Buffalo Bayou Partnership

Happy Hour Kickoff for Planting on the Parkway
2016-02-03 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago) | TX
Join young professionals groups, Buffalo Bayou Partnership’s Bayou Buddies and Trees For Houston’s RedBuds, to kick off the 14th Annual Planting on the Parkway for a happy hour at Holley’s Seafood Restaurant & Oyster Bar in Midtown. The restaurant will be offering complimentary appetizers and extended happy hour.
Please kindly RSVP to Sylvana Loc at sloc@buffalobayou.org.
RSVP Today

Buffalo Bayou Park's Grand Opening
2015-10-03 13:30 - 21:30 (America/Chicago) | bird-grasshopper
Download Event Map

Come celebrate, recreate and create at the Grand Opening of Buffalo Bayou Park on Saturday, October 3. For this FREE public event, BBP will highlight various destinations and amenities in the 160-acre park that stretches from Shepherd Drive to Sabine Street. Enjoy a day full of activities ranging from walking tours, lectures, children’s crafts, recreational opportunities, delicious food, live music and programming that will showcase Houston’s diverse arts community. The celebration will conclude with Confluence: A Journey in Five Movements, a site-specific illuminated procession designed by Processional Arts Workshop (PAW) of New York with fireworks following!
Buffalo Bayou Park is handicapped accessible, including trails and visitor centers.
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Other Experiences
– Check out our sponsors located at The Water Works and Eleanor Tinsley Park to learn more about their offerings and snag some freebies!
– We are so excited to officially “launch” paddle craft rentals from Bayou City Adventures (Lost Lake and Sabine Promenade) and bike rentals from Bike Barn (The Water Works).
– Don’t forget free pontoon boat rides on Spirit of the Bayou from 1:30 to 4 pm at Sabine Promenade. Limited seating.
– Tag your photos with #BuffaloBayouPark or @buffalobayou
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Volunteer Opportunities
Buffalo Bayou Partnership is also looking for event volunteers and processional volunteers to help at our grand opening. There are a variety of shift times and duties available. Volunteers must be at least 18 years old to participate. Sign up to volunteer!
If you have a group interested in volunteering on October 3, please contact Crystal Ortiz at cortiz@buffalobayou.org.
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Event Parking
We strongly recommend using alternative transportation to get to the park. Walk or ride your bike and park it in BikeHouston’s bike valet (located at Sabine Street and Allen Parkway) and receive a free bike bell. Or ride the METRO Bus or Rail.
Special thanks to our parking sponsor, Winpark. Park your vehicle at the 1100 Smith Parking Garage for $10 per vehicle.

Additional parking options in downtown include 401 Franklin St., City Lot H, Theatre District Parking Garages or use the Downtown Houston Interactive Parking Map. Parking fees may apply.
Street Closures – Saturday, October 3
10:00 am – 10:30 pm:
– Allen Parkway outbound between Bagby and Taft Street
– Sabine Street between Allen Parkway and Memorial Drive
– Allen Parkway exit ramp from I-45 North and South
12:00 pm – 10:30 pm:
– Allen Parkway outbound between Taft Street and Waugh Drive
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Park Rules and Regulations
To ensure a safe and fun event, and to protect Buffalo Bayou Park:
– No glass containers or alcohol allowed in the park. Food and beverage will be available for purchase onsite through approved vendors and in approved areas.
– No umbrellas, weapons, unauthorized vending, sales, solicitations, or promotions.
– Please walk your bicycle along the hike/bike trails when approaching larger crowds.
– Smoking is prohibited in all City of Houston parks.
– Do not disturb wildlife or plantings.
– Please keep out of fountains and cascades.
– Read on for a full list of Buffalo Bayou Park Rules and Regulations.
Sign up to volunteer!

Buffalo Bayou Park Community Clean Up
2015-09-26 09:00 - 12:00 (America/Chicago) | Homey
Join Buffalo Bayou Partnership (BBP) and REI for a community-wide volunteer day to beautify Buffalo Bayou Park! This 160-acre park that stretches from Shepherd Drive to Sabine Street offers beautiful scenery and skyline views, artwork, a children’s nature play area, the “go-to” dog park in the city, hike and bike trails, and gathering places for visitors to enjoy outdoor activities as well as live, artistic performances.
Volunteers, ages 9 and up, will help with trash pick-up, mulching and weed removal. Please bring your own work gloves – all other necessary work tools will be provided by BBP. Snacks and a limited supply of REI and BBP t-shirts will be provided.
Parking is available at City Lot H (1643 Memorial Drive) and you can walk to Eleanor Tinsley Park by taking Sabine Street Bridge to Allen Parkway.
You will check-in with a BBP representative, sign a waiver, and receive your volunteer assignment at the Nau Family Pavilion overlooking Eleanor Tinsley Park.
Questions? Contact Crystal Ortiz, Volunteer Supervisor, at cortiz@buffalobayou.org or 713-752-0314 ext. 206.

CANCELED: Second Saturday Boat Ride
2015-09-12 10:00 - 14:00 UTC | Note
Due to rain, Second Saturday Boat Tours have been canceled.
These 30-minute boat rides are a great way to spend the afternoon with your family. Escape from the city and enjoy the cool breeze as you glide along Buffalo Bayou’s waters. Look for graceful herons, jumping fish, and even the occasional alligator sunning on the banks.
Time: 10:00 am – 2:00 pm (30 minute boat rides)
The last tour departs at 1:30 pm.
Cost: $7 for adults/$5 for children (ages 4–12)
Cash only; payment taken when boarding.
Weather and water levels permitting. No reservations are taken for these tours. They are first come, first serve.

Mid Main First Thursday
2015-09-03 18:00 - 22:00 UTC | Kinder Foundation gifts $100 million for major Buffalo Bayou expansion project
EAT, SHOP, ROCK to support the revitalization and transformation of Buffalo Bayou, Houston’s most significant natural resource!
Join BBP as we partner with Mid Main (3500 and 3700 blocks of Main Street) for its fall installment of First Thursdays! Make a $5 donation to enter the Art Garden and enjoy tasty libations compliments of Deep Eddy Vodka and Saint Arnold Brewing Company. Enter the “duck races” for your chance to win a cruise on BBP’s pontoon boat, Spirit of the Bayou!
Also stop by participating businesses for live entertainment and specials all night long! Huge thanks to The Continental Club, Shoeshine Charley’s Big Top, Taco’s A Go-Go, Sig’s Lagoon, My Flaming Heart, Double Trouble, the Alley Kat and Natachee’s who are all donating 5% of their sales this evening to BBP!
Music

Sig’s Lagoon presents DJ Tempty in the Art Garden, 6:00 pm
Beetle Happy Hour at The Continental Club, 7:00 pm
Live music at Natachee’s, 8:00 pm
Nick Gaitan and the Umbrellaman at Big Top, 10:00 pm

Art

Main Street Projects presents the Windows on Main Art Show at My Flaming Heart

Run, Walk & Talk
2015-09-02 18:00 - 20:00 UTC | Note
Join Buffalo Bayou Partnership (BBP) and In Flight Running for a Run, Walk & Talk in Buffalo Bayou Park! During this free information and training session*, Coach Michael Merlino will share helpful tips for the upcoming Houston Marathon, and participants will learn more about Buffalo Bayou Park and how they can gain guaranteed entry in the 2016 Chevron Houston Marathon/Aramco Half Marathon through BBP and the Run for a Reason Program.
*All runners/participants must pre-register for this event! This will help In Flight split runners/walkers into groups by pace time!
Schedule:
6:00 pm – Sign-in at BBP Tent; Meet and greet
6:10 pm – Top 10 Training Tips for the Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Half Marathon by Coach Michael Merlino; learn more about Buffalo Bayou Park and Run for a Reason Program
6:35 pm – 5K Run/Walk through Buffalo Bayou Park (map of route)
8:00 pm – Meet and greet; grab water and a post-run snack!
Meeting and Ending Location: BBP Tent at Buffalo Bayou Park (just west of Sabine Street Bridge, on the north bank, see map)
Parking: City Lot H (1643 Memorial Drive)
SIGN UP!

22nd Annual TransCanada Theater District Open House
2015-08-30 12:00 - 17:00 UTC | Facebook
Buffalo Bayou Partnership is excited to partner with Theater District Houston for the 22nd Annual TransCanada Theater District Open House on Sunday, August 30 from noon to 5:00 pm. Guests will have the opportunity to enjoy 30-minute boat rides on BBP’s pontoon boat, Spirit of the Bayou. The boat will be offering round-trip tours from Sesquicentennial Park (under Preston Street Bridge) to Sabine Promenade.

Boats, Bats & Brews
2015-08-29 19:00 - 22:00 UTC | Do over
Grab your kayak or canoe and join BBP and Bayou City Outdoors (BCO) for a sunset paddle along Buffalo Bayou to see the city’s residential bat colony at Waugh Drive Bridge. The bats’ dusk emergence usually occurs between 8:15 and 8:30 pm during this time of year. As far as the brews are concerned, we’ll head over to Liberty Station after we pack up.
This is a free event, however RSVPs are required through BCO. For more information about parking, meeting location, and boat rentals, please visit www.bayoucityoutdoors.com.
30 guests max. We highly recommend lights, water shoes, and PFDs.
RSVP Today!

Art Workshops for Buffalo Bayou Park's Grand Opening
2015-08-14 11:00 - 20:00 UTC | RSH-in-thicket
This past June, Houstonians worked with visiting artists Alex Kahn and Sophia Michahelles of Processional Arts Workshop (PAW) to create 26 large-scale lanterns for Buffalo Bayou Park’s grand opening evening procession rescheduled for Saturday, October 3. All the visual elements pay homage to Houston and Buffalo Bayou: an art car, a margarita glass, egret, running shoe, and more!
BBP is excited to continue these arts workshops beginning Saturday, August 1 through Friday, August 14 with local artists taking the lead!
Workshops are free, all materials are provided, and no experience is required. Kids (ages 9 and up) working with an adult are welcome! Different techniques and tasks will take place each day (i.e., building the structure out of bamboo and rattan, papier-mâché, and adding color) as the collective work progresses. View photos from June’s art workshops here.
Sign up to volunteer at one (or more) art workshops!
Saturday, August 1 (9 – 11 am; 11 am – 2 pm; 2 – 5 pm)
Sunday, August 2 (11 am – 2 pm; 2 – 5 pm)
Tuesday, August 4 (2 – 5 pm; 5 – 8 pm)
Wednesday, August 5 (2 – 5 pm; 5 – 8 pm)
Thursday, August 6 (2 – 5 pm; 5 – 8 pm)
Friday, August 7 (2 – 5 pm; 5 – 8 pm)
Saturday, August 8 (11 am – 2 pm; 2 – 5 pm)
Sunday, August 9 (11 am – 2 pm; 2 – 5 pm)
Tuesday, August 11 (2 – 5 pm; 5 – 8 pm)
Wednesday, August 12 (2 – 5 pm; 5 – 8 pm)
Thursday, August 13 (2 – 5 pm; 5 – 8 pm)
Friday, August 14 (2 – 5 pm; 5 – 8 pm)

About Confluence: A Journey in Five Movements
22 Bayous fan across Houston, converging lines that link neighborhoods, histories, ecosystems, and cultures – several gravitating toward the common arterial space of Buffalo Bayou. On October 3, we will gather to celebrate the restoration and re-imagining of Buffalo Bayou Park as multiple illuminated processions come together one-by-one along its storied banks. The final performance takes place in Buffalo Bayou Park between Carruth Bridge at the Houston Police Officers’ Memorial and Sabine Street Bridge. Confluence reflects upon a waterway and a city in perpetual motion – of bats, boats, bicyclists. As distinct “streams” of marchers come together from throughout the park, the growing procession will embody a place where the converging diversity of Houston flows into the shared space of Buffalo Bayou Park.
Sign Up for a Shift

Blanket Bingo
2015-08-13 18:00 - 21:00 UTC | TX
Bring your blanket, lawn chairs or snag one of the tables at the park for a night of Bingo, music and great prizes at Market Square Park. $10 admission (cash only) includes one bingo packet. Additional games and daubers can be purchased for $1 each. Entry at 6 pm; Bingo begins at 7 pm.
Follow us on Facebook for event and weather related updates.
Volunteer Opportunity – We are looking for Bingo fans to help hold up letters and numbers from 7 to 9 pm. To sign up, please email Sylvana Loc or call 713.752.0314 ext 104.

SOLD OUT: August Cuchara Foodie Float
2015-08-07 18:00 - 19:30 UTC | Note
We’re partnering up with Cuchara Restaurant for a festive “foodie float!” Enjoy authentic ceviche dishes and flowing margaritas as you take in views of Buffalo Bayou’s lush scenery aboard BBP’s pontoon boat, Spirit of the Bayou.
Weather permitting. Must be 21 or older to drink. Only 20 spots available.
Questions? Please contact Trudi Smith at tsmith@buffalobayou.org or 713.752.0314 ext. 103.

Twilight Tour
2015-08-01 18:00 - 20:30 UTC | Note
These 30-minute boat rides are a great way to spend the evening with your family. Escape from the city and enjoy the cool breeze as you glide along Buffalo Bayou’s waters. Look for graceful herons, jumping fish, and even the occasional alligator sunning on the banks.
Time: 6:00 – 8:30 pm (30 minute boat rides)
The last tour departs at 8:00 pm.
Cost: $7 for adults/$5 for children (ages 4–12)
Cash only; payment taken when boarding.
Weather permitting. No reservations are taken for these tours. They are first come, first serve.

Bikes, Bats, Brews & B-cycles
2015-07-31 19:15 - 22:30 UTC | Do over
Join BBP and Bayou City Outdoors (BCO) for a batty good time! Bring your bikes (and helmets too!) for an evening spin around Buffalo Bayou Park’s hike and bike trails. We’ll head out from Fonde Recreation Center’s parking lot and ride west to the Waugh Dr. Bridge to see over 250,000 Mexican free-tail bats depart for their sunset flight. We’ll then head back downtown for a brew.
This bike ride is free and open to the public! All types of bikes welcome. Helmets are required (if you are renting a B-Cycle, BCO will provide helmets for you.) Lights and reflectors are recommended.
For additional information, please call 713-524-3567 or email info@bayoucityoutdoors.com
RSVP for Free!

Cuchara Foodie Float (7/31)
2015-07-31 18:00 - 19:30 UTC | If you build it…
We’re partnering up with Cuchara Restaurant for a festive “foodie float!” Enjoy authentic ceviche dishes and flowing margaritas as you take in views of Buffalo Bayou’s lush scenery aboard BBP’s pontoon boat, Spirit of the Bayou.
Weather permitting. Must be 21 or older to drink. Only 20 spots available.
Questions? Please contact Trudi Smith at tsmith@buffalobayou.org or 713.752.0314 ext. 103.
PURCHASE TICKETS

Happy Hour at B&B Butchers & Restaurant
2015-07-28 18:00 - 20:00 UTC | Our Work
Join Buffalo Bayou Partnership’s Bayou Buddies, Trees For Houston’s RedBuds, and Galveston Bay Foundation’s The Cast for a joint summer happy hour at B&B Butchers & Restaurant! Enjoy complimentary bites and drink specials on the rooftop deck with one of the best views of downtown’s skyline. Meet other young professionals and learn more about our upcoming events in the fall. Open to members and non-members.

July Walking Tour
2015-07-10 19:00 - 20:00 UTC | TX
Join Buffalo Bayou Partnership and Katy Prairie Conservancy for a docent-led walking tour through Buffalo Bayou Park to learn more about the pocket prairies and new amenities in the park, and to discuss the long history of change along this waterway.
Weather permitting.

Blanket Bingo
2015-07-09 18:00 - 21:00 UTC | TX
Join BBP and Downtown Houston for Blanket Bingo at Market Square Park! Bring your blanket, lawn chairs or snag one of the tables at the park for a night of music and great prizes. $10 admission (cash only) includes one bingo packet. Additional games and daubers can be purchased for $1 each. Entry at 6 pm; Bingo begins at 7 pm.
Follow us on Facebook for event and weather related updates.
Volunteer Opportunity – We are looking for Bingo fans to help hold up letters and numbers from 7 to 9 pm. To sign up, please email Sylvana Loc or call 713.752.0314 ext 104.
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SOLD OUT: 4th of July Boat Tour
2015-07-04 20:00 - 22:00 UTC | Note
THIS BOAT TOUR IS SOLD OUT.
View the City’s fireworks extravaganza while floating along Buffalo Bayou in our pontoon boat, Spirit of the Bayou. Price includes bubbly and light snacks! For questions, contact Trudi Smith at tsmith@buffalobayou.org or 713.752.0314 ext. 103.
Cost: $100 per person
21 guest max capacity. Reservations required. Weather permitting.

Trail Closures - Freedom Over Texas
2015-07-02 02:00 - 2015-07-06 01:59 UTC | Homey
Come out for the City’s 4th of July celebration, Southwest Airlines Freedom Over Texas! Bring out the entire family to enjoy kids’ activities, country music and a fireworks spectacular!
PLEASE NOTE: All trails on the north side of the bayou between the Sabine Street Bridge and Tapley Tributary are closed now through Sunday, July 5 for Freedom over Texas. There will also be intermittent closures of the trails on the south side of the bayou between the Sabine Street Bridge and Memorial Drive/Taft through Thursday, July 2. Full trail closures in and around the Freedom Over Texas site will begin on Thursday, July 2, at 7 pm. and will remain in place through Sunday, July 5.
For more event information, parking and street closures, please visit freedomovertexas.org.

Dog Park Closure
2015-07-01 08:00 - 2015-07-02 17:00 UTC | Waterway Cleanup
The Johnny Steele Dog Park is closed until further notice. Please stay tuned to our Facebook and Twitter for further updates. Thank you!

Blanket Bingo
2015-06-18 18:00 - 21:00, 2015-05-14 18:00 - 21:00 UTC | TX
Join BBP and Downtown Houston for Blanket Bingo at Market Square Park! Bring your blanket, lawn chairs or snag one of the tables at the park for a night of music and great prizes. $10 admission (cash only) includes one bingo packet. Additional games and daubers can be purchased for $1 each. Entry at 6 pm; Bingo begins at 7 pm.
Follow on Facebook for event and weather related updates.
Volunteer Opportunity – We are looking for Bingo fans to help hold up letters and numbers from 7 to 9 pm. To sign up, please email Sylvana Loc or call 713.752.0314 ext 104.

Johnny Steele Dog Park Closure
2015-06-12 02:00 - 2015-06-15 01:59 UTC | Waterway Cleanup
The Johnny Steele Dog Park is closed until we have the opportunity to clear storm debris and return the environment to a fun place for dogs and owners.

Volunteer Workshops for Grand Opening Procession
2015-06-12 02:00 - 2015-06-14 01:59 UTC | RSH-in-thicket
Despite the postponed event date for Buffalo Bayou Park’s grand opening, illuminated art workshops for the procession are still on! Confluence: A Journey in Five Movements will be created over the course of 13 days of free, creative building sessions, led by Alex Kahn and Sophia Michahelles of Processional Arts Workshop (PAW). Participants will learn techniques for constructing large-scale lightweight illuminated structures. Check out photos of our workshops here.
Sign up to volunteer during the workshops by contacting Crystal Ortiz.
Friday, June 12 (2 – 5 pm)
Friday, June 12 (5 – 8 pm)
Saturday, June 13 (11 am – 2 pm)
Saturday, June 13 (2 – 5 pm)
22 Bayous fan across Houston, converging lines that link neighborhoods, histories, ecosystems, and cultures – several gravitating toward the common arterial space of Buffalo Bayou. In the fall, we will gather to celebrate the restoration and re-imagining of Buffalo Bayou Park as multiple illuminated processions come together one-by-one along its storied banks. The final performance takes place in Buffalo Bayou Park between Carruth Bridge at the Houston Police Officers’ Memorial and Sabine Street Bridge. Confluence reflects upon a waterway and a city in perpetual motion – of bats, boats, bicyclists. As distinct “streams” of marchers come together from throughout the park, the growing procession will embody a place where the converging diversity of Houston flows into the shared space of Buffalo Bayou Park.
Sign up to Volunteer

CANCELED: Twilight Tour
2015-06-06 18:00 - 20:30 UTC | Note
Due to high water levels, this boat tour has been canceled.
Time: 6:00 – 8:30 pm (30 minute boat rides)
The last tour departs at 8:00 pm.
Cost: $7 for adults/$5 for children (ages 4–12)
Cash only; payment taken when boarding.
Weather permitting. No reservations are taken for these tours. They are first come, first serve.
These 30-minute boat rides are a great way to spend the evening with your family. Escape from the city and enjoy the cool breeze as you glide along Buffalo Bayou’s waters. Look for graceful herons, jumping fish, and even the occasional alligator!

SOLD OUT - “Looking Back” Boat Tour
2015-05-16 10:00 - 11:30 UTC | Note
THIS TOUR IS SOLD OUT.
Buffalo Bayou Partnership invites you to take a look back to the late 1800s, when Houston was founded, to learn about the important individuals and families along Buffalo Bayou who helped shape Houston. Louis Aulbach, local historian and author of Buffalo Bayou: An Echo of Houston’s Wilderness Beginnings will be your guide. He will share stories of the Allen brothers, the founders of Houston, and provide historical information about places, people, animals and events along the bayou west and east of downtown.
Cost: $40 per person
Restrictions: Weather permitting. Children under 4 are not permitted on boat tours.

Waugh Bat Colony Boat Tour (SOLD OUT)
2015-05-09 19:30 - 21:00 UTC | Note
THIS TOUR IS SOLD OUT! Please visit our Boat Tours page for other opportunities to experience Buffalo Bayou.
Guests will enjoy an amazing view of the bats’ dusk emergence from Waugh Bridge. Learn more about these 250,000 magnificent Mexican free-tailed bats that share the city with us.
Time: Boat departs 30 minutes before sunset (1½ hour boat rides)
Cost: $30 per person (children under 4 are not permitted on boat tours)
Weather permitting. Reservations required.

Cinco de Bayou
2015-05-05 06:00 - 19:30 UTC | Note
We’re partnering up with Cuchara Restaurant for a festive Cinco de Mayo “foodie float!” Enjoy three authentic ceviche dishes and flowing margaritas as you take in views of Buffalo Bayou’s lush scenery aboard BBP’s pontoon boat, Spirit of the Bayou.
Cost: $60 per person. Must be 21 or older to drink.
Only 20 spots available.
Questions? Please contact Trudi Smith at tsmith@buffalobayou.org or 713.752.0314 ext. 103.
Purchase Tickets

Johnny Steele Dog Park Closure
2015-04-29 07:00 - 15:00 UTC | Waterway Cleanup
The Johnny Steele Dog Park will be closed Wednesday, April 29 until 3:00 pm for painting of the entry fence.

Waugh Bat Colony Boat Tours
2015-04-25 19:30 - 21:00 UTC | Note
Guests will enjoy an amazing view of the bats’ dusk emergence from Waugh Bridge. Learn more about these 250,000 magnificent Mexican free-tailed bats that share the city with us.
Time: Boat departs 30 minutes before sunset (1½ hour boat rides)
Cost: $30 per person (children under 4 are not permitted on boat tours)
Weather permitting. Reservations required.
Reserve your spot!
