Cooler weather means fall events heat up at north Houston’s City Place with an exciting line-up of happenings, including the inaugural Día de los Muertos festival, Halloween activities, outdoor fitness programming, plus smooth sounds and happy hour eats during the Friday Night Live series. October also sees the return of Children’s Story Time, Sunday Strolls, and photography classes to City Place Plaza, located at 1250 Lake Plaza Drive, Spring, TX, 77389.
A four-day celebration of Día de los Muertos kicks off on Thursday, October 28 from 6 to 10 p.m. at the alfresco Black Dinner on The Plaza. With limited, ticketed seating for just 50, the delectably elegant evening overlooking waterfront City Place Park will officially unveil the traditional altar to honor past loved ones and feature intricate Catrina face painting and a four-course menu with wine pairings created by acclaimed Mexican chef/restaurateur Eduardo Palazuelos (Zibu Allende and Yintony Bar in San Miguel de Allende, Mar del Zur in Monterrey and Zibu and Mario Canario in Acapulco), in collaboration with Houston culinary veteran David Cordua of soon-to-open The Lymbar, a Latin/Mediterranean restaurant and craft cocktail bar in Midtown’s The Ion. Priced at $150 per person.
It’s a party on City Place Plaza, Friday, October 29 from 5 until 9 p.m. with Calacas & Cocktails. Come for margaritas (cash bar) and live music and stay for the Candlelight Procession with mojigangas (giant puppets) to the traditional altar at 8 p.m. While free to attend, a ticketed option for $35 per person includes limited VIP access – beginning at 6:30 pm – to the specially decorated, poolside Canopy Salon at the adjacent Houston City Place Marriott, where 30 guests will receive a welcome cocktail, floral crown, and candle kit for the procession, plus enjoy Catrina face painting.
The Mercado takes over the City Place Plaza on Saturday, October 30 from noon to 10 p.m. Shop of a variety of curated Mexican folk-art vendors and artisans showcasing an assortment of upscale accessories, art, jewelry, clothing, handcrafted ornaments, and more in elaborate stalls. Experience traditional music and DJs including Latin Strings on Fire, Mango Punch, Bamuaya and Hues, alongside face painters, photo opportunities, and kids’ activities throughout the day, as well as the weekend’s second public Candlelight Procession with mojigangas to the altar at 8 p.m. The event is free to attend, but a ticketed option for $35 provides VIP access to the Canopy Salon at the Houston City Place Marriott from 6:30 to 9 pm, where 30 guests will receive a welcome cocktail, floral crown, and candle kit for the procession, in addition to intricate Catrina face painting.
The four-day engagement wraps up on Sunday, October 31 with a Family Movie Night screening of the Pixar classic, CoCo starting at 6 p.m. on The Plaza complimentary face painting and activities for kids, followed by the screening at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free. RSVP to
Make a night or weekend of Dia de los Muertos at City Place’s three onsite hotels. The AAA Four Diamond Houston City Place Marriott features up to 20% when you stay two nights or more and starting rates from $149 per room, plus additional perks for Black Dinner ticket holders. At the nearby Residence Inn Houston Springwoods Village, the Snacks On Us package offers overnight rates starting at $129 with a $10 snacks credit, and the Courtyard Houston Springwoods Village Room and Breakfast package begins at $104 a night.
Feed your sweet tooth throughout October at Common Bond Bistro & Bakery with a variety of seasonal treats. Enjoy pumpkin croissants starting October 15, as well as Halloween and Día De Los Muertos cakes, created by cake artist, Sarah Ono Jones, winner of the competitive baking show, Halloween Wars. Be the star of the Halloween party with a scary skeleton cake or other unique items. To pre-order beginning October 6, visit the Common Bond Bistro & Bakery at www.commonbondbistro.com.
Friday Night Live kicks off the month on Friday, October 1. The bi-weekly event shines a spotlight on local musicians with extended happy hour specials starting at $3 from restaurants on and around The Plaza from 6 to 9 p.m. Multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter Kyle Mathis will be the featured guest for the first show of the month, playing classic rock and country tunes. The Evelyn Rubio Duo lay down their take on blues and R&B on October 15. Picnic blankets and lawn chairs are welcome!
The Plaza’s Sunday Strolls series, featuring live music and activities on the green from 5:30 to 8 p.m., will return on Sunday, October 10 with blues and classic rock sounds courtesy of the Eric Demmer Duo. Enjoy the classic rock and pop sounds of Felix Luna on Sunday, October 24.
Are dragons good pets? How fast do they fly? Get all the answers when the Raya, the dragon princess from beloved children’s film, Raya and the Last Dragon, visits The Plaza on Friday, October 8 for Children’s Story Time at 6 p.m. She’ll share her tale of saving her father Chief Benja and Kumandra’s Heart Land from the stone plague using the Dragon Gem. Following that, she’ll be available for photos. Costumes are welcome and encouraged.
Photographers of all skill levels enjoy free classes conducted by the Houston Center for Photography at City Place each month with October’s session slated for Saturday the 23rd at 10 a.m. This month’s focus “Composition Basics: Line, Shape, and Texture.” will showcase framing and how to incorporate line, shape, and texture to create outstanding images. All camera types are suitable for this workshop. Space is limited; to reserve your spot, visit https://hcponline.org/education/cityplace-photography-workshop/.
Cooler temperatures make City Place Plaza a perfect place to achieve health and wellness goals with a variety of programming options. Camp Gladiator spotlights its popular HIIT regimen every Monday and Wednesday at 5:15 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. and on Saturdays at 8:30 a.m. Fit4Mom Stroller Barre welcomes new mothers and their babies on Wednesdays at 9:30 a.m. A complimentary yoga/mediation session is featured every Saturday at 10 a.m. Or try the new Sphere Powa soccer influenced workout every Thursday at 6 p.m. Camp Gladiator and Fit4Mom Stroller Barre are free for the first session with memberships available for ongoing attendance. Sphere is priced at $17 per month.
