Get out and Enjoy Summer this July at Discovery Green

Celebrate the 40^th Anniversary of the Moon Landing on July 20 at the Park;

Healthy Living Series and Exercise Classes Continue through Summer

Beat the heat and make plans to enjoy the beauty and ambience of Discovery Green throughout the month of July. The downtown park is truly a family destination with a children’s playground, picnic area and delightful interactive water features. The Gateway Fountain and the Mist Tree continue to be the most popular and, of course, the coolest spots in the park.  The park is open daily from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Discovery Green’s Fall programming season kicks off in September, however several free special events are planned for visitors of all ages in July and August.

Information on the park features, dining at one of the two restaurants, The Grove and The Lake House operated by Schiller Del Grande Restaurant Group, ongoing programs and special events can be found on the Discovery Green website, www.discoverygreen.com or by calling (713) 400-7336.

Visitors to the park are invited to stay connected to Discovery Green online through Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and YouTube.

All the activities below are Free and Open to the Public.

DISCOVERY GREEN SPECIAL EVENTS

AFA Big Band
Wednesday, July 1, 7:00 PM
Anheuser-Busch Stage
Discovery Green and Neiman Marcus Group host one of AFA's most popular
concerts featuring the AFA Big Band. Warren Sneed conducts a band composed of students and faculty will for playing a wide range of classics and modern jazz band repertoire in the shadow of Houston's downtown skyline. Bring a blanket or lawn chair and relax (or dance!) at this exciting performance.

Armadillo FEMA Trailer on Display
Thursday, July 2                    
Jones Lawn and Andrea and Bill White Promenade
On a cross-country round trip from Pasadena, CA to Boston, The Armadillo – a transformed FEMA Trailer from Hurricane Katrina into a mobile garden – will make a stop at Discovery Green in partnership with DiverseWorks. The nonprofit artist organization Side Street Projects created the project and is embarking on the 6,500 mile cross-country road trip to retrieve it from the students and faculty at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) who transformed it. The mobile, sustainable community garden and composting station was part of the MIT FEMA Trailer Project, founded and directed by MIT Visual Arts Program instructor and artist Jae Rhim Lee.

Spacefest: 40^th Anniversary of the Moon Landing Celebration
Friday, July 17 through Monday, July 20        
Jones Lawn, Anheuser-Busch Stage and Andrea and Bill White Promenade
The whole world watched as “One Small Step for Man, One Giant Leap for Mankind” was heard from the surface of the moon on July 20, 1969. Houston, home to the astronauts, engineers, scientists and all the people who helped make this historic journey, will remember, celebrate and look forward with events at Discovery Green. 

NASA and Rice University have helped to coordinate this celebration of the 40^th Anniversary on July 20 from 4 – 9 pm. In addition, Rice University is partnering with Discovery Green to present films and activities leading up to the anniversary from Friday, July 17 to Sunday, July 19. A partial list of activities include:

·         Kid-friendly interactive exhibits and hands on activities

o        “Driven to Explore” NASA mobile exhibit

o        “Discovery Dome” featuring “Future Moon” honoring the Apollo astronauts

·         Live Music by the El Orbits and others

·         Films, including “Apollo 13” and “In the Shadow of the Moon”. From the archives, original footage of worldwide news coverage of the Moon landing and John F. Kennedy’s stirring speech, delivered at Rice University proclaiming America’s intent to land on the moon. 

The Wish Wall – interactive exhibit for Houstonians to record memories of the Race to the Moon and hopes for the next great space adventure.

CHILDREN’S AND FAMILY EVENTS

Young Writers Workshop
Saturdays
10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
HPL Express at Discovery Green
Houston’s only free writing workshop for young writers is taught by professional writers and educators from Writers in the Schools. Young minds at work!

Gymboree Play & Music
Friday, July 3 – the last of the summer; reconvenes in Fall
10:30 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Anheuser-Busch Stage
The Gymboree Play & Music Audience: Newborns – 4 years of age Come play, sing, and pop bubbles with a Gymboree instructor and Gymbo the Clown puppet on a colorful parachute.

HEALTHY LIVING IN THE PARK

The Healthy Living Series continues through the summer with:

Central City Co-op Downtown Green Market at Discovery Green
Sundays, 12 – 4 p.m.
Andrea and Bill White Promenade
Year-round co-op and farmer’s market offering the freshest organic produce and products made from local, sustainable ingredients. The Green Market takes a break in August and resumes in September.

Yoga in the Park with TUTS
Tuesdays, 7 – 8 p.m.
Anheuser-Busch Stage
A second summer yoga class by instructor Jerry Randall of TUTS Humphreys School for Theatrical Arts through August. Pilates returns on September 1.

Zumba!
Wednesdays, 7 – 8 p.m.
Anheuser-Busch Stage

Recycling Saturdays presented by Biolage
Saturdays, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Andrea and Bill White Promenade at McKinney Street
The City of Houston partners with Discovery Green to present a downtown recycling drop-off location. Bring your paper, glass, plastic and cans. 

Bike Repair Workshop       
Saturdays, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Andrea and Bill White Promenade
Free bicycle repair lessons by Nicholas Auger.

Hip2BFit workout    
Saturdays, 11:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Anheuser-Busch Stage
Houston’s first open workout class for children!

DINING

Dining options include the award-winning The Grove and The Lake House, the casual eatery located adjacent to Kinder Lake. The Lake House is open daily for lunch with sandwiches, salads, burgers, Kobe beef hot dogs and a selection of refreshing beverages. Dine in or spread your blanket on the Jones Lawn and picnic with friends and family.

PHOTOS

See a selection of photos from the park

Discovery Green Conservancy

Discovery Green Conservancy is a private, non-profit organization that operates the park. At the behest of Houston’s Mayor Bill White, the Conservancy was formed in December 2004 and was charged with designing, building and operating Houston’s new urban park which opened in April 2008.

LOCATION

Discovery Green is located at 1500 McKinney in downtown Houston, in front of the George R. Brown Convention Center and the Hilton Americas. The park is just blocks away from Main Street, Minute Maid Park and Toyota Center.

HOURS

Discovery Green is open every day from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Hours for events may vary. Areas of the park may be closed occasionally for maintenance or private events.

CONTACT INFORMATION

www.discoverygreen.com or call 713.400.7336.

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