#StayHappening
Sat Oct 03 2026 at 12:00 pm to 08:00 pm UTC-05:00

Houston Futures Festival

  • Emancipation Park · Houston
  • From USD 0
Third Ward Cultural District Publisher / Host Third Ward Cultural District
Share
Houston Futures Festival
Advertisement
Houston’s Futures Festival is a daylong celebration of community, creativity and civic engagement that explores the issues shaping the city’s future. On **Saturday**, **Oct. 3**, from **noon to 8 p.m.**, the inaugural festival will transform Emancipation Park, One Emancipation Center and the Eldorado Ballroom in **Third Ward** into vibrant spaces for learning, dialogue and entertainment.
The free event is hosted by the Elizabeth D. Rockwell Center on Ethics and Leadership in partnership with the Third Ward Cultural District, Texas Southern University’s Center for Africana Futures and School of Communication, the University of Houston’s Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies, the Center for Health and Thriving, and the Greater Third Ward Super Neighborhood 67.
The festival will feature concurrent programming, including performances from noon to 5:30 p.m., workshops from 1 to 5:30 p.m., short films, local vendors and community resources. Workshops and discussions will explore public education, food insecurity, mobility and other pressing challenges facing Houston. The festival will culminate with a live performance by acclaimed Chicago rapper and poet **Noname** at 7 p.m.
Noname has been touted by Rolling Stone as [one of the best rappers alive](https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/noname-room-25-profile-724456/) and noted as [one of the most important voices of her generation](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/29/style/self-care/black-book-clubs.html?unlocked_article_code=1._1A.hXw9.85YS7roud3Wc&smid=url-share) by The New York Times for her activism. Critics have likened her to Erykah Badu, Nina Simone and Lauryn Hill for her sharp lyricism paired with jazz-inspired instrumentation that makes up her singular sound. She's performed on Saturday Night Live as well as The Tonight Show and The Late Show, and is one of the few artists to perform on NPR's Tiny Desk Concert twice. Her latest album, Sundial, was released in the summer of 2023.
Advertisement

Event venue

Emancipation Park, 3018 Emancipation Ave, Houston, United States

Tickets USD 0
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.

Discover more events by tag

Ask AI if this event suits you

Keep the plans coming

More events in Houston

Hobby Fest 2026

Sat, 03 Oct at 11:00 am Dow Park 7942 Rockhill St. Houston, TX 77061

Houston is happening.

See everything else that’s on — concerts, markets, comedy and more.