Welcome to this week's "Gish Picks", where I highlight family-oriented cultural events, products or services. Please note that I "highlight" these events, but I don't know if they are appropriate for your particular children, so choose wisely based on age, maturity and interests.

I know many of you go to events based on GISH PICKS recommendations; PLEASE remember to tell the organization that you are there because of us. Word-of-mouth like yours helps our business to grow. In the same spirit, please also feel free to share GISH PICKS with friends and families.

Do you have something you would like to advertise on Gish Picks? Advertisers can promote family-friendly events, products or services to Houstonians all over the city and the surrounding area who are active parents, involved citizens and great shoppers. We love doing this community service and want to keep it free for our readers but in order to justify the hours spent researching, writing and designing this newsletter, we need advertising support. If you'd like to learn more, please click below.

Now, GO FIND FUN!

OUTDOOR MOVIES ARE ALWAYS FUN, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY START AFTER THE WEATHER COOLS.

Here's a chance to see a free outdoor family movie: this Friday, August 17 (weather permitting) at 8pm, St. Mark's United Methodist Church is hosting a free screening of "Babe" on their lawn at 600 Pecore in the Heights. "Babe" is a 1995 film that was nominated for six Academy Awards, including best picture, director, and screenplay, and deservedly won the Oscar for its great visual effects.

"Babe" is all about the title character, a heroic little pig who's been taken in by the friendly farmer Hoggett (Oscar nominee James Cromwell), who senses that he and the pig share "a common destiny." Babe is a popular mischief-maker on the Australian farm who is adopted by the resident border collie and raised as a puppy. He befriends all the farm animals and saves the day as a champion "sheep-pig." There will be free lemonade and popcorn; bring your chair or blanket and picnic.

For more information, call 713.861.3104 or log onto www.smumc.org.

"UNITY DAY" IS COMING TO HOUSTON AS A DIVERSE CULTURAL EXPERIENCE FOR FAMILIES.

This Saturday, August 18, starting at 11am at Miller Outdoor Theatre, various communities of Houston will unite to celebrate their diverse heritages; the purpose of this program is to create a tradition that will eliminate prejudice and crush social barriers based upon family income.

Saturday's events include "Unity Day at the Houston Zoo" from 11am until 3pm where the Zoo is providing half price admission. From 2 until 6pm, there will be a "Unity Day Kid's Zone" at Miller, featuring several international dance groups, cultural vocalists, and games sponsored by various community centers across the city. There will also be multiple inflatable slides and houses. From 2 until 10pm, the "Unity Day Market Place" will feature food and items from several vendors representing cultures around the globe. The event wraps up with an evening concert starting at 7pm with music and dance from culturally diverse groups, such as D.R.U.M., the Afro-Reggae band.

For more information, call 281.431.9393 or log onto www.unitydayhouston.com.

IT'S TIME TO GET OUT AND EXPLORE HOUSTON'S MUSEUMS.

Get ready to enjoy a free day in the Houston Museum District on Saturday, August 18 from 10am until 5pm. Families can board a free METRO shuttle and spend the entire day exploring favorite museums and discovering new destinations. Museum District Day will feature fascinating exhibitions, hands-on activities, demonstrations and performances throughout the day. Fourteen museums will waive their general admission fee to offer the community the opportunity to enjoy the district’s diverse displays of art, science, nature and history.

Participating museums include the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum, the Byzantine Fresco Chapel Museum, the Children’s Museum of Houston, the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, the Holocaust Museum Houston, the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, the Houston Center for Photography, the Houston Museum of Natural Science, the John C. Freeman Weather Museum, The Health Museum, the Lawndale Art Center, the Menil Collection, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and the Rothko Chapel. In addition to enjoying these museums on August 18, many of them offer free admissions year-round and free admission hours on select days.

For more information, call 713.715.1939 or log onto www.houstonmuseumdistrict.org.

SAVE THE DATES AUGUST 23 THROUGH AUGUST 28 FOR "HAPPY BIRTHDAY HOUSTON!".

“Happy Birthday, Houston! Honoring Our Past, Inspiring Our Future” is a weeklong series of events at various venues throughout the city that celebrate the founding of Houston by New York brothers Augustus Chapman and John Kirby Allen on the banks of Buffalo Bayou on August 30, 1836. The city was named after General Sam Houston, commander at the Battle of San Jacinto.

This city birthday bash will kick off with a screening at the historic River Oaks Theatre at 2009 W. Gray on August 23 and end with a city fundraiser at the George R. Brown Center on August 28. A tangible example of the past and future meeting during this week will be the attendance at various events by descendents of relatives of the founding Allen Brothers.

For a full list of events and information, check the Houston Community Newspapers (www.hcnonline.com); there will also be a full write-up in my weekly GISH PICKS column next week. You can also call 713.532.1173 or log onto www.saveourlandmarks.org.

Sarah Gish
Gish Creative
1940-A Fountainview, PMB 116
Houston, Texas 77057
phone/fax: 713.532.1173

email: sarah@gishcreative.com
web: www.gishcreative.com
and: www.thesummerbook.com

© 2007 Sarah Gish

Designed by West of the World