A highlight of last week was the Houston Public Library bringing Elizabeth Nunez in conjunction with the free Shakespeare Festival (which continues through Sunday!).  I’m not a dancer, but if I was I’d be going to Guinness World Record Holder Kaffy’s dancing workshop tonight. I enjoy every Folklore Films event so I’m tempted to skip the other meeting I have scheduled on Saturday. Dr. Sandra Johnson is coming to Houston to speak about careers in STEM. I met her in Ghana when she was running IBM’s operations throughout Africa and learned a great deal. Educators if you want to try indoor skydiving go to the iFLY open house and do it for free on Wednesday! It’s a lot of fun.   

Thursday, August 4: The Corpocracy exhibit that was at the Station Museum of Contemporary Art is having a pop-up at the University of Houston at 3pm. It was one of my favorite exhibits from last year! Houston EdTech Meetup is at Station Houston at 5:30pm. It’s the first meetup and I’m helping to organize it! If you’re interested in learning more join the Google Group! Houston-based Caribbean jazz band Irie Time is performing at Crossroads at the House of Blues Houston at 7pm.  First Thursdays Short Films is at Cafe Brasil at 8pm and it’s a great way to meet local filmmakers and check out interesting shorts. Nigerian dancer Kaffy is holding a Afro-fusion pop-up dance workshop at Inner Me Studios at 8:30pm for only $10 in advance. You may recognize the Guinness World Record-holding dancer from videos like P-square’s Personally. The Secret Group’s weekly Satellite Annex Comedy Show continues at Avant Garden. It’s free, funny, and you can get tacos from the truck starting at 9pm. Arlo’s Ballroom will have DJs Jay Tovar and Angiesliste spinning bass/club music for Hey Boo! beginning at 10pm.

Friday, August 5: The Corpocracy pop-up continues for a second and last day at the University of Houston at 3pm. Station Houston is having their monthly Open House and Happy Hour for $10. If you’re interested in startups go meet the community and the mentors at 5pm. Art League Houston has the Aesthetic][equity exhibit opening with an artist talk at 6:30pm and with/in: blurring the line between art and education opening with a talk at 7pm. Killem Collective and Pep Rally are collaborating for Hybrid Forms, a music and visual art event. $10 donations are welcomed for the event that begins at 7pm.

Saturday, August 6: Art League Houston has two free workshops: the kid-friendly Tall-Tale Postcards Workshop at 11am and the Queer Zine Workshop at 1pm. All supplies to create postcards and hand-sewn zines will be provided, but you should bring supplementary materials for the zine workshop! Two African young professionals groups are gathering for dinner at Baba Yega at noon. Tickets are $35. White Linen Night in the Heights will take over the Heights starting at 6pm along with all of the surrounding areas. Don’t worry if your wardrobe is lacking in white linen; you won’t be alone. The annual Houston International Jazz Festival at Warehouse Live will have Lonnie Liston Smith, Zo!, Carmen Rodgers, the Bayou City Brass Band, and more! Advance tickets start at $25 and the show starts at 8 p.m. Get to Axelrad Beer Garden early at 7pm to catch the Folklore Films showcase of “visual poetry” featuring seven Houstonians. You also get the lovely voice of songstress Michele Thibeaux. I don’t think I’ve missed a Folklore Films event since they started.

Sunday, August 7: Formerly a standout lyricist with Detroit rap group Slum Village, Elzhi is performing with a huge accompanying group of acts starting at 8pm at The Continental Club. Tickets are $15.  

Monday, August 8: Axelrad Beer Garden will be showing the hijinks of Will Ferrell as Ron Burgundy in Anchorman 1 and 2 at their movie night. Go just for the legendary cameo fight scenes. Also Green Flash Brewery will be featured.

Tuesday, August 9: The Greater Houston Black Chamber is having their 2nd Tuesdays Business Luncheon at the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum. The new president of Texas Southern University will be speaking along with others starting at 11:30am. Tickets are $25 for non-members. Raw vegan Youtube star and founder of Houston-based Rawfully Organic co-op Kristina Carrillo-Bucaram is having her Houston Book Launch Party at BMW West Houston. The $35 ticket includes the book, appetizers, giveaways, and live recipes!

Wednesday, August 10: Black Women in Science & Engineering is bringing Dr. Sandra Johnson, electrical engineer, former IBM executive, and entrepreneur to CityCentre at 6pm for a career conversation. Tickets are only $15. Local college startup accelerators OwlSpark and RED Labs at Rice University and University of Houston respectively will be showing off their latest class of startups at TMCx for the Bayou Startup Showcase at 4pm. Later that evening the Houston Startup Happy Hour is happening at 7:30pm at Dean’s Downtown with free food! Sundown at The Grove is at 5:30 p.m. It’s another week of craft beers with delicious food pairings as well as wine alternatives for $20. Nightingale Room is having local band Rosewood Thievz w/ Blaze x Black at 7pm. Here’s them on the new Two and a Half Years album singing Freedom.

Thursday, August 11: Raven Tower is putting on Bangin’ in the 90’s, a 90’s hip hop and dance-themed party starting at 6pm.

RSVP now: The Hue Life Music & Art Social Series continues on August 27 and half-price tickets are available until August 12. Californians and frequent collaborators Georgia Anne Muldrow and Dudley Perkins kick off the first SONICFLIGHT at Warehouse Live backed by many other musicians from the same people who brought you FreshDark Fest. Advance tickets are $20. It’s Houston Restaurant Weeks so if you haven’t taken advantage yet then hurry up! September 5 will be here before you realize.

As always, MerlexPicks.com for the good stuff. And subscribe to my newsletter to get these in your inbox!