LATELY IN HOUSTON

Valentine's revenge served cold (and scuttling). *HISS* Houston Museum of Natural Science lets you name a hissing cockroach after your ex for $10.  The "Endless Love" promo runs through Feb. 14, with roaches housed at the Heartbreak Motel. Over 100 named in January alone. Digital certificate included. Proceeds fund butterfly conservation. Petty? Yes. Therapeutic? Absolutely. Forward that certificate at your own risk.

Houston native goes viral as literal grass. A 31 y.o program manager saw a TikTok casting call and submitted his measurements (5'7", athletic build). Erik Solorzano landed the gig in Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show. What initially seemed unglamorous became iconic representing Puerto Rico's sugar cane fields in a "field of dreams" performance. Solorzano's face peeking through went viral and the internet couldn’t get enough!

Proof the best films come small. Oscar-nominated shorts hit Houston theaters this weekend. This year's lineup: political drama ("Butcher's Stain"), menstruation comedy ("Jane Austen's Period Drama"), queer kinship ("A Friend of Dorothy"), viral singer love letters ("The Singers"), and dystopian kissing bans ("Two People Exchanging Saliva"). MFAH screens all categories through March.

“I wanted to make sure that the culture district was rooted in the community.” Fifth Ward is building an arts community. The 5th Ward Cultural Arts District, one of Texas's only Black and Latin American–majority arts zones, expands programming while keeping residents centered. DeLuxe Theater, MASA, Meow Wolf, and a coming Mini Music Museum honor hyperlocal creativity. Culture grows, community stays rooted.

A look inside the Reading Room. Curator Amarie Gipson built the Reading Room, a 800+ book library dedicated to Black art, culture, and diasporic life, inside Downtown's Sanman Studios. From Afrofuturism to Black rodeo culture, Baldwin to Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter book, the collection fills gaps mainstream art history ignores. Free entry, rotating exhibits, cultural programming. It's a third space where Blackness is celebrated, studied, and vast.

Say “I do” on Valentine’s. ❤️ Houston venues are hosting free Valentine's Day pop-up weddings aka microweddings that meet maximum romance. Sugar Land's marrying 100 couples at once on City Hall steps (sold out in 48 hours). Brazos Bookstore's turning shelves into a Vegas-style chapel with 15-minute ceremonies among the stacks. Low-stress, high love, zero cost.

ICYMI

What everyone’s reading:

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WEEKEND EVENTS

All Weekend

• Last chance to catch Real Women Have Curves at Alley Theatre

• Roma Photo Booth pop-up at Contemporary Arts Museum Houston

• Lovers & Friends at Mugen Tattoo Studio

• Hando Spring Branch celebrates 2 year anniversary

Thursday, 2/12

5pm-7pm, Wine Tasting | Sip & Shop with Biscuit Home at Montrose Cheese and Wine. “We're hosting a free wine tasting, and Biscuit is hosting a Tarot card reader for the evening!”

6pm, Floral Workshop | I Can Buy Myself Flowers workshop with Mas Flora at Monkey’s Tail. $65.

8pm-11pm Floral Workshop | Jazz Listening Room featuring Drew Johnson Quartet at Moth. $21.

Friday, 2/13

12pm-4pm, Film Photography | One Hour Photo Friday the 13th Special at Flats to get your film developed. “$13 rush fee, 1 hour turnaround, 3 rolls max.”

7pm-11pm, Nightlife | Mixers & Elixirs: Atoms & Attractions at Houston Museum of Natural Science. $35. 

9pm-2am, Nightlife | Drake Night at Paradise Art Gallery. Free with RSVP.

Saturday, 2/14

7am-7pm, Coffee | Valentine’s Day at Jo’s Coffee Houston Heights. “For $15, guests receive two drinks + a Jo’s-branded Valentine’s goodie, perfect for couples, friends, or anyone celebrating together. The day also coincides with Jo’s Houston Heights’ first birthday, with free drip coffee offered all day and a Birthday Cake Latte special available all weekend.”

10am-4pm, Culture | Lunar New Year at Asia Society Texas. Free.

2pm-3pm, Art | Conversation: Frida Chicana. Art historian Adriana Zavala discusses with artists Santa Barraza, Yreina Cervántez, and Joey Terrill how Frida Kahlo became an icon for the Chicano/a artistic community and a role model for social justice and self-representation.

2pm-4pm, Art | Craft Swap and Junk Journal at CAMH. “Give new life to your unused art and craft-making supplies at CAMH! Swap your unwanted supplies while working on a personalized journal using found and recycled materials.”

5pm-10pm, Dining | Valentine’s Day Dinner at Hypsi. “Hotel Daphne’s new and stylish restaurant, Hypsi, will be offering a special three-course Valentine’s Day prix fixe menu for $75 per person.”

6pm-10pm, Nightlife | RAVEL Volume 3 by Bjorn Larsen and Jamsheddy at Clandestina. Free RSVPs available.

7pm, Poetry | My Beloved: A Jazz Poetry Night at Eden Plant Co. SOLD OUT.

7pm-9pm, Nightlife | Anime & Wine Valentine’s Day Edition at Room 8o8. “Upon entry, we will have 4 different anime classics showing throughout the night on our 1st and 2nd floor levels.” $10.

10pm-2am, Nightlife | From Trash to Treasure at Trash Panda Club featuring Ninth Sage and DJ D-rose. Buy one get one pasta plates.

Sunday, 2/15

1pm-6pm, Market | Oddities Market at Spindletap Brewery. Free.

1pm-6pm, Day Party | Galentine’s Affair at The Kennedy. “A high-energy daytime party full of love, glam, and good vibes — plus raffles, mingling, and unforgettable moments ✨” Free with RSVP.

2:30pm, Live Music | Groove & Flow: Galentine’s Edition. “An all-female Sofar Houston afternoon featuring hip hop, R&B, pop, and soul. Laid-back energy, powerful voices, and grooves that linger.” $23.

3pm-8pm, Culture | The Unity Hiphop Street Fest at Axelrad. Free.

4pm-7pm, Culture | Lunar New Year at Discovery Green. Free.

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