Houston, Texas, is a diverse and large city of approximately two and a half million people. While known for its sprawl (the entire Houston metropolitan area is larger than the state of New Jersey), its downtown is a vibrant hub of business and entertainment. Visitors and locals can find countless activities downtown year round.
The Houston Theater District is located downtown, including Jones Hall, Wortham Theater Center, Alley Theater and the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts. These facilities are home to nine professional resident companies, including the Houston Symphony, Houston Ballet and Houston Grand Opera, as well as several theater companies. The Houston Verizon Wireless Theater, voted Best Live Music Venue by the Houston Press, is in nearby Bayou Place.
Whether you are a fan of basketball, hockey, baseball or football you can catch a game in season in downtown Houston. The Houston Aeros, an American Hockey League team, play at the Toyota Center downtown, as do the Houston Rockets, a two-time NBA championship-winning team which has called Houston home since 1970. The Houston Astros play at Minute Maid Park, a downtown Major League baseball stadium featuring a retractable roof, allowing Houstonians to view open-air baseball for the first time since the construction of the Astrodome. College football season brings the Texas Bowl, played at Reliant Stadium.
The Chevron Houston Marathon, a full race weekend of events including a marathon, half marathon and 5k, kicks off the year in late January. February brings the Texas Home and Garden Show to Reliant Park. In the spring and again in the fall, the Bayou City Arts Festival is an outdoor art gallery with a jury competition in Memorial Park. On the Fourth of July, Houston celebrates downtown with fireworks over Buffalo Bayou. The holidays bring a Thanksgiving Day parade through downtown and a Christmas Candlelight tour through historic buildings in Sam Houston Park.
Known as "Houston's Official Family Celebration," the H-E-B Children's Festival in March includes six stages for music and performances as well as crafts, activities, rides and games. The Houston Public Library hosts an annual book sale in April at the Convention Center, with all proceeds benefiting the library. April also brings the Houston International Festival, a two-weekend event near City Hall and Sam Houston Park celebrating diversity. The Houston Zoo, located in Hermann Park, features Zoo Boo every October, a trick or treating event throughout the zoo.
