FREE WEEKEND FUN

Free Houston Weekend Fun June 21-23

The weekend is almost here. What are your plans? Here is a snapshot of a few free activities and events to enjoy in Houston with family and friends:

Celebrate 100 years of classical music – The Houston Symphony’s free community concerts continue Friday and Saturday, June 21-22, at Miller Outdoor Theatre. Friday is its Centennial Celebration concert complete with fireworks! The orchestra will perform favorites such as Beethoven’s Ode to Joy, selections from Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, Menken’s Be Our Guest from Beauty & the Beast, and John Williams’ Liberty Fanfare. Saturday night is a different performance featuring Mozart, Tchaikovsky, and Rimsky-Korsakov. Performances are at 8:30 pm. Free reserved seat tickets are available on performance day from 10:30 am – 1 pm at Miller Outdoor Theater box office.

Watch a movie under the moon — @Market Square Park: the Alamo Drafthouse Rolling Roadshow presents the free screening of American Graffiti Friday, June 21, 8:30 pm. @Central Green: Enjoy family movies every Saturday in June at Katy’s newest community park, Central Green. Back to the Future will be showing this Saturday, June 22, 8:30 pm.

Celebrate summer at The Woodlands Mall — To kick off the official summer, The Woodlands Mall is sponsoring Kids Summer Fest Saturday, June 22, 10 am – noon. The free carnival-themed event features face painting, DJ, crafts, dance and sing-along, games, prizes, and snow cones.

Swap, recycle and reuse – Houston Re-Market returns June 22, 4th Saturday of each month (9 am – 2 pm), as an opportunity for Houstonians to practice responsible consumerism. Participate in the swap (bring a gently used item) and take something else home for free, shop at vendors who use recycled and resused materials in their crafts, browse a few booths of garage sales, and enjoy live entertainment and food. Houston Re-Market is located at 4302 Harrisburg, 77003.

Watch a free family flick — Don’t miss the free Kids’ Camp family-friendly movie each weekend at Alamo Drafthouse’s Vintage Park and Mason Road locations. Catch Casper at 10 am (Vintage Park) and 11:10 am (Mason Road) Friday through Sunday, June 21-23. Seats are first-come, first-serve.

Sing on the Green — The Citywide GLBT event Rainbow on the Green returns Friday, June 21, with a free concert featuring Derrick Barry, Crystal Waters, and Chris Cox. The event kicks off at 7:30 pm at 1500 McKinney.

Celebrate Juneteenth – The Texas Black Expo Juneteenth Summer Celebration 2013 is a two-day Expo at George R. Brown Convention Center Saturday and Sunday, June 22-23. The event features a Women’s Forum, Living Strong Health and Wellness Pavilion, free hairstyling, make up and scalp analysis, Youth Summit, and more. Get your free trade show ticket online here. The outdoor concert at Discovery Green with the Expo is not free. It is a ticketed event.

Play at summer camp — Family Summer Camp at Bass Pro Shops offers free activities for kids on Saturdays and Sundays (& Tuesday/Thursday) plus family workshops and more. Family Summer Camp lasts from noon to 5 pm through July 14. Engage in activities such as casting challenge, BB shooting range, weekly crafts, shooting arcade, free workshops, catch and release pond, and homemade ice cream Saturdays at 5 pm. Bass Pro Shops has two Houston-area locations in Katy (5000 Katy Mills Circle) and Pearland (1000 Basspro Drive).

Enjoy summer tunes in Pearland and The Woodlands — Folks south of Houston can hit Summerfest each Friday night in June. Pearland’s free weekly concert begins at 7 pm at Southdown Park, 2150 Countryplace Parkway. This week’s features Mango Punch with rock and salsa. Folks north of Houston can enjoy Waterway Nights each Saturday through June 30 from 6 pm – 8 pm. This week’s musical performer features Level One Band with Bryant the magician. Enjoy strolling entertainers including jugglers, face painters, and more! Waterway Square District is located in The Woodlands.