ChinatownConnection.com

Renaissance Festival

Cycle World International Motorcycle Show. Houston events at Reliant Park, South Loop 610 @ Kirby exit. Call 832-667-1400 for more info.

Houston Symphony - Graf's Mozart and Zemlinsky. Surrender to the stormy beauty of Mozart's Serenade for Winds. Then take a trip to Vienna where you'll experience the Zemlinsky's Lyric Symphony, an expressive and colorful work of seven orchestral songs for baritone and soprano. The Symphony motivated Alban Berg to write his own Lyric Suite. Houston events at Jones Hall, 615 Louisiana. Call 713-224-7575 for more info.

DaCamera Society - Greg Osby Five. Saxophonist, composer, producer and educator Greg Osby has made an indelible mark on contemporary jazz as a leader of his own ensembles and as a guest artist with other acclaimed groups. Notable for his insightful and innovative approach to composition and performance of original music, Osby is a shining beacon among the current generation of jazz musicians. Houston events at Wortham Center, 501 Texas. Call 713-524-5050 for more info.

Hot Town, Cool City at the Miller Outdoor Theatre in Hermann Park. 7:30pm. Call 281-FREE-FUN for more info.

Nutcracker Market.  More than 500 merchants from across the country participate in a shopping extravaganza. All proceeds benefit the Houston Ballet Foundation, its academy and scholarship programs. Houston events at Reliant Park, South Loop 610 @ Kirby exit. Houston Holiday Christmas Guide. Event ID:11/11

Finding Nemo Presented by Disney on Ice. Houston events at Reliant Stadium. Call 713-629-3700 for tickets. Event ID:11/11

Alley Theatre - The Scene. "The Scene" examines the lives of four striving New Yorkers on the fringes of the entertainment business. Houston events at Alley Theatre, 615 Texas. Call 713-228-8421 for more info. Event ID:11/25

Houston Grand Opera - The Daughter of the Regiment. Marie, an orphan raised by an army regiment is surprised when a wealthy aunt surfaces to reclaim her. But when the aunt arranges a marriage, the entire regiment and Marie's true love march in to set matters right. In French with English subtitles. Houston events at Wortham Center, 501 Texas. Call 713-228-OPERA for more info. Event ID:11/9

Stages Theatre - Black Pearl Sings. Houston events at Stages Theatre, 3201 Allen Parkway. Depression-set play depicts an encounter between Susannah, a "song collector" for the Library of Congress, and Pearl, a prisoner descended from slaves whom Susannah discovers to be a living library of folk song. The play will have a staged reading this summer at Virginia's Barter Theatre, but Stages' mounting will be its official world premiere. Call 713-527-0123 for more info. Event ID:11/11.

Pompeo Batoni: Prince of Painters in Eighteenth Century Rome Exhibition. Houston events at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston.

Sesame Street Presents: The Body. Get to know what’s under your skin at Sesame Street Presents: The Body, an amazing new educational exhibition featuring Elmo, Oscar, Grover and the rest of your Sesame Street friends! Run, jump and play your way through a new interactive exhibition all about the human body. This exhibit will cover everything from fingers and toes to your ishy-squishy insides. Houston events at Health Museum, 1515 Hermann Drive. Call 713-521-1515 for more info.

Treasures from Shanghai: 5,000 Years of Chinese Art and Culture. Featuring 77 sets of objects from the Neolithic period (circa 3,000 B.C.) to the Qing dynasty (1644-1911 A.D.), this incredible collection includes rare examples of oracle bones that represent the first form of Chinese writing, bronze vessels, polychrome potteries, sculptures, porcelains, paintings, jade/bamboo carvings and lacquer works. Location: Museum of Natural Science, 1 Hermann Circle Drive. Event ID:1/6/2008.

Lucy's Legacy: The Hidden Treasures of Ethiopia. Discover five million years of Ethipia's diverse history and culture. The exhibition will include the original fossilized remains of the 3.2 million-year-old hominid known as Lucy. With 40 percent of her skeleton intact, Lucy remains the oldest and most complete adult human ancestor fully retrieved from African soil. Location: Museum of Natural Science, 1 Hermann Circle Drive. Event ID:4/20/08.