Gish Picks: Week of August 22, 2007


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!

END THE SUMMER IN STYLE WHILE ROCKING THE DOCK AT KEMAH.

Kemah's “Rock the Dock" music festival is wrapping up soon and is a great way to end the summer while relaxing by the water. Concerts are held on the Plaza and begin at 6:30pm each week. The ninth annual summer-long music festival provides visitors with a variety of musical entertainment from local and regional bands. "Rock the Dock" features great Texas sounds including R&B, pop, rock and roll, and blues. Tomorrow night, August 23, the concert will be performed by Hamilton Loomis, Houston’s Own "Son of Blues" and on Thursday, August 30 the performers will be Rat Ranch, "Houston’s Favorite Rock and Roll".

An extraordinary, 40-acre entertainment complex, the Kemah Boardwalk was developed by Tilman Fertitta, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Landry's Restaurants, Inc. This spectacular waterfront destination offers themed restaurants, Boardwalk Inn hotel, amusement rides, dancing fountains, a water garden, mid-way games and retail shops.

Restaurants include Landry's Seafood, Joe's Crab Shack, The Flying Dutchman, The Crab House, Cadillac Authentic Mexican Restaurant and Aquarium. The Boardwalk Inn, a first class hotel, offers 52 stylish, comfortable rooms, a private balcony overlooking the Plaza and exemplary service.

For more information, call 281.334.9880 or log onto www.kemahboardwalk.com.

NOW IS THE TIME TO LEARN ABOUT ALL THAT OUR THEATER DISTRICT HAS TO OFFER.

This Sunday, from noon until 5pm, take the family and visit the Alley Theatre (with two stages, the Hubbard Stage and the Neuhaus Arena Stage), The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts (with two theaters, Sarofim Hall and Zilkha Hall), Jones Plaza, Jones Hall, Wortham Theater Center (with The Brown Theater and The Cullen Theater) and the Verizon Wireless Theater.

Many of the organizations will be offering performances, prizes, backstage tour bookings, and great offers and there will be samples of food from area restaurants. And for educators, there is a special "Educators Open House" the prior Saturday, August 25, from 9am until noon at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts. Register by calling 713.658.8938 or sending an email to theaterdistrict@aol.com.

For more information, log onto www.houstontheaterdistrict.org.

LOCAL JAZZ SAX MUSICIAN MIKE REED IS PERFORMING THURSDAY, AUGUST 23 AT FIRST COLONY MALL.

Rain or shine, there will be a concert at First Colony Mall tomorrow night, either at the fountain near Kona Grill if the weather’s nice or at the covered entrance near Pottery Barn in case of rain. Smooth jazz sounds of the sax from Houston’s own Mike Reed will fill the air starting at 7pm (guests start gathering at 6pm) as part of the "Concerts on the Courtyard" series. Everyone is invited to bring lawn chairs and enjoy an evening of music in the new courtyard of the shopping center. The series, co-sponsored by Smooth Jazz 95.7 The Wave, offers two hours of relaxing music for everyone to enjoy for free. The concerts continue through November.

For more information, call 281.265.6255 or log onto www.firstcolonymall.com.

GIVE YOUR CHILD THE GIFT OF MUSIC.

Houston Boychoir (HBC) is holding auditions now through September 15 for boys in the third, fourth and fifth grades. This is a great way to help boys learn and grow with music, create a lifetime of memories, meet new friends with common interests, and deepen your child's love for music. HBC is a unique program, serving boys ages 8 to 14 who live both in the inner city of Houston and outlying regions. The choir has over 44 years experience working with families whose singular goal is the success of their children now and for the future.

Founded in 1962 as the "Singing Boys of Houston" by the Houston Independent School District, HBC is now an independent arts organization and since 1991 has established a reputation of artistic excellence. They regularly present concerts throughout the city, state and beyond.

For an appointment call 281.484.1560 or visit www.houstonboychoir.com.

SING YOUR OWN PRAISES WITH MUSIC LESSONS AT THE MOORES SCHOOL OF MUSIC.

Send your children (or yourself) to the University of Houston’s Moores School of Music! The Preparatory and Continuing Studies Department offers a variety of private lessons and group classes for students of all ages and abilities to the greater Houston community. Classes include "Mommy (or Daddy) & Me Piano", the Suzuki String Program, The Piano Program, Class Guitar, and Private Instruction [voice, piano, violin, cello, saxophone, flute, guitar (classical & jazz), theory/composition, and most orchestral instruments].

For a complete course listing, call 713.743.3398 or log onto www.pcs.uh.edu.

For more about my marketing company, Gish Creative, and the services we offer, please click here. You are on this list because I thought this e-newsletter would be helpful to you or because you signed up for it. However, if you want off this list, click here and you're a goner. Please feel free to tell your friends to subscribe by clicking here.

My goal is to serve as an information resource for Houston parents through my various endeavors, including:

GISH PICKS, which is online (www.thesummerbook.com/gishpicks_archive.html) and in print through the Houston Community Newspaper group (www.hcnonline.com);

THE SUMMER BOOK®: A GUIDE TO HOUSTON DAY CAMPS AND CLASSES FOR KIDS AND TEENS (www.thesummerbook.com) which comes out annually on March 1 and is sold at bookstores all over Houston, including Barnes and Noble and Borders; and

Speaking engagements, interactive workshops, private consultations, and art programs that cover topics such as parenting (www.freewebs.com/glowfished), marketing, historic preservation, activism, and passion-finding. All of these services can be tailored for any audience and budget.

The purpose of GISH PICKS is to help parents become aware of all the fun things they can do with their children in Houston and the surrounding area, so HAPPY TRAVELS! Please do give me feedback and ideas, as you are out there in the trenches also looking for interesting things for your family and I want to hear what you find. If you are having trouble getting to a website listed here, try hitting the “Ctrl” button and left-clicking on the web address, which should make it “live”.


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