Witness Series: Preserve Memories
2025-09-13 09:00 - 11:30 UTC | HIDALGO PARK, 7000 Avenue Q, Houston, TX, 77011, United States
Join BBP’s 2025 Artist-in-Residence, Kristi Rangel, for The Witness Series in green spaces along Buffalo Bayou East and explore the bayou’s rich history, engage with its natural elements, and reflect on themes of environmental equity.

Preserve Memories: Artmaking with Dried Flowers
Since its founding at the Turning Basin, Hidalgo Park has been at the center of the East End’s cultural and civic life. Neighborhood residents raised money to purchase the park’s original land and sponsored the creation of its unqiure quiosco (gazebo). Join us in the park’s gazebo for several hands-on workshops using dried flowers, known as flores inmortales (immortal flowers). Attendees are encouraged to bring their own dried flowers that they wish to preserve and arrange. Artist Britanny Mayfeild will give pointers and insights on the art of dried flower arrangement. Pressed flower poetry sessions will be offered.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SERIES

Participating Artists & Partners
Brittany Mayfield
Joe Robles IV
Kristi Rangel

Generous Support for this program provided by

Buffalo Bayou Partnership is

Sculpture Unveiling | Rust Garden: A Triad Harmony by Preston Gaines
2025-09-27 10:00 - 12:00 UTC | JAPHET CREEK PARK, 4600 Clinton Dr, Houston, TX, 77020, United States
Date: Saturday, September 27
Time: 10am – 12pm
Location: Japhet Creek Park (4600 Clinton Dr)
Parking: Japhet Creek Park and 122 Emile St.

Join us for a morning of art, ecology, and community as we unveil Rust Garden: A Triad Harmony, a temporary sculpture exhibition by BBP 2024 Artist-in-Residence Preston Gaines. Installed at Japhet Creek Park in Houston’s historic Fifth Ward, this immersive installation reimagines floral forms as sculptural mosaic totems, blending cultural heritage, environmental storytelling, and collective memory.
Throughout the event, fellow Houston-based artists will activate the space:

Kristi Rangel, BBP’s 2025 Artist-in-Residence, will guide a poetic prompt walk centered on nature, ancestry, and reflection.
Brittany Mayfield, founder of Foliage Faerie, will present a site-specific floral installation echoing the themes of botanical identity and personal memory.

Enjoy complimentary coffee and pastries as you explore the site and connect with the local art and Fifth Ward community.
Rust Garden: A Triad Harmony will be on view through January 15, 2026.
FREE REGISTRATION

About the Artwork
Rust Garden: A Triad Harmony is a public art installation by Preston Gaines, rooted in the landscape and legacy of Fifth Ward. Weaving together local cultural heritage, ecological awareness, and visual storytelling. The project draws inspiration from the quilting practices of Gee’s Bend, where African American women transformed necessity into artistry, and reinterprets those traditions through oxidized steel and floral forms reflecting the neighborhood’s layered cultural identities.
From Black-Eyed Susans symbolizing justice in African American gardens, to Marigolds from Hispanic traditions, to Cherry Blossoms signifying renewal in Asian cultures, the sculpture becomes a botanical mosaic of shared identity.
Together, these forms compose a sculptural tapestry, echoing the park’s natural rhythms while honoring the community’s past and future. Designed to be experienced from both close-up and afar, offering different experiences from pedestrian paths, park trails, and nearby streets. Its scale and composition are designed to evolve with light and shadow, echoing the creek’s natural rhythms. Rust Garden: A Triad Harmony serves as a sculptural landmark that honors Fifth Ward’s past while affirming its ongoing transformation.
About the Artist
Preston Gaines is a Houston-based architect, designer, and artist whose practice explores the intersection of nature, technology, and public memory. As founder of Inanimate Nature, he leads a multidisciplinary studio dedicated to reimagining ecological narratives through immersive installations, functional sculpture, and community-based design. investigating the use of technology to re-establish our connection to the earth and nature through design.
Gaines’ recent work includes exhibitions with the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, Project Row Houses, and ION District’s EyeOnArt program. His sculptural environments invite viewers to move beyond passive observation and into a space of resonance, reflection, and transformation.
While any built environment can have a physiological effect on the viewer, Gaines seeks to transcend the physical and activate a deeper psychological response, invoking emotion, memory, and a renewed connection to place.

Generous support for this program provided by

Buffalo Bayou Partnership is

Witness Series: Drawing Strength
2025-10-18 09:00 - 11:30 UTC | YOLANDA BLACK NAVARRO BUFFALO BEND NATURE PARK
Join BBP’s 2025 Artist-in-Residence, Kristi Rangel, for The Witness Series in green spaces along Buffalo Bayou East and explore the bayou’s rich history, engage with its natural elements, and reflect on themes of environmental equity.

Drawing Strength: Nature Journaling
Nature Journaling is a worldwide movement that integrates art, science, and nature exploration. Nature journaling makes you a better observer, naturalist, and artist and opens a world of beauty and discovery. Join artist Maverick for an outdoor sketching class in this calming environment that is designed to reduce stress and create an increased connection to nature. The Nature Heritage Society will lead nature studies, allowing attendees to better understand the park’s unique ecosystem made up of restored wetlands and woodlands. A limited supply of journal and sketching pencils will be provided for participants.
This park was named in memory of Yolanda Black Navarro, a committed civic leader from the East End who served Houston for decades. She founded the Association for the Advancement of Mexican Americans and received numerous accolades for her leadership in her community. Attendees will learn more about her legacy, while learning to observe and capture details of what they see in nature.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SERIES

Participating Artists & Partners
Joe Robles IV
Kristi Rangel
Maverick
Nature Heritage Society – Houston

Generous Support for this program provided by

Buffalo Bayou Partnership is

Buffalo Bayou East: A Progress Report to the Community
2025-10-21 18:00 - 20:00 UTC | TURKEY BEND, 5803 Navigation Blvd, Houston, TX, 77011, United States
Date: Tuesday, October 21, 2025
Time: 6 – 8pm
Location: Turkey Bend on Buffalo Bayou (5803 Navigation Blvd)
Buffalo Bayou Partnership (BBP) is making progress on trails, parks, and unique spaces east of downtown!
Join us for our annual presentation sharing progress, important milestones in design and construction, and exciting changes to come as we realize the Buffalo Bayou East 10-Year Plan. This year, we look forward to hosting you in the newly renovated Turkey Bend Navigation Warehouse, a memorable venue available to rent for events, community gatherings, and workshops.
The event will begin with a presentation from BBP staff followed by a reception and after-party with refreshments and music.
Spanish interpretation will be available.
RSVP to receive parking instructions and additional details.
FREE RSVP
Or call us at 713-752-0314 ext. 101
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Fecha: Martes, 21 de Octubre, 2025
Hora: 6 – 8pm
Ubicación: Turkey Bend on Buffalo Bayou (5803 Navigation Blvd)
¡Buffalo Bayou Partnership (BBP) está avanzando en la construcción de senderos, parques y espacios únicos al este del centro de la ciudad!
Acompáñanos en nuestra presentación anual, donde compartiremos los avances, hitos importantes en diseño y construcción, y los emocionantes cambios que vienen con la implementación del Plan de 10 Años de Buffalo Bayou East. Este año, nos emociona recibirte en el recién renovado almacén Turkey Bend Navigation, un espacio inolvidable disponible para rentar para eventos, reuniones comunitarias y talleres.
El evento comenzará con una presentación del equipo de BBP, seguida de una recepción con refrigerios y música.
Se ofrecerá interpretación al español.
Confirma tu asistencia para recibir instrucciones de estacionamiento y más detalles.
Avísanos que vienes
O llámenos al 713-752-0314 ext. 101

Witness Series: With Gratitude
2025-11-22 09:00 - 11:30 UTC | YOLANDA BLACK NAVARRO BUFFALO BEND NATURE PARK
Join BBP’s 2025 Artist-in-Residence, Kristi Rangel, for The Witness Series in green spaces along Buffalo Bayou East and explore the bayou’s rich history, engage with its natural elements, and reflect on themes of environmental equity.

With Gratitude: Pop-Up Community Art Show and Artist Talk
Join us in celebrating the closing of the 2025 Witness Series with a Pop-Up Community Art Show. This unique community art show will feature nature journals from attendees of the Witness Series events at Yolanda Black Navarro Buffalo Bend Nature Park. The works created by artists Maverick and Kristi Rangel will also be displayed. Photographer, Joe Robles IV, will curate a survey of photos he has taken during the series. A facilitated artist talk will take place highlighting the activations in the Buffalo Bayou Partnership green spaces during this year’s Witness Series. Light bites and refreshments will be provided for attendees.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SERIES

Participating Artists & Partners
Erandi Trevino
Houston Audubon
Joe Robles IV
Kristi Rangel
Latino Outdoors Houston
Maverick
Nature Heritage Society – Houston
The Raices Collab Project

Generous Support for this program provided by

Buffalo Bayou Partnership is

Volunteer Workday: Garver Park
2025-12-16 08:30 - 11:30 (America/Chicago) | TX
Volunteers, ages 9 and up, are invited to join Buffalo Bayou Partnership for a volunteer day at Garver Park. Whether volunteering as an individual or a small group, your efforts will lead to a healthier environment and a more aesthetically pleasing amenity for all to enjoy.
Volunteers will help with a variety of tasks, including but not limited to: trash pick-up, mulching and weed removal. We do ask that all volunteers bring their own work gloves. All other necessary work tools will be provided by BBP.
Time: 8:30 to 11:30 am
Meeting Location / Parking: Details will be provided after registration.
Interested individuals and small groups can sign up here. Larger groups can schedule another day during the month by emailing volunteer@buffalobayou.org.

To sign up, please read the Volunteer Information packet and register through our GetConnected volunteer platform.
Volunteer Information Packet
Create a Profile on GetConnected
Questions? Contact Steve Parker by email (volunteer@buffalobayou.org) or by phone 713-752-0314 ext. 206.

Second Public Meeting: Connecting Buffalo Bayou East Study with H-GAC
2026-02-04 18:00 - 20:00 UTC | TURKEY BEND, 5803 Navigation Blvd, Houston, TX, 77011, United States
Date: Wednesday, February 4, 2026
Time: 6 – 8pm
Location: The Warehouse at Turkey Bend (5803 Navigation Blvd)
Let your voice be heard!
The Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC), in collaboration with the Buffalo Bayou Partnership, invites the public to participate in the second public meeting for the Connecting Buffalo Bayou East concept design study. This initiative aims to enhance pedestrian and bike infrastructure, improve connectivity, and support cultural and economic vitality in the Fifth Ward, Denver Harbor, and surrounding neighborhoods.
The study will focus on connecting neighborhoods north and south of the bayou to these projects, to each other, and to destinations such as Japhet Creek and Tony Marron Park. The study will:

Provide implementation recommendations to extend and enhance pedestrian and bike infrastructure
Advance the vision of a connected network of parks, shared use paths, and public spaces
Highlight opportunities to enhance community connectivity, services, and amenities in the 5th Ward / Denver Harbor neighborhood near the intersection of Lyons Avenue and Lockwood Drive

We welcome your participation!
LEARN MORE

Community Day at The Warehouse at Turkey Bend
2026-03-07 12:00 - 17:00 UTC | TURKEY BEND, 5803 Navigation Blvd, Houston, TX, 77011, United States
Date: Saturday, March 7
Time: 12 – 5 PM
Location: The Warehouse at Turkey Bend (5803 Navigation Blvd)
In partnership with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino and the Houston Public Library, join us at the Warehouse at Turkey Bend for a FREE, fun-filled afternoon to celebrate community storytelling and the preservation of family histories!
The community day will feature a pop-up preview of the Latino Museum’s exhibition “¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa,” reading and story time opportunities with the Houston Public Library’s Mobile Library, music, hands-on activities, and a Reflections audio booth to leave your Houston history memories. Learn how the National Museum of the American Latino can build a museum that honors the dreams, challenges, and triumphs of U.S. Latinos, elevating our stories within the nation’s narrative.
JOIN US

Buffalo Bayou East: A Progress Report to the Community
2026-10-27 18:00 - 20:00 UTC | TX
Buffalo Bayou Partnership (BBP) is making progress on trails, parks, and unique spaces east of downtown!
Join us for our annual presentation sharing progress, important milestones in design and construction, and exciting changes to come as we realize the Buffalo Bayou East 10-Year Plan. More to come!
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¡Buffalo Bayou Partnership (BBP) está avanzando en la construcción de senderos, parques y espacios únicos al este del centro de la ciudad!
Acompáñanos en nuestra presentación anual, donde compartiremos los avances, hitos importantes en diseño y construcción, y los emocionantes cambios que vienen con la implementación del Plan de 10 Años de Buffalo Bayou East. ¡Pronto habrá más información!
