Houston Palestinian Festival

The Houston Palestinian Festival returns to The Water Works at Buffalo Bayou Park this weekend, October 10 and 11, from 1:00 PM to 10:00 PM both days. It's the twelfth edition of the festival, run by the Palestinian American Cultural Center, and it's been celebrating Palestinian culture in Houston for more than a decade now. Over the two days, the program brings together Palestinian food, music, dance and art into a family-friendly gathering.

The music mixes contemporary sounds with traditional Levantine dance, and the organizers lean on the region's musical history. Headlining is Rola Azar, with rapper and spoken-word poet Omar Offendum, vocalist Nibal Malshi, artist Eddy Mack and singer-songwriter Norhan. Dabke — the traditional Levantine folk dance — comes from the Al Ahrar Dabke Group, the Wattan Dabke Group and the St. George Dabke Troupe, along with the legacy of Al-Bara'em. That last name carries some weight: Al-Bara'em was a Jerusalem band founded in 1966, remembered as one of the first Palestinian groups to perform original Arabic rock.

Between the stages, you'll find Palestinian food and art, and the whole thing is set up for families to hang out across the full two days. If you're driving, you can park at Lot H and Lot C on Memorial Drive or at the Theater District Garage on Rusk Street. The festival runs from 1:00 PM to 10:00 PM on Saturday, October 10 and Sunday, October 11, at The Water Works at Buffalo Bayou Park, 105-B Sabine St, Houston, TX 77007.