Bat Chat
2026-06-26 19:30 - 20:30 (America/Chicago) | Waugh Drive Bat Bridge, 1
Stroll to Waugh Drive Bridge for a Bat Chat with the Houston Area Bat Team and see the bat colony up close!
Did you know? These population of Mexican Free-tailed Bats at the Waugh Bridge can reach a peak of approximately 300,000 in the summer months! Around sunset, the colony leaves the crevices beneath the bridge and create a whirlwind-like formation as they emerge. Join the Houston Area Bat Team to learn and discover as they share fun, educational facts and insights about these miniature, flying mammals!
Invite your family and friends, bring a picnic blanket, wear your bug spray, and admire this unique phenomena.

Bat Chats are held every Friday evening from May to August as part of our Summer Species series, starting 30 minutes before sunset.

Cost
Free
Time
7:30 – 8:30pm (30 minutes before sunset)
Meeting Location
Waugh Bridge Bat Colony Observation Deck (along Allen Parkway)
REGISTRATION

Monthly Volunteer Workday
2026-06-27 08:30 - 11:30 (America/Chicago) | TX
Volunteers, ages 9 and up, are invited to join Buffalo Bayou Partnership for community-wide volunteer days at Buffalo Bayou Park happening the third Saturday of each month. 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.

Sound Healing Meditation
2026-06-27 10:00 - 10:45, 2026-06-28 10:00 - 10:45 (America/Chicago) | BUFFALO BAYOU PARK CISTERN, 105 Sabine Street, Houston, TX, 77007, United States
Step into a deeper stillness inside the spacious and tranquil Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern.
Offered in collaboration with UNIONisCREATION™, this meditation and sound experience invites guests into a space of resonance, restoration, and inner alignment. Through gentle vibrations of singing bowls, wind chimes, and a gong, along with guided awareness, participants are supported in reconnecting body and mind.
This series is more than meditation – it is a practice of listening, feeling, and returning to center within one of Houston’s most iconic, immersive spaces. Each session unfolds as a shared moment of reflection, connection, and sound-guided stillness.
Guests should bring their own cushions or mats. No food or drinks are allowed inside the Cistern.
Cost: $20
PURCHASE TICKETS

Buffalo Bayou Cruise: Bats
2026-06-27 19:20 - 20:50 (America/Chicago) | ALLEN’S LANDING, 1001 Commerce Street, Houston, TX, 77002, United States
Sail the scenic waterway on a 90-minute, guided tour from downtown to Waugh Drive Bridge and back to watch the emergence of the 250,000+ Mexican free-tailed bats that live under the bridge.
Our knowledgeable guide will share details about the bats’ eating patterns, behavior and contributions to the bayou’s ecosystem. Space is limited, and boat tours fill up fast. Boat departs 45 minutes before sunset.
Cost
Starting at $30/person
Duration
90 minutes
Departure location
Allen’s Landing (1019 Commerce St.)
Please note, children must be at least four years old to board the pontoon boat.

PURCHASE TICKETS

Buffalo Bayou Park Wellness Walk
2026-07-01 18:30 - 20:00 UTC | ALLEN’S LANDING, 1001 Commerce Street, Houston, TX, 77002, United States
Join Buffalo Bayou Partnership on a free Wellness Walk led by Laura Conely, founder of Urban Paths. Anyone and everyone is invited to walk through the paths of Buffalo Bayou while discussing topics including mental and physical health as well as the benefits of being exposed to nature.
En Español
El primer miércoles de cada mes, la traductora Marcella Cabrera se unirá al grupo para ofrecer la caminata guiada en español.
Cost
Free
Duration
90 minutes / 3 miles
Meeting Location
Allen’s Landing Park (1005 Commerce St.)
FREE REGISTRATION

Buffalo Bayou Park Wellness Walk
2026-07-08 18:30 - 20:00, 2026-07-15 18:30 - 20:00, 2026-07-22 18:30 - 20:00, 2026-07-29 18:30 - 20:00 UTC | THE WATER WORKS, 105 Sabine Street, Houston, TX, 77007, United States
Join Buffalo Bayou Partnership on a free Wellness Walk led by Laura Conely, founder of Urban Paths. Anyone and everyone is invited to walk through the paths of Buffalo Bayou Park while discussing topics including mental and physical health as well as the benefits of being exposed to nature.
En Español
El primer miércoles de cada mes, la traductora Marcella Cabrera se unirá al grupo para ofrecer la caminata guiada en español.
Cost
Free
Duration
90 minutes / 3 miles
Meeting Location
The Water Works in Buffalo Bayou Park (105-B Sabine St)
FREE REGISTRATION

Nature Walking Tour
2026-07-18 09:00 - 10:30 (America/Chicago) | THE WATER WORKS, 105 Sabine Street, Houston, TX, 77007, United States
Learn about native plants and the insects that pollinate them along Buffalo Bayou! Follow along this discovery tour of Houston’s historic waterway ecosystem with Nancy Greig, founding director of the Cockrell Butterfly Center (now retired). An avid natural historian “jack of all trades”, she has particular interest in plants and insects, but birds, mammals, herpetofauna, and fish are all on her radar. At home she keeps busy with a butterfly garden, honey bee hives, and purple martin houses.
Cost
12 and over: $5
Children under 12: free
Duration
90 minutes
Meeting Location
The Water Works in Buffalo Bayou Park (105-B Sabine St)
REGISTER

Bikes & Bats
2026-07-18 19:00 - 21:00, 2026-08-15 19:00 - 21:00 UTC | THE WATER WORKS, 105 Sabine Street, Houston, TX, 77007, United States
Join Buffalo Bayou Partnership and BikeHouston for a batty good time with a bike ride to the Waugh Bridge Bat Colony!
Bring your bike for an evening ride along Buffalo Bayou to the Waugh Drive Bridge, where you’ll witness an unforgettable sight—more than 300,000 Mexican free-tailed bats emerging at sunset. Along the way, bat expert DeAndra Ramsey will share insights about these fascinating and important creatures—affectionately known as “sky puppies.” Spots are limited, so reserve yours today!
Cost
$10
Duration
2 hours / 3 miles
Meeting Location
The Water Works in Buffalo Bayou Park (105-B Sabine St)
TICKETS

Batman on the Bayou
2026-07-25 19:00 - 22:30 (America/Chicago) | THE WATER WORKS, 105 Sabine Street, Houston, TX, 77007, United States
Join Buffalo Bayou Partnership for Batman on the Bayou, a free evening celebrating one of Houston’s most unique nighttime species. Presented as part of BBP’s Summer Species series exploring all things BATS, the event will feature family-friendly activities, nature education, and opportunities to learn more about the important role these night flyers play in our urban ecosystem.
Guests can enjoy:
• A screening of Batman Returns, costumes encouraged!
• Educational experiences and bat-themed activities hosted by the Houston Area Bat Team
• Food trucks, music, and frozen margaritas (no bats = no tequila)
• Bat trivia… and more!
Grab your cape and lawn chair for a fun summer evening along the bayou!

Cost
Free
Time
7-10:30 PM (Movie begins at 8:15 PM)
Meeting Location
The Water Works in Buffalo Bayou Park (105-B Sabine St)
REGISTRATION

Sunset Poetry with Undercurrents: Martha Serpas
2026-09-17 18:30 - 19:30 (America/Chicago) | THE WATER WORKS, 105 Sabine Street, Houston, TX, 77007, United States
Enjoy an evening of poetry and immersive art, presented in conjunction with Undercurrents by Rafael Lozano-Hemmer in the Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern. The night begins with a poetry reading by one of the acclaimed writers who contributed to the installation and drinks on the terrace. Then, descend into the Cistern for a unique opportunity to experience Undercurrents with the writers.
Cost
$15
Duration
6:30-7:30 PM / 1 hour
Location
The reading begins on the Wortham Insurance Terrace above the Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern. (105-B Sabine St)

PURCHASE TICKETS

About Martha Serpas
Martha Serpas, a native of Galliano, Louisiana, produced the documentary Veins in the Gulf, which addresses the state’s land loss and coastal erosion crisis. Her four volumes of poetry include Côte Blanche, The Dirty Side of the Storm, The Diener, and Double Effect. Her poems appear in anthologies focused on ecological, religious, formal, or Southern poetry. A graduate of Yale Divinity School, she has worked as a hospital chaplain, most recently as part of a psilocybin trial for patients at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. At the Tilman J. Fertitta College of Medicine, she co-directs the Scripts program, an initiative to bring creative writers and medical students together around literature and medicine. She teaches poetry writing, consciousness studies, theology, and ecopoetry in the Creative Writing Program at the University of Houston.

Sunset Poetry with Undercurrents: Roberto Tejada
2026-10-22 18:30 - 19:30 (America/Chicago) | THE WATER WORKS, 105 Sabine Street, Houston, TX, 77007, United States
Enjoy an evening of poetry and immersive art, presented in conjunction with Undercurrents by Rafael Lozano-Hemmer in the Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern. The night begins with a poetry reading by one of the acclaimed writers who contributed to the installation and drinks on the terrace. Then, descend into the Cistern for a unique opportunity to experience Undercurrents with the writers.
Cost
$15
Duration
6:30-7:30 PM / 1 hour
Location
The reading begins on the Wortham Insurance Terrace above the Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern. (105-B Sabine St)

PURCHASE TICKETS

About Roberto Tejada
Roberto Tejada is the author of poetry collections that include Mirrors for Gold (Krupskaya, 2006), Exposition Park (Wesleyan, 2010), Why the Assembly Disbanded (Fordham, 2022), and Carbonate of Copper (Fordham, 2025), longlisted for the PEN/Jean Stein Book Award. His writings on art and media history include National Camera: Photography and Mexico’s Image Environment (Minnesota, 2009), his work on the groundbreaking Mexican American artist Celia Alvarez Muñoz (UCLA/CSRC; Minnesota, 2009) and essay collections on Latin American and Latinx art and culture Still Nowhere in an Empty Vastness (Noemi, 2019), and the forthcoming Along the Diagonal: Art / Essays / América (Fordham, 2026). Awarded a John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship in Poetry (2021) he is the Hugh Roy and Lillie Cranz Cullen Distinguished Professor at the University of Houston where he teaches Creative Writing and Art History.
