TIME TO PAINT the town! This season, a trio of art fairs hits Houston, beginning with the Houston Art Fair (formerly the Houston Fine Art Fair), where nearly 50 local and international galleries exhibit Sept. 29-Oct. 2 at Silver Street Studios. On the same weekend, the Texas Contemporary event is held Downtown at the George R. Brown Convention Center. Opening-night festivities include a collaborative performance with the Houston Ballet’s Oliver Halkowich and multi-media artist Chris Doyle. And a week later, the semi-annual Bayou City Art Festival returns to the streets of Downtown with hundreds of outdoor booths.
Cirque du Soleil's 'Echo'
1. On, Dancer
Houston Ballet’s Connor Walsh and Sara Webb in ‘In the Night’
In the midst of its always-celebrated production of The Nutcracker, the Houston Ballet’s annual Jubilee of Dance (Dec. 6-8) includes the premiere of a new work by choreographer Brett Ishida and a toast to principal dancers Connor Walsh and Jessica Collado’s 20th season with the company. Spring brings a trio of expressive ballets fusing contemporary and classic: In the Night (Feb. 27-March 9) will include Irish-folk number Celts, Stanton Welch’s Maninyas, and, naturally, Jerome Robbins’ In the Night.
2. Night Lights
Dubbed a “multisensory holiday escape,” Artechouse is an interactive digital-art space near M-K-T in the Heights. Its exhibits Spectacular Factory — an exploration of a holiday toy factory — and Tingle Bells promise to capture the nostalgia and festvitiy of the season. Raise a glass at the city’s only “extended reality” bar, inside Artechouse.
3. By a Thread
Bumin Kim’s thread-and-acrylic piece ‘Spring Shadows’
Houston’s galleries are full of gems year-round, especially during the holiday season. At Anya Tish Gallery, Hedwige Jacobs’ whimsical drawings and animations — inspired by her time living in Indonesia, particularly the overwhelming presence of cardboard shipping boxes — populate the walls through Dec. 28. In January, Korea-born and Texas-based artist Bumin Kim hangs colorful new thread-and-acrylic pieces. The Montrose gallery also curated a group show called Hurry Up, You’re Dreaming in the lobby of 700 Louisiana; works by József Bullás, HJ Bott and others explore the allure of the Op Art movement of the 1960s.
4. Home Girl
Hidden-gem music venue Heights Theater hosts a handful of homegrown stars this winter, including Hayes Carll (Dec. 7-8), Jack Ingram (Dec. 19), and jazz songstress Kat Edmonson (pictured, Feb. 16).
5. 'Nature' Calls
The dragon tunnel at Houston Botanic Garden
Houston Botanic Garden’s illuminated holiday exhibit has been popular for a few years running. This season, HBG brings back Radiant Nature (through Feb. 23), a dynamic, artist-created light show celebrating the Lunar New Year. Immersive and photo-friendly installations — plus plenty of pit stops for hot chocolate and more — will have guests of all ages lighting up!
6. Big Top!
‘Echo’ arrives in February.
Cirque du Soleil returns to Houston with Echo, an all-new production (its 20th!) that will set up at Sam Houston Race Park in February. Filled with dynamic lights and projections, quirky characters and awe-inspiring acrobatics, the fantastical show explores the sacred bond between humans, animals and nature. Echo runs Feb. 6 to March 9.
7. A Festive 'Flourish'
‘Untitled (Overcast)’ by Rubinstein
The landscape-inspired abstractions by New York’s Heather Bause Rubinstein cover the walls of Barbara Davis Gallery until Jan. 10. The show, Flourish + Fade, is comprised of huge oil-on-canvas paintings that were largely created during Rubinstein’s stint in Houston — she called it a “self-created residency” — in early 2024.
8. Cool Cat
A pioneer in the immersive-art world, Meow Wolf has expanded to Houston with Radio Tave, created by 100 artists, many of whom are local. The experience begins with guests walking into what looks like a radio station — but office drawers, doors (even the fridge!), and windows offer portals into new worlds, each surreal and otherworldly in its own way.
Table grill
The restaurant is owned by the Koo family and led by Kevin Koo. The Koos have been providing humanitarian relief efforts along the South and North Korean border for decades, and have amassed a collection of rare North Korean art. Bori is one of the only places in Texas showcasing North Korean pieces — look closely, and you’ll notice that none of the works are signed to protect the artist.
In a further nod to the family’s Korean roots, the name Bori comes from the Korean word for “barley.” Barley is a staple crop in Korea, sustaining the lives of many during times of famine, war and oppression. “We opened Bori with an upscale vision of our heritage. Now, we are thrilled to have such a great response and to be able to expand to a new home in Montrose,” says Kevin. “The Houston culinary scene is extremely diverse, and we are proud to offer a unique experience with our premium cut meats and cooking techniques.”
In addition to the meats cooked at the table, the Montrose location offers new dishes like fried chili eggplant, bulgogi Tteokbokki and sea bass risotto. Pro tip: End your visit with the Korean-street-food-inspired Hottek ice-cream sandwich. It’s warm crispy cinnamon-filled pastries topped with a big scoop of ice cream!
The original Bori location is located in Spring Branch and opened in 2019.
First floor dining
Spread at BORI
Spread at BORI
Rare North Korean art
Inside Bori Montrose