s Saloon, an out-of-this-world bar illuminated by captivating neon lights, offering stellar cocktails, and exuding an otherworldly atmosphere.
18-23. Explore Houston’s Marvelous Markets
The market scene in Houston is currently on the rise, with the city recently welcoming not just one but several diverse mixed-media markets. These lively centers not only showcase renowned musicians, art galleries, exhibitions, and outstanding dining options but also play a significant role in nurturing and enhancing the city’s thriving market culture..
- Post Houston occupies the former USPS warehouse, transformed into an innovative, versatile facility through extensive technological enhancements. It boasts numerous dual spiral staircases, three sunlit atriums, and a sprawling five-acre rooftop park.
- Lyric Market, under the ownership and operation of Hospitality HQ, primarily focuses on delivering exceptional dining and chef-driven experiences.
- Operational every day of the year, the Azteca Farmers Market stands as one of Houston’s top-tier farmers’ markets. Offering superb street food, fresh agricultural produce, and an array of over 50 vendors, Azteca provides visitors with an expansive 13-acre marketplace.
- Over the past few years, Ironworks, an industrial structure spanning 60,000 square feet in the East End area, has undergone a remarkable transformation into a cultural center, utilizing more than 20 repurposed shipping containers.
- Explore distinctive clothing, fresh juices, and affordable, delectable cuisine at Sunny Flea Market in the Northside area of Houston.
24. Sea these Stunning Waterfront Restaurants
Hop to it this breezy season by being outside for the best weather we’ll probably get all year. While there are plenty of fine patios in the city, there are just a few with a waterfront view.
25. Step Up to the Plate at Home Run Dugout
Expanding on Houston’s already significant baseball presence, the city now boasts its own baseball-inspired entertainment destination. Home Run Dugout, originally based in Austin, has launched a dedicated complex in Katy, featuring batting bays, a beer garden, a dog park, a complete restaurant, and various other amenities.
26-30. Get the Best Cold Brew In Town
Thankfully, there are plenty of coffee houses scattered about the city for residents to take refuge, re-energize, and maybe eat a scone or two.
- The Coffee House at West End is now open at 802 Shepherd Dr., that is, a three-story coffee shop that features top-notch joe, a cozy interior, and a stunning rooftop with sweeping views of the Houston skyline.
- Rev up your mornings at the motorcycle and coffee garage.
- Secret Garden offers various international coffees with options in the form of Vietnamese, Greek Espresso, Greek Freddo Cappuccino, Turkish Coffee, and more.
- Husband-and-wife caffeine team, Manuel and Martha Gil, have recently opened Segundo Lab inside Ironworks near downtown, bringing rich, creative java flavors to the Second Ward.
31-33. Watch Spooky Cinema
Spooky season is almost here, what better way to spend spooky season then to curl up with some popcorn and watch a scary movie?
- Located at Midway’s 150-acre East River development on 100 Bringhurst St., Moonstruck Drive-In screens a variety of 4K features on a 80 x 40-foot screen with a stunning skyline backdrop.
- Reel Luxury Cinemas has debuted their brand new theater in The Woodlands
- Check out the listings and movie times of our participating AMC movie theatres, get your Fever ticket, and go have fun! Whether it’s a rainy afternoon or a special date night, AMC Theatres® has your tickets to all the best comedies, action flicks, and everything in between, with just a click of a button.
34. Make a Splash at Houston’s Hottest Waterparks
Whether you’re looking to catch a wave, plunge down a towering slide, or simply sip a tropical cocktail poolside, you’ll find it at one or more of these wonderful waterparks in Houston.
35. Sweeten Up at a Speakeasy
There’s something special about speakeasies. The secretive, vicarious forbidden feel of transporting back to the prohibition make imbibing cocktails all the more tantalizing. Stow away in wonderful hidden bars that Houston has to offer!
36. Let It Fly at the Top Golf of Darts
Houstonians can now get a taste of UK pub culture. British-based gaming pub, Flight Club, is throwing itself into the Houston bar scene with its 21st century digitized dart boards, sharing boards, and bespoke cocktails.
37-40. Elevate Your Lifestyle at these Houston Rooftop Bars
Nothing quite says “living the highlife” like clinking glasses on a city rooftop. Touch the sky this season with a brunch, evening, or nightcap on the most jaw-dropping rooftops in Houston.
41-43. Hit the Dive Scene
Houston thankfully has plenty of places to take shelter in a flurry of rain: whether to escape the weather, shoot a round of pool, grab a cheap beer, or to play a song on a jukebox, consult this list to discover where to go.
- Those who leave up their festive decorations year round, like the people over at Grand Prize Bar, are complete freaking lunatics – and we love them for it.
- La Carafe Wine Bar is a historic haunt housed in a building that’s stood for over a century and remains to be the oldest in the city of Houston.
- As with its moody interior, deep red walls, scant lighting, and shrine of spirits, so does Poison Girl offer an idyllic atmosphere for various drinking moods.
44-52. Eat Your Heart Out
Houston’s culinary scene is a vast, rich landscape populated with delicious eateries, scrumptious bakeries, and Tex-Mex as far as the eye can see.
- Whether it’s a classic Neapolitan-style Margherita, a traffic cone-sized slice, or some warped creation piled high with everything and the kitchen sink – we don’t discriminate when it comes to pizza. Any way you slice it, here’s 10 of the best pizza parlors in the Houston area!
- Not all buffets are created equal. When seeking out a local in which to stock up on calories to last you the winter hibernation, we recommend heading to one of our 10 favorite all-you-can-eat buffets in Houston.
- Whataburger, Taco Bell, McDonald’s – the usual suspects when it comes to late-night munchies. Sometimes, though, you got to broaden your horizons, especially when a glorious late-night food scene of delis, pizzerias, taquerias await in the city of Houston.
- Hot, cold, rain, or shine, ice cream is a good call on any day. Here’s the scoop on where to find the best ice cream in Houston
- Like breakfast tacos, kolaches are synonymous with breakfast in Texas. Savory, comfortable, portable – perfect for an on-the-go breakfast, or bought-by-the-dozen hangover cure. Unlike similar handheld breakfast staples such as donuts, bagels, and croissants, it’s not so easy finding kolaches outside of Texas. We’d probably travel more if you could, but for now, we’ll stay here in Houston with our favorite comfort breakfast food on the go.
- In addition to its bistros, cafes, and restaurants, you can find an array of fantastic food trucks rolling through town from sun up to sun down.
- East Downtown Houston is heating this season with the opening of the new craft meat maker, bar, and beer garden, J-Bar-M Barbecue on 2201 Leeland Houston
- Roll up to our favorite sushi restaurants in the City of Houston
53. Expand Your Mind in this Tiny Bookstore
You’ve heard of Half Price Book Store, but have you checked out Quarter Price Books in Montrose. Shelved on the corner of Shepherd Dr. and Lexington St., Quarter Price Books is a cozy little book shop positively overflowing with niche finds, collectibles, rarities, and books of proven merit.
54. Jazz Up your Wardrobe at these Vintage Thrift Stores
Whether you’re clearing out your closet or stocking it up, head the call at Houston’s best thrift stores. Here in Houston there’s plenty of second-hand stores with pre-loved goods to amp up your wardrobe without breaking the bank. Thankfully, most of them are located in walking distance of each other!
55. Remark the Fall Foliage
Honestly, the only way to enjoy the vibrant fall colors in Houston is through filters and Photoshop. For those craving the ultimate autumn experience with stunning views of fiery, changing leaves, it’s time to take your Pumpkin Spice Latte on the road for a journey beyond the state borders.