Here are this week’s cultural, music, and startup events around Houston! Subscribe to my emails here to get these messages directly in your inbox.

HOUSTON EXPONENTIAL TOWN HALL
Monday, December 18, 2017, 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Join the conversation at one or all of the upcoming HX Town Hall meetings. Each venue will feature an overview of HX and a deeper dive into the objectives of two or three of the strategic committees with the goal of connecting folks with their niche in the work to be done. Learn more HERE.

2017 CSTEM ANNUAL HOLIDAY SOCIAL
Monday, December 18, 2017, 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Join CSTEM for the Annual Holiday Fundraiser At OGUN ART + WINE on Monday, December 18, 2017. There will be raffle, auctions, exclusive glasses and more, all to help provide our youth with a “Passport to the World!” Learn more HERE.

HTX AFROFUTURISM BOOK CLUB – DECEMBER 18
Monday, December 18, 2017, 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
We’re continuing our Afrofuturism book club here in Houston where we’ll read short stories about speculative fiction, fantasy, comics, and just multidimensional Blackness in general. This month we’re discussing Volume 1 of Roxane Gay and Ta-Nehisi Coates’ World of Wakanda. Note that this includes issues #1-5. Learn more HERE.

ALL VINYL AT THE FLAT WITH DJ GOOD GRIEF
Monday, December 18, 2017, 9:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m.
DJ Good Grief is doing an all-vinyl set at The Flat. No cover of course. Learn more HERE.

CHRISTMAS WEEK AT SAINT ARNOLD BREWERY
Tuesday, December 19, 2017 – Saturday, December 23, 2017
Skip the mall and bring the kiddos to the Beer Hall where SA will be celebrating Christmas all week long. Take free pics with Santa, enjoy a holiday bake sale, watch Christmas movies, and check out the Naughty Santa on Friday that sounds intriguing. Learn more HERE.

GROWN-UP STORYTIME 109
Tuesday, December 19, 2017, 8:00 p.m. – 11:30 p.m.
People send in stories, they pick the best ones, and assign them to a rotating crack-squad of expert story readers who show up the night of and wow everyone’s socks and/or pants off. It’s on a Tuesday – what else are you going to do? Now featuring an 8pm and 10pm show! Tickets are $5. Learn more HERE.

TUESDAY TRIVIA NIGHT (GEEKS WHO DRINK) W/SIXPOINT & THE PHO SPOT
Tuesday, December 19, 2017, 8:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.
Tuesday Trivia night with Geeks Who Drink starts at 8! Prizes include a gift basket from the featured brewery of the night and $50 worth of gift cards from the beer garden and the featured vendor of the night. Enjoy $4 Sixpoint brews and food specials! Learn more HERE.

PROJECT ROW HOUSES HOLIDAY POTLUCK 2017
Wednesday, December 20, 2017, 12:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Every year PRH invites the community to join staff, board, and artists as we head into the holiday season. It’s a great opportunity for everyone to come together and take a moment to see and feel the community that is Project Row Houses. Bring a dish or a dessert, and definitely bring yourself! Learn more HERE.

A FESTIVUS FOR THE REST OF US…AT STATION HOUSTON!
Wednesday, December 20, 2017, 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Inspired by an infamous 1997 Seinfeld episode, Station Houston invites you to join us for Festivus — a time for the #HOUtech community to get together, reflect on the past year, celebrate all that we’ve survived…and become the 2017 Festivus Thumb-Wrestling (FTW!) champion! They’ll have light bites, yummy beverages, and fun activities to keep the party going including a photobooth! Learn more HERE.

PERIOD. NEW PARAGRAPH: A STORYTELLING PRACTICUM
Wednesday, December 20, 2017, 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Join Round 47 artists Brian Ellison, Marc Furi, Marlon Hall and Danielle Fanfair as they screen films featured in their installations. End this year by learning new stories and embody a new story through inquiry and conversation. Learn more HERE.

BOFA SCREEN ON THE GREEN – A MADEA CHRISTMAS
Thursday, December 21, 2017, 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Weekly free holiday film screenings at Discovery Green downtown. Skate and watch or just enjoy the movie on the hill! What fun it is to skate and watch your favorite films at night! Movies will be oriented towards the hill. You are welcome to bring blankets and chairs to view from the hill. Learn more HERE.

R&B XMAS JAM FEATURING LYFE JENNINGS
Thursday, December 21, 2017, 7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
General admission tickets start at $25 and seated tickets begin at $40. R&B singer-songwriter Lyfe became known for his singles Must Be Nice and Hypothetically in the mid-2000s. New Orleans singer and Morehouse alumnus PJ Morton opens the show which begins at 8:00 p.m. Learn more HERE.

THE SECRET GROUP PRESENTS: THE BACK OF THE BUS COMEDY MIC
Thursday, December 21, 2017, 8:00 p.m. – 101:00 p.m.
Free to get in, cheap drinks, great laughs, and a jolly ol’ time had by all! Open Mic Comedy at Houston’s newest comedy club The Secret Group located in Eado. The show will take place in the newly constructed Black Box Theatre, nicknamed by a few of the comedians around town as “The Secret Box.” Hosted by Seth Bullock and Josh Stokes. Learn more HERE.

NEWPORT FOLK PRESENTS & THE SUFFERS: WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM OUR FRIENDS, A HARVEY RELIEF CONCERT
Friday, December 22, 2017, 6:00 p.m. – 2:00 a.m.
The silent auction takes place from 7pm-2am – located in the Foundation Room. Lots of rock rare rock memorabilia and unique local experiences will be up for bid. Bidding closes at 2am. All show and auction proceeds will benefit the Greater Houston Community Foundation. Tickets are BOGO at $45! Learn more HERE.

ADD NOISE: DIGITAL ART SHOW & PRINT MARKET
Friday, December 22, 2017, 7:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.
Insomnia’s first ever all-digital art showcase featuring some of the most talented designers in the city! The gallery walls will be lined with original digital artwork and they will have tables set up offering prints from each participating artist! Original digital illustrations, photo manipulations and collage, etc will be on display! Free drinks! Learn more HERE.

THE PLAYGROUND VOL.2
Friday, December 22, 2017, 7:30 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.
Kidd Ford’s second annual game night hosted at the wonderful Tre Chic shop. They will have various gaming options for every kind of person to enjoy including board games, vintage games, team competitive games, and their infamous(?) musical chairs. There will also be drinks and lite bites along with a DJ. $10.
Learn more HERE.

RED BULL MUSIC ACADEMY PRESENTS: BAD GYAL
Friday, December 22, 2017, 8:00 p.m. – 2:00 a.m.
RBMA partners up with Texas music collectives Bombón and Faded DeeJays to bring Spanish dancehall and reggaeton artist Bad Gyal (Akabadgyal) to Houston’s Fox Hollow, alongside Chicago production/DJ duo 2DLQTZ on December 22nd. Free with RSVP! Learn more HERE.

WELL FED (HEVIN & FAT TONY) – DJ SET WITH THE REGAL PEOPLE
Friday, December 22, 2017, 8:30 p.m. – 1:30 a.m.
Axelrad Concert series presents: Fat Tony + Hevln DJ sets w/ The Regal People LLC opening up the night! Free event starting at 8:30pm. The Regal Peopel are always a fun show to catch and Fat Tony’s sets never disappoint. Learn more HERE.

ELECTRO BOUNCE
Friday, December 22, 2017, 10:00 p.m. – 2:00 a.m.
Electro Bounce fuses a multitude of genres with the sole purpose of making you free your mind through dance, self-expression and energetic music genres. These include house, electronic remixes, funk, soul, afrobeat, reggae/dancehall, twerk, New Orleans Bounce and more. The soundtrack for the night’s motivation is provided by DJ Elevated & DJ Anarchy. $5 at the door. Park at Popeye’s down the street. Learn more HERE.

THE 6TH ANNUAL BAD SANTA | A HOLIDAY AFFAIR
Saturday, December 23, 2017, 9:00 p.m. – 2:00 a.m.
For those of you that don’t know, this isn’t your typical club party. Sure PYT’s will be “shaking their tailfeather” and bottles will probably be popped but it’s more than that. The goal is and has always been to connect like-minded Houstonians in a sophisticated ratchet environment where you can make business connections, meet bae (it’s happened more than once), or just simply see a room of professionals rapping to the Houston classics. Learn more HERE.

FREE X-MAS EVE: FAT TONY, DEEP CUTS, HEVIN, TEE VEE
Sunday, December 24, 2017, 8:00 p.m. – 11:30 p.m.
Free for 21+! Learn more HERE.

You can always keep up with these events and more at MerlexPicks.com.