Art Cars Return! Iconic Parade Becomes Parking-Lot Event for 2021

Art Cars Return! Iconic Parade Becomes Parking-Lot Event for 2021

The 2018 Art Car Parade (photo by Emily Jaschke)

HOUSTON'S ART CAR Parade is iconic, the largest event of its kind in the world. And for anyone who's ever wanted to see the motorized masterpieces up close, the Orange Show is revving up an incredible, unique experience for 2021.


This year, dozens of Art Cars won't roll through Downtown, with crowds of thousands gathered to spectate. Instead, the Houston Art Car Experience will be parked at the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art's five-acre campus off I-45 near UH May 14-16. Here, socially distanced revelers will be able to walk around a maze of showpieces while enjoying a digital self-guided tour.

"The Houston Art Car Experience will allow the public to more closely engage with the art than they have in the past," says the Orange Show's Tommy Ralph Pace, "while also enjoying the aspects of Houston Art Car Weekend that they have grown to love: community partnerships, artistic collaborations, incredible musical entertainment, and the joy that comes from a true freedom of artistic expression."

The 2019 Art Car Parade (photo by Morris Malakoff)

Families can plan to visit the Orange Show HQ on Friday, Saturday and Sunday during the hours of 10am-5pm. Tickets for assigned time slots should be purchased in advance, and gusts are encouraged to cap their visits at 90 minutes. In addition to food, drinks, crafts and merch, the experience boasts a quarter-mile Art Car Walk, throughout which visitors can scan each vehicle's QR code to learn more about the making of the low riders, SLABs, mobile sculptures and others.

And for the first time, the general public will be able to view and appreciate the Art Cars at night, during an illuminated celebration that was previously reserved for the Art Car Ball kickoff event. From 7pm-11pm on Friday and Saturday, the Art Car Parade Experience By Night will include unique art installations, costumes, live music, cocktails and more; VIP tickets are available, too. Let's roll!

Art + Entertainment
‘Culture of Service and Accountability’ Supports Mission of Orion EMS

Gerard O’Brien, President/CEO & Founder, and Sumi Patel, Vice President

HOW DID YOU get where you are today? The EMS industry, quite literally, never stops. Our staff and units are called to serve our community every hour of every day; there are no weekends, holidays, or “days off.” Obviously, the demands of EMS are not for the faint of heart, and we have established a culture of service and accountability that is different than nearly every other organization. Our leadership team sets this culture by exhibiting their passion for this industry daily. Their tireless dedication makes a better experience for our staff when they come to work and for our patients and clients when they call on us to transport their loved ones.

Keep ReadingShow less

David Adickes and Bun B

SOME OF THE CITY'S most influential VIPs gathered at Steak 48 in River Oaks District for the annual toast to CityBook’s “Leaders & Legends,” a recurring franchise for the publication whose past honorees have including a Tony and Grammy winner, a Nobel laureate, a member of Congress, an Olympic medalist, multiple billionaire business moguls, TV stars, artists and scientists of every sort, and the city’s most glamorous and generous socialites.

Keep ReadingShow less
Parties

Tay Butler’s Lawndale installation, spring 2023

DESPITE ITS PAIN and pitfalls, there’s no denying that the pandemic inspired artists like never before. This season, one of the most ambitious public-art projects to emerge from the Covid years comes to a close.

Keep ReadingShow less
Art + Entertainment