Downtown will be popping this weekend with a pair of distinctly Houston events.

Why it matters: Festivities surrounding the Art Car Parade and Tour de Houston will draw thousands from across the region to downtown this weekend.

Here's the lowdown:

Art Car Parade

More than 250 rolling art on wheels will take part in the 39th annual parade.

Route: The two-hour free parade begins 2pm tomorrow at Dallas and Bagby streets, loops around City Hall, heads down Allen Parkway and ends near Waugh Drive. Vehicles start lining up at 11am for the lineup party.

The intrigue: The parade is always a stellar show, with fun and funky vehicles — a mix of new and returning favorites.

• This year's parade includes two commissioned art cars by Untitled Art, a major contemporary art fair, which announced that its exhibit would return to Houston in October for the second year.

Tour de Houston

The city's annual bike ride, which serious cyclists use to train for the MS 150, heads west from downtown starting 8am Sunday.

Route: The full 45-mile tour starts at Discovery Green, heads west along Washington Avenue, through Memorial Park and the Villages before turning around at Barkers Reservoir.

• There's also a 23.5-mile intermediate ride and a 14-mile family-friendly ride along the same route.

Zoom in: While some downtown roads near Discovery Green will be closed, cyclists will travel with traffic for the rest of the route.

• Law enforcement and ride marshals will be along for the ride, and there are several rest stops along the way.
• The ride goes on rain or shine, officials say.

The bottom line: Expect crowds, road closures and a lively downtown as Houston leans into art, fun, zaniness and bikes on a busy spring weekend.

NASA sent five hot sauce varieties on Artemis II, deeming the spicy staple an essential item.

Why it matters: Even in space, flavor matters.

The big picture: Tabasco, Sriracha, Cholula, Frank's RedHot and Heinz Hot Taco Sauce are on the New Orleans-made rocket, according to Victoria Segovia, a public affairs specialist at Johnson Space Center in Houston.

• She says NASA doesn't endorse any of the brands, though.
• Spicy condiments aren't new in space. Wasabi, Louisiana Hot Sauce, Sriracha and Tabasco are already popular on the International Space Station, along with shrimp cocktail, which has freeze-dried shrimp and horseradish, PBS says.

How it works: Hot sauce serves practical and behavioral health functions in space, according to Victoria Segovia, a public affairs specialist at Johnson Space Center in Houston.

• "In microgravity, astronauts often experience less acute olfactory senses due to fluid shift — similar to having a mild congestion — which can dull flavor perceptions," she tells us.
• "Spicy and bold" condiments help enhance taste, she says.

How they choose: The hot sauces are selected in collaboration with astronauts and NASA's food scientists at the Johnson Space Center Food Lab, she says.

• Astronauts taste-test and provide input on flavor preferences, variety and compatibility with the menu.
• Selections are also evaluated for safety, shelf stability, nutritional value and suitability for the spaceflight environment.

Zoom out: Hot sauce has historically been part of the variety of condiments available to astronauts, Segovia says.

📣 Tell us: Which hot sauce or salsa would be your must-have in space?

• Hit reply and let us know.

More food items

🗳️ The Houston Police Officers' Union said it will not endorse Mayor John Whitmire for a second term after a City Council vote to limit coordination with ICE.

• Whitmire previously said he'd run for another term. (Houston Public Media)

🏥 Food service company Sodexo expects to lay off nearly 300 workers in the Houston area this summer. (Click2Houston)

🗣️ Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick earlier this week said Texas Republicans are "going to have a tough time" holding onto their majority in the state House this fall. (Texas Tribune)

👋 Jay here! NASA's Artemis II mission around the Moon is coming to a close with the crew's Orion capsule expected to splashdown off the San Diego coast this evening.

Why it matters: The crew's 10-day lunar flyby mission was the farthest humans have traveled from Earth.

• Their spaceflight yielded several scientific achievements that will help NASA continue developing plans for a permanent lunar base in the future.

The intrigue: During the mission, astronauts captured stunning new versions of Apollo 8's original Earthrise photograph from 1968.

• They also experienced a rare, in-space solar eclipse, where the Moon totally blocked out sunlight as they passed behind it.

And yes, they had to wear eclipse glasses.

What's next: The crew is expected to splashdown around 7pm local time.

• NASA will live-stream the event on its YouTube page and outlets across the internet.

Follow our colleagues with Axios San Diego for the latest updates.