This is a bucket list of what to do in and around Houston. A spring things-to-do-before-you-die type of list aimed at Houstonians and tourists in equal measure. These are the best ways to experience spring in Houston and the must-do activities around the city whether you’re a seasoned local or a thrill-seeking visitor.
1. Experience Magical Candlelight Concerts
Whether you’re looking for a beautifully unique classical music performance or a romantic candlelit experience, this performance is for you. You don’t need to know all things Tchaikovsky to enjoy the evening, simply sit back and savor the stunning atmosphere and pieces you’ll hear.
Walk into one of Houston’s most exquisite buildings where the walls will be flickering by candlelight to create a magical atmosphere. Prepare to be taken into the clouds with some of the most treasured wintertime classics from Tchaikovsky, Vivaldi and other master composers!
2. Visit a Local Farmers Market
Spring is in the air and all sorts of excellent produce is in season. Be sure to collect your harvest with fresh, local produce, handmade crafts, and other artisanal goods at Houston’s best farmers markets.
3. Dine in the Dark
Do something different for date night this season. Immersed in a dim room with blindfolds on, with sight eliminated, patrons can taste at a heightened level at this unique dining experience in Houston.
4. Knock It Out of the Park at Home Run Dugout
If baseball weren’t big enough in Houston, the city has its very own baseball-themed entertainment center. Call your shot at the Austin-based Home Run Dugout now open in Katy with batting bays, biergarden, dog park, full restaurant, and more.
📍1220 Grand W Blvd, Katy
5. Explore Memorial Park’s New Land Bridge and Prairie
The Land Bridge and Prairie is a 100-acre greenspace that features two distinct 35-foot-high hills that which creates a “natural” bridge over Memorial Drive. Its purpose is to re-unite the north and south sides of the park, promote regional biodiversity, and manage stormwater – all while creating a new community green space and giving visitors scenic views of the area.
📍7575 North Picnic Lane Houston
6. Saunter through the City’s Gorgeous 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.
7. Drink and Dine Waterside
Spring has sprung. 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.
For a truly unique experience, check out BARge 295 (pictured above). Located in Seabrook just outside of Houston, BARge 295 is the only floating bar in the Houston area complete with live music, cool vibes, and unbeatable views.
📍2613 ½ E NASA Pkwy, Seabrook
8. Enjoy Houston’s Top Patio Bars
One surefire way to capitalize on the weekend, weekday, weeknight – really just any time – is to have a couple drinks amongst friends in the open air of a patio. Get out and about this season at some of our favorite watering holes in town.
9. Nosh On Houston’s Best Brunch Spots
Spring is in the air. If your allergy medication holds up, you can see how the mimosas fare at the best brunch spots in Houston! From swank Italian hotels, to darling British boutiques, there are plenty of ways to enjoy the most important meal of the weekend!
10. Elevate Your Night on Houston’s Top Rooftops
Nothing quite says “living the highlife” like the clink of glasses on a city rooftop. Touch the sky this season with a brunch, evening, or nightcap on the most jaw-dropping rooftops in Houston.
11. Enjoy open-air Concerts Under the Stars
Houston’s nostalgia-filled Concerts Under the Stars have returned this spring, bringing you tributes to Queen, Sinatra, ABBA and More. Prepare for an evening of talented musicianship, classic cocktails, and stunning views from the rooftop of the Marriott Marquis Houston. Snag tickets here!
12. Dip Your Toes in the Water
Summer hasn’t quite arrived yet, but the heat will soon enough. With temps teetering on triple digits, Houstonians are faced with two choices: escape it, or embrace it. Apply some sun screen, grab your beach towel, and get yourself a cocktail at these poolside bars in Houston to beat the heat this summer!
13. Dive into Houston Waterparks
Summer is closer than you think, Houston. This mid-April, Houstonians can plunge into warm-weather fun at Houston waterparks packed to the gills with rides, slides, and other exciting aquatic entertainment to beat the heat. For drier type of thrills, check out the best amusement parks in Houston and surrounding areas.
14. Handpick Your Favorite Fruits
Pick your heart out this spring at these forever fields in and around Houston! Whether it’s strawberries, blueberries, or blackberries, these fields in and around Houston have what you’re looking for.
15. Wade through Fields of Bluebonnets
Every self-respecting Texan knows that in spring it is an absolute necessity to pay homage to the official flower of the Lonestar State – the majestic and pure bluebonnet. With the sun shining and warm weather incoming, bluebonnets are already to show signs in mid-April of blossoming in southern Texas. See our list to find the best places to spot these beautiful bluebonnets across the state! As always, be sure to treat the areas with respect – don’t mess with Texas (bluebonnets)!
16. Do Yoga With Animals
Like meditation, yoga is a practice of centeredness and concentration. It’s a discipline of balance in the face of stress and adversity — that which may be difficult to do when resisting the urge to snuggle one of the herd of baby goats bouncing around.
17. Take a Hike in Houston
Whether you’re in the city or the suburbs, exploring a national forest or a picturesque park, Houston and its surrounding areas offer numerous opportunities to soak up the fresh air and experience the outdoors with a classic hiking adventure.
18. Go on a Cinema Date
This spring is going to be a good one for film. Dune: Part Two, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, The Ministry Of Ungentlemenly Warfare, and The Fall Guy are all slated to be released this spring. Whether you want to see a movie with a skyline view, live it up in a luxury theater, catch a flick on a rooftop, or pull in to an old-school drive-in, here are the best movie theaters in Houston!
19. Stargaze in Wonderment at the Twilight Epiphany Skyscape
The sunrise and sunset in Houston are spectacles all on their own: captivating natural phenomena that imbue us with feelings of wonder, awe, and romance. At the James Turrells’ Twilight Epiphany installation, you’ll see the sky in entirely new colors.
📍Rice Boulevard Entrance 18 West Lot 1
20-25. Eat the Best Food in Houston
The word is out, Houston is one of the best food cities in the entire country. Here’s us doing our part trying to put together our lists of the best of the best in Houston.
- 10 of the best burger joints in Houston
- 10 of the best crawfish joints in Houston
- 10 of the best pizza joints in Houston
- 10 of the best ice cream parlors in Houston
- 10 of the best sushi restaurants in Houston
26. Enjoy a Crisp Margarita
The weather can’t make up its mind in Houston. Either it rains for two weeks straight, or its lays down triple-digit temperatures, bitter frigidness, or outdoor-cancelling humidity. Be it frozen or on the rocks, salty, bitter, or sweet, when searching for the tequila-infused taste of the season in Houston, here are the best places to have margaritas in Houston.
27. Visit the Houston Zoo
The Houston Zoo pulled all the stops for its remarkable upcoming ‘Galápagos Islands’ exhibit. While developments are still underway, you can now experience its cutting-edge immersive experience.
📍6200 Herman Park Dr.
28. Gear Up For Houston’s Awesome Art Car Festival
While we’re devastated to hear that Houston’s iconic Art Car Museum is closing this April, we can still rev(el) in all of the fast and curious festivities of the 37th annual Art Car Parade from April 11 – 14.
29. Go Shrimping Indoors
As Bubba Gump once said, “shrimp is the fruit of the sea”. While some might believe that process of catching shrimp involves bulky crew-manned ships, wide-cast nets, and… the ocean, you might be surprised to learn shrimping can take place indoors. In Houston, the place is Ebi Ebi Shrimp Fishing.
📍9934 Jones Rd Suite A-3
30. Stroll through Texas’ Massive Field of Tulips
Oh spring, how we can’t wait for your arrival. Polish off your vases, for Texas Tulips has reopened for the season.
Located just north of Dallas in Pilot Point, Texas Tulips offers visitors an expanse of gorgeous tulip fields and the chance to pick their very own brightly colored spring blooms.
📍10656 FM2931, Pilot Point
31. Wade through a Lush Lavender Farm
Located on 290, about 45 minutes or so outside of Houston in route to Austin is Chappell Hill in Washington County. The area is knitted with a framework of scenic roads and beset with spring wildflowers in key sightseeing spots in Independence Trail, the Antique Rose Emporium, and Chappell Hill Lavender Farm. The farm expect to see lavender blooms mid/late April.
📍2250 Dillard Rd, Brenham
32-37. Explore Houston’s Awesome Markets
Markets are surging in Houston these days. The city is home to a variety of exciting markets that which host headlining musicians, art galleries, expositions, excellent eateries, and more.
- The former USPS warehouse as a new a cutting-edge, multi-purpose, multi-layered facility with a complete technical re-design, multiple double-helix staircases, a trio of skylit atriums, and a FIVE-ACRE ROOFTOP PARK.
- Lyric Market, owned and operated by Hospitality HQ, hones predominately on dining and chef-driven experiences.
- Ironworks, a 60,000-square-foot industrial building and development in East End has in the past few years transformed into a cultural hub using over 20 re-purposed shipping containers.
- Find Tik Tok-famous churros, dinosaurs, and insane street food at Sunny Flea Market.
- Open 365 days of the year, the Azteca Farmers Market is one of Houston’s premier farmers market. With stellar street eats, fresh produce, and over 50 vendors, Azteca gives visitors 13 acres of vibrant market space.
38. Stroll Through This Gorgeous Sunflower Field Just Outside Of Houston
Wade into a sea of sunflowers this season at P-6 Farms. Come May, the farm in Montgomery opens their gorgeous field to the public with sunflowers as far as the eye can see!
📍9963 Pooles Road
39. Go Chasing Waterfalls
There’s no understating the natural beauty of the Lone Star State. This season, head the call to adventure and venture out to the state’s most gorgeous waterfalls and the hiking trails that take you there.
40. Paintball, Chuck Axes, and Laser Tag
Looking for something new and exciting for date night, team building, friendship? AGR Adventure Park is an adrenaline-fueled hot spot in Houston with locations in the northern Heights and Katy. Here, visitors can participate in axe throwing, paintball, laser tag, and follow up the action with a round of drinks at the bar and restaurant.
📍830 Katy Fort Bend Rd Suite 200
41. See All Your Favorite Superheroes at Comicpalooza
The pop-culture extravaganza known as Comicpalooza will return to the George R. Brown Convention Center from May 24 – 26 this spring with a dynamic celebrity lineup, pop culture programming, retro gaming, and other exciting experiences!
📍1001 Avenida De Las Americas
42. Go to the Mall
Malls are alive and thriving in Houston. Home to an extravagant array of retail destinations, foodie food courts, and exciting entertainment venues, stop by one of the best malls in Houston for an afternoon well-spent!
43. Play Pickleball
Get into the fastest growing sport that’s sweeping the nation. While other sports like tennis, basketball, and football are well and fun, none of which feature the amazing entertainment venues, restaurants, and sports bars like Houston’s pickleball scene. This spring, go for a round of pickleball, followed by a round of drinks, and maybe a few games of ping-pong at one of Houston’s awesome pickleball venues including: Chicken N Pickle in Webster, PKL Social in The Heights, and/or Bumpy Pickle in Second Ward.
44. Laugh Your Head Off at The Riot Comedy Festival In Houston
Houston’s riff-heavy comedy hangoug The Riot at Rudyard’s is bringing in major laughs this April for the second annual The Riot Comedy Festival. The four-day festival is set to feature headliners such as Robert Kelly, skyrocketing stand-ups like Kim Congdon, live podcast tapings such as Stuff Island, as well as a four-day block party starting April 4th.
📍2010 Waugh Dr.
45. Tee Off at Mini-Golf
There are plenty of wonderful places in Houston to work on your short game. Be it Topgolf’s techy Puttshack, the tipsy tees at The Puttery in Sawyer Yards, or the 18 holes at Tiger Woods’ Popstroke in Katy, you can enjoy the nostalgia of mini-golf across the city. Plus, Holey Moley plans to bring its ’90s-themed mini-golf club and karaoke bar to River Oaks in Houston this mid-April.
46. Get Down at Haywire’s Party Barn
Slated to open mid May, Haywire is a tried-and-true Texas concept that plans to open its multi-level, 20,000-square-foot restaurant in Memorial this spring. Also notable, the space will also feature a 2,000-square-foot Party Barn barn and event space.
📍947 North Gessner Road
47. Help Billions of Birds during their Migration
Every year billions of birds fly through Texas on their spring migration north in search of food and nesting. Unfortunately, light pollution is a major obstacle for their journey. In an effort to offer safe passage, buildings across Texas are going dark at night so as not to disorient passing birds during their journey. Low-rise buildings are also pose a problem, so if you want to help the birds you can turn off unnecessary lights from 11 pm to 6 am!