Texas Renaissance Festival kicks off Saturday

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Calling all knights and wenches -- the annual Texas Renaissance festival kicks off this weekend.

The annual festival starts the first of eight themed weekends. This weekend celebrates Oktoberfest. Visitors can see a selection from more than 200 daily performances by magicians, jugglers, comedians, dancers and more. Jousting tournaments and the Royal Finale highlight the day.

This year's themed weekends include: Oktoberfest - Oct. 6-7, 1001 Dreams - Oct. 13-14, Pirate Adventure - Oct. 20-21, All Hallows Eve - Oct. 27-28, Roman Bacchanal - Nov. 3-4, Barbarian Invasion - Nov. 10-11, Highland Fling - Nov. 17-18 and Celtic Christmas - Nov. 23, 24 and 25.

The Renaissance Festival is held near Plantersville. The gates open at 9am and close at dusk. Visit TexRenFest.com for more information.

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Original Greek Festival kicks off today

Houstonians can gorge themselves on Souvlaki and Spanakopita starting today at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral complex.

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- The smell of gyros and baklava will fill the air in Montrose today as the Original Greek Festival returns to Houston.

More than 40,000 people are expected enjoy Greek dancing, shopping and all that delicious food during the four day festival.

In fact, it's the food the festival organizers really pride themselves in, claiming it's the best festival food you'll find anywhere in the city.

The fun begins this evening and runs through Sunday. The festival is at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral on Yoakum in southwest Houston. Admission is $5 for adults and children under 12 get in free.

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Houston church hosts Polish Harvest Festival

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Polish culture is being celebrated this weekend at the fourth annual Polish Harvest Festival, hosted by Our Lady Of Czestochowa Catholic Church in northwest Houston.

Visitors can sample plenty of Polish food and enjoy traditional songs and dances.

There are also games for the kids.

The festival continues Sunday from 11am to 6pm.

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Texas Music Festival concert series kicks off in Houston

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- If you are in the mood for some live summertime classical and jazz music, Texas Music Festival summer concert series is now underway through July 1.

The Immanuel and Helen Olshan Texas Music Festival is series of world-class classical and jazz summer concerts. The series will feature nearly 50 shows by student musicians, distinguished conductors and artists from around the world.

But it's more than just a concert series. It's also an educational platform.

The TMF Orchestral Institute is a month-long music residency based at the University of Houston Moores School of Music.

The goal of the institute is to challenge the orchestra fellows each week by presenting a new, full symphonic program under a new conductor of international stature. They work to enhance skills in orchestral, chamber music and solo performance.

"A record number of students -- nearly 400 -- applied to The Texas Music Festival Orchestral Institute this year representing such noted music schools as The Juilliard School, Cleveland and Peabody Institutes of Music, Eastman School of Music, and Houston's Shepherd and Moores Schools of Music," General and Artistic Director Alan Austin said in a release.

According to Austin, who is also a former TMF participant, 95 orchestra fellows were chosen this year by competitive live and recorded auditions. This is the residency's 23rd season.

In addition to performing for public audiences, fellows will attend master classes and seminars at venues throughout the Houston area and at Texas A&M University in College Station.

The concert series will also include performances summer institutes for high school jazz and piano students, and there will be a Classical Minds Guitar Festival and Competition June 12-17.

Each concert will kick off with an outdoor festival on the University of Houston's Jane Blaffer Owen Plaza, featuring pre-concert musical performances and refreshments by local food trucks.

For more information, including the complete performance calendar and lineup, visit www.tmf.uh.edu.

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Waterwall dance wraps up weekend arts festival

Gerald D. Hines Waterwall Park in Uptown Houston

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Dancers will turn water into their stage today in the Galleria area.

The free 45-minute performances are at 2 and 4pm at Gerald D. Hines Waterwall Park in Uptown Houston.

The dance is called Task Force -- Natural Acts in Artificial Water and will be set to music by Houston composer Aaron Hermes. It will be performed by a local Indonesian orchestra and 16 local professional dancers.

The event is being directed by Stephan Kplowitz, an internationally-renowned artist and director from New York.

This is part of the Insight|Out weekend festival of media and live performances, which will also include music and films that highlight Houston history.

Also happening today as part of the festival is a musical performance at Project Row Houses.

Seven in the Third is a chamber music performance spread across seven historic row houses. Audience members will be provided with portable radios and headphones and sent on a walk through the houses where musicians will be performing refracted solos in each setting.

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Houston food truck festival this weekend

A food truck serves up eats at the 2011 Haute Wheels Houston Food Truck Festival

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- This weekend, food truck fans can taste some of the city's best offerings at the Haute Wheels Houston Food Truck Festival.

Attendees can enjoy dozens of selections as well as a wine garden, live music, a vendor village and family-friendly activities.

The second annual festival benefits the Houston Community College Foundation.

The Haute Wheels Houston Food Truck Festival runs from noon until 5pm this weekend at the HCC Southwest Campus, 5601 West Loop South.

Tickets are available for $16 for adults. Admission includes $5 worth of beverage tickets. Food purchased separately.

If you go to the festival, we want to see your photos! Upload them at iWitness.abc13.com or email them to about:mail to: news@abc13.com.

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Trinity Jazz Festival includes special musician

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- This weekend's Trinity Jazz Festival in downtown Houston features the talents of Richie Cole, Kevin Mahogany and Jake Langley. But the famous festival is also giving a trumpet player another chance to get his life back.

They live all over Houston, like ghosts. The homeless move among us mostly unseen.

"You might have a professor with 37-year tenure at university walking around with all the clothes he owns on his body," said Melvin Desmuke.

Desmuke's life has been like his horn playing, hitting many highs and lows.

"Music is personal minister of mine," he said.

Desmuke has been destitute, but he's hooked up with the group Community of the Streets.

"We're trying to bring some outreach spiritually to the homeless, give them an opportunity to reach back and try to get some of that career opportunities that they once had," said Johnny Nichols Jr., music director of Community of the Streets.

Community of the Streets currently features just one homeless musician at Trinity Jazz Fest but hopes to expand its program and eventually hopes to have an entire band made up of homeless musicians.

The COTS players back Desmuke up on the stage and on the street.

"I can perhaps be a vessel to communicate with others in all walks of life, especially that there's a common denominator with music and that's love," Desmuke said.

"Let people know that these people here do exist and that they are still real people with still fantastic skills," Nichols Jr. said.

Desmuke and the Community of the Streets jazz crew will play again Saturday. Their performance starts at 6:30pm at the Trinity Church Fellowship Hall.

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