Discovery Green

"Southern Smoke Festival, the brainchild of James Beard Award-winning chef Chris Shepherd, returns to Discovery Green for its eighth year this October. As tradition goes, unlimited food and drink are the main event. Dozens of lauded chefs from around the country, including a third from Houston, will gather on the green to cook up bites for festivalgoers while raising emergency relief funds for restaurant workers in need." - Brittany Britto Garley

"Discovery Green is a draw for visitors year-round, but it feels especially magical during the holidays with the park illuminated with twinkling lights. Stock up on Christmas or Hanukkah gifts at the weekly holiday Flea by Night market, then wind down by gliding around the Green Mountain Energy ice-skating rink. Finish off the evening with a seasonal cocktail, like the pumpkin espresso martini or Woodford Reserve-fueled cinnamon whiskey sour, at the Grove." - Megha McSwain, Brittany Britto Garley

"Find 12 acres of fun at Discovery Green, a park created out of a public-private partnership between the City of Houston and the non-profit Discovery Green Conservancy." - Travel + Leisure Editors

"Discovery Green’s annual spooky Halloween-themed event fills the park with live sculptures, palm readers, psychics, games, music, and a screening of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. The park will also feature a costume contest for park-goers, but they must pre-register on Discovery Green’s website." - Brittany Britto Garley

"Since opening to the public in April 2008, this 12-acre park has quickly become the heartbeat of downtown. Here you’ll find a playground, a man-made lake, a dog park, and the Grace Event Lawn, which frequently hosts events like yoga classes, concerts, movie screenings, art shows, and farmers' markets. The new adjacent Marriott Marquis Houston even features a lazy river in the shape of Texas! It may look familiar from TV: Discovery Green was one of the main event zones during 2017's Super Bowl LI."