The Texas Renaissance Festival is back for another season of boozy medieval fun, starting Oct. 10. Opening weekend this year will be all things Oktoberfest, from bratwurst-eating competitions to lederhosen costume contests.

Experience Texas Renaissance magic this fall. (Anna Raj/Courier HTX)

Before you head out to Todd Mission, watch HBO’s “Ren Faire,” a three-part docuseries detailing the rise and fall of ‘King’ George Coulam, owner of the Texas Renaissance Festival and mayor of Todd Mission until his recent death.

The 2026 season falls in the middle of an intense battle over who owns the festival.

Before Coulam died, he was involved in a widely publicized lawsuit over ownership of the festival, which was left unresolved after his passing.

It’s now been a year since a Grimes County Judge ruled that the festival be sold, and Coulam’s lawyers are currently fighting the order, though festival representatives say the 2026 season will go on as planned.

Live entertainment takes center stage. (Anna Raj/Courier HTX) 

So if you end up heading to this year’s festival, you’ll know the land’s controversial lore. While you’re there, snap a pic with the memorial statue of ‘King George,’ which honors the passing of the festival’s founder.

That’s right, today is the last day to register to vote in the midterm elections!

What a way to kick off National Voter Education Week. Before you know it, it’ll be Monday, Oct. 19, the first day for in-person early voting. And I know you’ll want to be the first in line to collect your “I Voted” sticker.

Think voting is stressful? We’ve got you covered with your free voter hub, which has a breakdown of the key races, a way to check your registration status, key dates, and even a first-timer’s guide to the polls.

And since today is the last day to register to vote, here are some other key dates to add to your calendar:

🗓 Oct. 5: Get Registered

🗓 Oct. 19-30: Early Voting

🗓 Oct. 23: Request Your Mail-In Ballot

🗓 Nov. 3: Election Day
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mail ballots must be received by 7 p.m. on Election Day.

Why are we taking up so much space to talk about this with you today? Because your vote matters. It’s your voice and your chance to show up for your community.

You’re election-ready. 🙌 Now help a neighbor get there, too—forward this email so your friends can meet you at the polls!

In school libraries across Texas, the number of books on the shelves is shrinking amid the latest Republican-led campaign to remove titles policymakers don’t like.

Yesterday kicked off Banned Books Week (Oct. 4-10), a national grassroots movement created in 1982 to draw attention to the harm censorship can cause when books are challenged, restricted, or banned.

In Texas, over 100 books have been banned from public school libraries in the last year alone, including Pulitzer- and Nobel Prize-winning titles. Instead of letting librarians choose what books end up on shelves, a Texas law passed in 2025 gives that authority to school boards and an advisory board of parents. The law prohibits books that don’t adhere to “local community values,” and bans literature that could even remotely be categorized as “profane,” “indecent,” or “sexually explicit.”

Banned Books Week, organized by several literary organizations, aims to draw attention to this and other consequences. This year, in-person and virtual events are planned across the state and nation.

If you’d like to learn more about some banned titles, here are acclaimed novels banned in Houston-area schools that have deep roots.

These realistic-looking fruits are actually chocolate cream pastries in disguise. (Anna Raj/Courier HTX)

💸 A staple of Old Town Spring’s restaurant scene is asking the public to help keep its doors open. The owners of Lynn’s Table need just $7,000 to keep the business alive. Here’s why.

👹 Black Magic Social Club, known for its skull wall, neon pentagrams, and goth atmosphere, is undergoing a revamp, closing its doors as a longtime punk venue to reopen as a new concept.

🍽 What’s on my plate:

Summer is officially over, but the Houston heat hasn’t let up. One way I’ve cooled off and still enjoyed a sweet treat is by heading to Suzie’s Pastry Shoppe on Richmond for trompe-l’œil desserts, which are hyper-realistic pastries baked to look just like fruit. The sweet outer shell breaks with a satisfying crunch, and the insides are filled with cream, fruit bites, and custard.

Devona Stimpson’s path to an award-winning art career began by designing MySpace pages in high school, proving that goals are what you make of them. (Courtesy of Devona Stimpson)

If you’ve ever driven down Pierce Street in Downtown Houston and stopped to see the famous Beyoncé mural, you know Devona Stimpson. Her large, colorful artwork often draws on her multiracial identity, the power of womanhood, and her desire to convey the crux of the human experience.

Stimpson is a Houston-based artist, muralist, and entrepreneur whose work has adorned building walls from Atlanta to California. Outside of painting, Stimpson focuses on helping other artists build successful businesses. She does this by offering toolkits, workbooks, and advice to artists who want to make a living off their work.

Her success comes from a combination of hard work and social media, and it hasn’t always been easy. From waitressing and working in the paint-and-sip industry to collaborating with brands like Google, Stimpson’s career has come a long way.

We sat down with Stimpson to talk about what it took to go from designing her classmates’ MySpace profiles to becoming a renowned artist.

Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Anna Raj and edited by Paula Solis.

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