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🧆 Participate in the last weekend of Houston Restaurant Weeks, ending on Monday. 

Numerous restaurants have prix fixe menus. $25 for lunch and brunch, $39 or $55 for dinner. 

👾 Play arcade games at Joystix Classic Games & Pinballs for its monthly PacMan Fever night. 

$15 for unlimited play. 7pm-midnight Friday. 

🪩 Dance your heart out at a 2000's hip hop and R&B party at White Oak Music Hall. 

🏮 Send a lantern into the sky at the Ascent Sky Lantern Festival. 

✈️ Head to Lone Star Flight Museum for a Labor Day event with free hot dogs, plane tours and flight simulators.

🎤 See Jack Harlow live at 713 Music Hall.

7:30pm Monday. General admission is $50. 

Things to do in Houston this Labor Day weekend

Arcade games, concerts, dance parties and more.

Illustration of a pair of sunglasses with tickets for lenses

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Stock: Getty Images

🧆 Participate in the last weekend of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Houston Restaurant Weeks" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/houston/2026/08/05/houston-restaurant-weeks-2026-food-bank-participating-restaurants" data-vars-content-id="20ca4076-dbec-48e3-861b-6b3119c2ba55" data-vars-headline="Things to do in Houston this Labor Day weekend" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/houston/2026/08/05/houston-restaurant-weeks-2026-food-bank-participating-restaurants" target="_self">Houston Restaurant Weeks</a>, ending on Monday. <ul><li>Numerous <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="restaurants" data-vars-click-url="https://houstonrestaurantweeks.com/about/" data-vars-content-id="20ca4076-dbec-48e3-861b-6b3119c2ba55" data-vars-headline="Things to do in Houston this Labor Day weekend" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://houstonrestaurantweeks.com/about/" target="_blank">restaurants</a> have prix fixe menus. $25 for lunch and brunch, $39 or $55 for dinner. </li></ul>

Things to Do

Arthouse Houston says it is moving forward with purchasing the historic Garden Oaks Theater after Labor Day.

Why it matters: The deal would preserve the nearly 80-year-old cinema and pave the way for a new arts and film center. 

The latest: Arthouse has raised about $2.8 million but is still roughly $400,000 short of its $3.1 million goal for the down payment and initial costs. The nonprofit is now calling in its remaining pledged donations to help close the deal.

Catch up quick: The campaign began in February, when Arthouse learned the theater was headed for demolition and struck a deal to buy it.

More than 800 people have donated, with major backing from Houston-raised filmmakers Wes Anderson and Richard Linklater.

What they're saying: "We're almost there!" Anderson said in a statement. "The success of this little rescue belongs to every single person in Houston. It's going to pay fantastic dividends for years to come."

Photo of a man in a white shirt and suit in a black background. He's holding a mic. 

Wes Anderson speaks to an audience for a fundraiser benefiting Garden Oaks Theater in July. Photo: Jacob Lujan/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images

What's next: After closing the deal, Arthouse plans to launch a three-year capital campaign to restore and reimagine the theater, with a grand opening targeted for 2028.

The roughly $18 million overall project includes an estimated $6.9 million for restoration and $4 million to equip the arts and film center. A temporary drive-in theater is planned during renovations.

Houston-raised filmmakers Wes Anderson and Richard Linklater

Garden Oaks Theater to be saved from demolition

The nearly 80-year-old theater had been slated for demolition.

Photo of an old theater with the words "Grace Church"

Garden Oaks Theater was converted into a church. Photo: Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images

Arthouse Houston says it is moving forward with purchasing the historic <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Garden Oaks Theater" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/houston/2026/04/03/garden-oaks-theater-arthouse-houston-fundraising-save-demolition" data-vars-content-id="2bfb9ada-23bb-448c-8644-794d1c28ff4f" data-vars-headline="Garden Oaks Theater to be saved from demolition" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/houston/2026/04/03/garden-oaks-theater-arthouse-houston-fundraising-save-demolition" target="_self">Garden Oaks Theater</a> after Labor Day.Why it matters: The deal would preserve the nearly 80-year-old cinema and pave the way for a new arts and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="film" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/houston/2025/10/10/movies-houston-incentive-hollywood" data-vars-content-id="2bfb9ada-23bb-448c-8644-794d1c28ff4f" data-vars-headline="Garden Oaks Theater to be saved from demolition" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/houston/2025/10/10/movies-houston-incentive-hollywood" target="_self">film</a> center.

News

Culture

On Fridays, dozens of kids and parents at Poe Elementary School trade the school drop-off line for bikes, part of a growing "bike bus" movement across the country.

Why it matters: Bike buses — organized groups of children and adults who bike to school together — are bringing back a once-common way of getting to school, while giving kids exercise, independence and a little fun before the first bell.

Flashback: In 1969, 48% of kids ages 5-14 walked or biked to school. By 2017, that number had fallen to 11%, according to the National Household Travel Survey.

State of play: BikeHouston executive director Joe Cutrufo and other Poe parents launched the weekly Poe Bike Bus late last school year and brought it back at the start of this school year. 

It now has two Friday morning "lines," with about two dozen kids riding approximately one mile each route on a typical week.

How it works: Many of the families live near the school, near Rice Village, and start together at a designated meeting spot while some join in along the route. 

Children typically ride with their parents, with adults leading and following to keep the group together and on a planned route that avoids busier streets.

What they're saying: "Nobody looks at a bike bus and frowns," Cutrufo tells Axios. "Everyone we pass when we're riding to school is smiling and waving."

"We're ringing our bells as we ride through the neighborhood. … It's community building, it's spreading joy and it's doing a service for kids and parents."

Zoom in: Brynne Olsen rides with her three school-age kids, along with her husband and their 3-year-old in tow.

She says it "turns a chore into something fun."

Reality check: Bike buses aren't easily replicable everywhere in car-centric Houston.

They work best on lower-speed neighborhood streets, Cutrufo says.

What we're watching: BikeHouston wants to help parents launch bike buses at more Houston schools, including with route planning and tips for safely leading rides. Field Elementary in the Heights has also experimented with one.

growing "bike bus" movement across the country

Houston students pedal to school on bike bus

On Friday mornings, dozens of Poe Elementary families are getting to school on two wheels.

Group of children wearing helmets and backpacks ride bicycles down a tree-lined street as cars wait; a stop sign and a bike-route sign are visible ahead.

Bringing back biking to school. Photo: Courtesy of Brad Olsen

On Fridays, dozens of kids and parents at Poe Elementary School trade the school drop-off line for <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="bikes" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/houston/2025/07/23/houston-ranks-low-for-walking-and-bike-travel-new-report-finds" data-vars-content-id="adfb3306-0ef3-4cf0-895d-4558017b4ece" data-vars-headline="Houston students pedal to school on bike bus" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/houston/2025/07/23/houston-ranks-low-for-walking-and-bike-travel-new-report-finds" target="_self">bikes</a>, part of a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="growing &quot;bike bus&quot; movement across the country" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2026/08/06/chicago-bike-bus-school-commute-pickup-traffic-family-biking" data-vars-content-id="adfb3306-0ef3-4cf0-895d-4558017b4ece" data-vars-headline="Houston students pedal to school on bike bus" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2026/08/06/chicago-bike-bus-school-commute-pickup-traffic-family-biking" target="_self">growing &quot;bike bus&quot; movement across the country</a>.Why it matters: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Bike buses" data-vars-click-url="https://bikebus.world/" data-vars-content-id="adfb3306-0ef3-4cf0-895d-4558017b4ece" data-vars-headline="Houston students pedal to school on bike bus" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://bikebus.world/" target="_blank">Bike buses</a> — organized groups of children and adults who bike to school together — are bringing back a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="once-common way" data-vars-click-url="http://guide.saferoutesinfo.org/introduction/the_decline_of_walking_and_bicycling.cfm" data-vars-content-id="adfb3306-0ef3-4cf0-895d-4558017b4ece" data-vars-headline="Houston students pedal to school on bike bus" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="http://guide.saferoutesinfo.org/introduction/the_decline_of_walking_and_bicycling.cfm" target="_blank">once-common way</a> of getting to school, while giving kids exercise, independence and a little fun before the first bell.

After decades of relatively flat electricity demand, the U.S. is entering a data-center-fueled power boom — and Texas is at the center of it, per a new University of Houston report. 

Why it matters: What happens in Texas could offer an early look at how the rest of the country adapts to the growing power needs and challenges, says Greg Bean, executive director of the University of Houston's Gutierrez Energy Management Institute. 

The big picture: U.S. electricity use could grow 32% by 2030, with data centers accounting for about 55% of projected peak-demand growth over the next five years, per the UH report.

What they're saying: Texas is "at the leading edge" of the transition, Bean tells Axios. "Everything's happening in Texas and seems to be happening faster."

Zoom in: West Texas is expected to see some of the country's fastest growth, with annual electricity demand rising more than 7% through 2035 and peak demand more than 5%.

State of play: Bean says there's opportunity to better use the grid's capacity. It operates at roughly half capacity on average because it's built to handle periods of peak demand.

What we're watching: The Electric Reliability Council of Texas plans to audit hundreds of data center proposals by Dec. 10, as part of Gov. Greg Abbott's moratorium on new interconnections. 

The audit will help determine how many projects and how much new electricity demand are likely to materialize.

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UH report: Texas is at the center of the U.S. electricity demand boom

What happens in Texas could preview how the rest of the country handles growing power needs.

Animated illustration of a data center corridor with servers on each side. Along the left-hand side, lights spelling out "%&&#!" appear, and then lights in the shape of an upward trending arrow appear on the right-hand side.

After decades of relatively flat electricity demand, the U.S. is entering a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="data-center-fueled power boom" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/08/23/greg-abbott-texas-data-centers-ai-backlash" data-vars-content-id="d05b8711-f6d5-415d-b512-69605c389f43" data-vars-headline="UH report: Texas is at the center of the U.S. electricity demand boom" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/08/23/greg-abbott-texas-data-centers-ai-backlash" target="_self">data-center-fueled power boom</a> — and Texas is at the center of it, per a<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text=" new University of Houston report" data-vars-click-url="https://www.uh.edu/energy/_docs/_papers-reports/growing-the-us-electricity-system.pdf" data-vars-content-id="d05b8711-f6d5-415d-b512-69605c389f43" data-vars-headline="UH report: Texas is at the center of the U.S. electricity demand boom" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.uh.edu/energy/_docs/_papers-reports/growing-the-us-electricity-system.pdf" target="_blank"> new University of Houston report</a>. Why it matters: What happens in Texas could offer an early look at how the rest of the country <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="adapts to the growing power needs" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/08/19/ai-power-data-center-electricity-construction" data-vars-content-id="d05b8711-f6d5-415d-b512-69605c389f43" data-vars-headline="UH report: Texas is at the center of the U.S. electricity demand boom" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/08/19/ai-power-data-center-electricity-construction" target="_self">adapts to the growing power needs</a> and challenges, says Greg Bean, executive director of the University of Houston&#x27;s Gutierrez Energy Management Institute.

Another autonomous vehicle company is coming to Houston.

Why it matters: Zoox, Amazon's robotaxi company, is joining Houston's growing autonomous vehicle industry, as the city continues to serve as a testing ground for self-driving technology.

Driving the news: Zoox will begin testing in Houston later this month, initially using retrofitted SUVs with safety drivers to map streets and collect data, the company announced Tuesday.

Zoom in: Initial testing will cover Rice Village, the Texas Medical Center, the Galleria area, Memorial Park, Downtown, Midtown and Hyde Park.

The company plans to eventually test its autonomous robotaxis and open a local depot for charging and maintenance.

Photo of a blue-gray and black robotaxi with Zoox label. 

A Zoox autonomous electric robotaxi. Photo: Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images

What they're saying: "Houston is our most sprawling market to date," Zoox said in its announcement, pointing to the city's "complex service-road networks, unique merging scenarios" and extreme heat, heavy rain and flooding as "rigorous" tests for its technology.

Zoom out: Houston will be Zoox's 12th U.S. market, joining cities including Austin, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, Phoenix and Seattle.

What we're watching: Zoox hasn't said when its robotaxis will begin accepting rides.

The bottom line: With Waymo, Uber, Nuro, Tesla and now Zoox in Houston, the city is becoming robovehicle central.

Amazon's Zoox brings robotaxi testing to Houston

Houston will be Amazon-backed Zoox's 12th U.S. market.

Photo of a white SUV with a colorful rear, with automotive mechanics on top, in an intersection. 

Zoox will begin with retrofitted SUVs with safety drivers before it brings its robotaxis. Photo: Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images

Another autonomous vehicle company is coming to Houston.Why it matters: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Zoox" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/08/12/zoox-robotaxi-safety-framework" data-vars-content-id="e19ef1b5-e21a-45dd-901f-5078de21dddf" data-vars-headline="Amazon&#x27;s Zoox brings robotaxi testing to Houston" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/08/12/zoox-robotaxi-safety-framework" target="_self">Zoox</a>, Amazon&#x27;s robotaxi company, is joining Houston&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="growing autonomous vehicle" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/houston/2026/05/13/waymo-houston-expansion-world-cup-nrg-stadium" data-vars-content-id="e19ef1b5-e21a-45dd-901f-5078de21dddf" data-vars-headline="Amazon&#x27;s Zoox brings robotaxi testing to Houston" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/houston/2026/05/13/waymo-houston-expansion-world-cup-nrg-stadium" target="_self">growing autonomous vehicle</a> industry, as the city continues to serve as a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="testing ground" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/houston/2026/06/17/uber-nuro-lucid-bring-robotaxi-service-houston" data-vars-content-id="e19ef1b5-e21a-45dd-901f-5078de21dddf" data-vars-headline="Amazon&#x27;s Zoox brings robotaxi testing to Houston" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/houston/2026/06/17/uber-nuro-lucid-bring-robotaxi-service-houston" target="_self">testing ground</a> for self-driving technology.

Shafaq Patel

Featured stories

Things to do in Houston this Labor Day weekend

Houston students pedal to school on bike bus

UH report: Texas is at the center of the U.S. electricity demand boom

Garden Oaks Theater to be saved from demolition

Amazon's Zoox brings robotaxi testing to Houston