Spring is in full bloom at north Houston’s City Place as March welcomes a calendar filled with family friendly activations, an inaugural Picnic in the Park event, and a new international pop-up art installation. The excitement is all taking place on and around the community’s central Plaza at 1250 Lake Plaza Drive – Spring, TX 77389.
Spring Break Programming
School’s out, and City Place is celebrating with complimentary, kid-friendly activations each day between March 8 and 16.
The fun kicks off with a new City Place signature event, Picnic in the Park, which will ring in spring with a spirited lineup of activations including a live jazz band, lawn games, bubble machines, face painting, balloon art, bouquet making, raffles, plus appearances from Saint Arnold Brewing Company and the Houston Humane Society. Attendees will have the opportunity to enjoy a wine garden, while taking their pick from a multitude of food trucks and dessert stations offering items for sale. Free to attend and open to the public, the lively event will take place March 9 from 11 am to 5 pm.
The inaugural Picnic in the Park festivities coincide with the unveiling of City Place’s latest art exhibition, Flower Clouds. Commissioned by London-based creative studio Graphic Rewilding – known internationally for its imaginative installations that bridge urban and natural worlds – the installation is presented as a collection of seven whimsical park benches that colorfully depict more than 25 species of natural vegetation (as well as insects and birds) native to the Texas Gulf Coast region. Each of the unique benches will reach over 6 feet tall and nearly 10 feet wide and will serve as a canvas for the hand drawn designs created in a bold, pop impressionism style that is the signature of Graphic Rewilding. Visitors relaxing on the oversized benches will be enveloped by hyper-lush meadowscapes, as if they were floating on a floral cloud. Open to the public and free of charge, the art piece can be experienced daily from 7 am until 10 pm through April 30. After a short hiatus during the month of May, Flower Clouds blooms again June 1 through July 27.
The spring break fun continues as state-of-the-art video game truck Gulf Coast Gamers rolls into City Place on March 8 from noon-2 pm, followed by a second stop on March 13 from 1-3 pm.
On March 10 and 13, the Miss Rachel Show will provide themed toddler movement and music classes. The hour-long shows start at 10 am and 11 am. Mr. Leo’s Puppet Show will also take center stage on March 10 from 12:30 pm until 1:30 pm, and again on March 12 from 1 pm until 3 pm.
Kids Create Arts & Crafts will be visiting the Plaza March 11 from 11 am to 1 pm for a complimentary day of hands-on arts and craft activities for all ages. Always popular Texas Bubblers will be popping up afterwards on March 11 from 1 pm until 3 pm with wands that create bubbles as large as 10 feet wide.
Calling all animal lovers: the Houston Humane Society will be hosting a Wildlife Education Workshop from 10 am to 12 pm on March 12 and March 14. Through interactive activities and fun facts, children will learn how to become wildlife heroes and help protect our animal friends.
The Fun Bus also makes its way back to City Place on March 14 from 1 pm until 3 pm and on March 16 from 12 pm until 2 pm for a complimentary mobile gym experience designed for kids aged 18 months to seven years. With enthusiastic instructors leading games, obstacle courses and themed activities, children can swing, bounce and climb in a colorful, 35-foot refurbished school bus.
Pix on the Plaza will take over the big screen with a complimentary outdoor viewing of classic Pixar film, “A Bug’s Life”, starting just after sunset at approximately 7:30 pm on March 15. Blankets and low-profile chairs are encouraged, and complimentary popcorn will be available while supplies last.
Wrapping up the bustling week of activities, Pop Culture Con will take place inside the Houston City Place Marriott on March 15 from 10 am to 6 pm and March 16 from 10 am to 5 pm. The two-day showcase offers an exciting, family-friendly experience with celebrities, anime guests, comic creators, voice actors and cosplayers. Tickets start at $19.99 and can be purchased at https://popculturecon.com/tickets/ .
Those looking to make spring break a staycation can enjoy accommodations steps from all the action at one of three City Place hotel properties including the stylish Houston City Place Marriott, Courtyard Houston City Place and Residence Inn Houston City Place, where amenities include an outdoor pool and basketball court.
