Three Houston Events Worth Getting Out For This Week

August starts this weekend, and a few things are happening around town worth putting on the calendar. Houston Restaurant Weeks runs August 1 through September 7 this year, with close to 400 restaurants across the Houston area serving prix fixe menus — about $25 for brunch or lunch and $39 to $55 for dinner. Every meal ordered off an HRW menu sends a donation to the Houston Food Bank, which is the entire point of the event.

If you'd rather not spend anything, the Houston Shakespeare Festival is at Miller Outdoor Theatre through August 8, its 52nd year. The University of Houston is staging The Tempest and The Comedy of Errors on alternating nights, curtain at 8:15. Every seat is free — the covered seats require a free ticket reserved a day in advance, and the hill seating is open to anyone who shows up. And on Saturday, August 1, White Linen Night takes over the 200 and 300 blocks of 19th Street in the Heights from 6 to 10, its 20th year. Pedestrian-only, more than 50 local vendors, live music, and food from area chefs. Tickets are required; children 12 and under are free. The dress code is white.

I speak English, Vietnamese, and Spanish, and a fair amount of my work is knowing what each part of this city is like on a normal weekend — not just what's listed there. If one of these has you looking at a neighborhood you hadn't considered, text me at 281-818-8177 and I'll tell you what homes are going for nearby.