WHAT'S NEW THIS WEEK?

I love Houston! In fact, I love this city so much that I have started giving tours called “Houston’s Great!” that start at City Hall’s GHCVB Visitor’s Center and include a tour of the Heritage Society and a skyline view from Wells Fargo Bank. For more details on booking me for your group, email me now.

If you’re new to Houston, one thing you’ll quickly learn about our “town” is that it’s SPRAWLING, busy, and often overwhelming with all that is going on – and yet, it somehow maintains a friendly, neighborhood feeling (maybe it’s a Texas thang!). If you’re wondering how to stay informed about our fair city, I recommend subscribing to CitizensNet, a service of the Mayor’s Office which has the goal of “Connecting Houston.” Get online and get involved!

Sadly, the Angelika Film Center closed this past Sunday but the owners are hoping to find a new space so stay tuned via my GISH AT THE MOVIES column. And if you want to see a film that does more for Houston than any travel videos, check out MAO’S LAST DANCER, now playing at the historic River Oaks Theatre. Much of the film was shot in Australia due to an agreement based on its Australian funding but the exterior shots of the city gave me chills. And I felt so proud of our cultural icon, Ben Stevenson of the Houston Ballet, for taking a chance on Chinese defector and ballet dancer Li Cunxin. It’s a film full of sorrow, joy, and exquisite dancing. I just loved it and hope to see it again.

FUN AT THE JCC.

It’s not easy to find public events just for younger ones but I found one this week! If you’ve got kids 5 and under, head to the Jewish Community Center of Houston this Sunday, September 5, for their first “Free Sunday Funday at the JCC.” These “Sunday Fundays” are from 10-11:30am and will continue to be held on the first Sunday of each month through December 5. Programming will include swimming, open gym, use of the Gymnastics training facility, as well as family arts and crafts and music in the Activity Center of the Bertha Alyce Early Childhood Center. It’s a great way to try out the JCC’s programs and facilities and, after the programming, you can check out the rest of the JCC, which is open on Sundays until 6pm.

The JCC is located at 5601 S. Braeswood.

FREE "FAMILY FLICKS" AT THE MFAH.

This Sunday, September 5, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston is presenting several cool "Family Flicks" in conjunction with their monthly event, Target Free First Sunday, which this month has the theme "Art + Music = Fun!" Family activities will take place from 1-5pm and the films will be as follows (all screening in the Brown Auditorium). Admission is free.

• September Storybook Films, 1:30pm
  
  "Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin" is the first of three animated films shown. In this film, a lone trombone playing solo is joined by a trumpet in a duet until a French horn makes it a trio, and so on, as ten instruments, one by one, gather together for a joyous musical performance. Based on the book by Lloyd Moss and illustrated by Marjorie Priceman (12 minutes)
  
  
• "Musical Max"
  
  When the neighbors start complaining, Max, a hippo, stops practicing his trombone, bass, xylophone, flute, harmonica, cymbals and synthesizer—until everyone starts to miss the noise! Based on the book by Robert Kraus and illustrated by Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey. (9 minutes)
  
  
• "Patrick"
  
  The countryside comes alive with Patrick´s fiddle music — and you will, too! Based on the book by Quentin Blake. (7 minutes)
  
  
• "Girls Rock!", 2:30pm
  
  At Rock ´n´ Roll Camp, girls ranging in age from 8 to 18 are taught that it´s OK to sweat like a pig, scream like a banshee, wail on their instruments with complete and utter abandon, and that ´it is 100% okay to be exactly who you are.´ The girls have a week to select a band, an instrument they may have never played before, and write a song. In between, they are taught various lessons of empowerment from self-defense to anger management. At the end of the week, all the bands perform a concert for over 700 people. This film follows several campers and what happens to the girls as they are given a temporary reprieve from being pressured to conform is truly moving and revolutionary.

BIKES AND BLUES IN FREEPORT!

I’m a sucker for blues, so when I heard about Freeport Mainstreet’s “Summertime Bike and Blues Festival”, I was excited. The festival kicks off with a parade this Friday, September 3 at 6pm and will be followed by a watermelon eating contest and live music all night long. There will also be an SPCA Dog Show, a Bike & Car Show and you’ll be singing the blues with all the bands they have lined up – below is the complete schedule. A triathlon wraps up the Festival on Sunday with a 500 yard swim, 15 mile bike ride, and 3 mile run.

• Friday September 3
  3pm, The Slammers
  4:15pm, Uprising
  5:45, Jabo & Southside Playboys
  7:30pm, The Keepers
  9:15pm, Mike Milligan & the Altar Boys
  10:45pm, Dog Town Blues
  
  
• Saturday September 4
  11am, The Slammers
  noon, The Peterson Brothers
  1pm, Reginal Qualls
  2:30pm, Johell Band
  4pm, Blues Brothers
  5:45pm, Power Play
  7:15pm, Pride and Joy
  9:15pm, Chris Watson Band
  11pm, Mean Gene Kelton & the Diehards

The Festival takes place at 220 E. Park Avenue in Freeport.

THIS WEEK'S ATTRACTION...HOUSTON HALL OF FAME. For more attractions, go to www.gishcreative.com/attractions.htm.

I’ll bet you didn’t know we have a “Hall of Fame”! It’s located in the George R. Brown Convention Center outside the George Bush Grand Ballroom on the third floor and I checked it out recently. It’s a great place to bring kids to learn about movers and shakers in Houston. I suggest visiting when there isn’t a convention going on. The Hall was opened in 1999 with 10 inductees and in 2002, the induction ceremony became annual. To date there have been 41 inductions. The Hall honors those who have achieved excellence in the arts, athletics, business, entertainment, law, medicine and public service. Each inductee was either born in Houston or called Houston home during the time of their greatest achievements. The inductees include Yolanda Adams, Bill Archer, Jeff Bagwell, James A. Baker III, Lloyd M. Bentsen Jr., Gordon Bethune, Jack S. Blanton, George R. Brown Family, Dr. Paul C. W. Chu, Will Clayton, Denton A. Cooley M.D., James DeAnda, Michael E. DeBakey M.D., John and Dominique de Menil, Clyde Drexler, Charles W. Duncan Jr., George Foreman, Zina Garrison, Ned S. Holmes, Barbara Jordan, Mathew and Tina Knowles, La Mafia, Bob Lanier, The Reverend William A. Lawson, George Thomas “Mickey” Leland, Ben F. Love, John P. McGovern M.D., Drayton McLane Jr., Robert Mosbacher Sr., Louis M. Pearce Jr., Mary Lou Retton, Sylvan Rodriguez, Trinidad Mendenhall Sosa, Don Wang, Ed Wulfe, John W. Young, and ZZ Top. Each photo of the inductees in encased with items of importance to them such as a baseball, book, or tennis racquet. This year’s inductees were Jose Cruz, Bernard Harris, Bob McNair and Kathy Whitmire.

Sarah Gish
Gish Creative
1940-A Fountainview, PMB 116
Houston, Texas 77057
phone/fax: 713.482.7065

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

© 2010 Sarah Gish

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