Main Street Theater (MST) is back! The Theater for Youth will open first with Junie B.’s Essential Survival Guide to School this summer at MECA at TBH. The MainStage will open in late September at MST’s Rice Village location.

“We are so excited to be back in the theater creating with our incredible artists and preparing for the excitement of our younger patrons.” shared Vivienne M. St. John, MST Theater for Youth Artistic Director. “Junie’s spunkiness and energy make this perfect show for our re-opening!” Junie B. Jones is a much-beloved character from children’s literature – and on MST’s stage over the years. Performances will be held at MECA at TBH, 333 S. Jensen Dr., Houston, TX  77003:

• SATURDAYS: June 26 and July 10 & 24, 2021 at 7:00pm
• SATURDAY: July 17 at 10:30am & 1:30pm
• SUNDAYS: June 20 & 27 and July 11 & 25 and August 1, 2021 at 3:30pm.

Recommended for Kindergarten and older.  All tickets are on sale via phone at 713.524.6706 or online at MainStreetTheater.com.  Tickets are $20 - $28.  Group rates are available.  No children under 3 are admitted in the theater (including sleeping babies).  (Performances are also available for summer camp groups and homeschools).  Call 713.524.9196 ext 1 or visit the website.)

Main Street Theater also offers Accommodations Performances.  There is a Sensory-Friendly/Relaxed performance July 17 at 10:30am. 

 About Junie B.’s Essential Survival Guide to School

“Hello!  It’s me . . . Junie B. Jones! I have been going to school for over one and a half entire years now. And I have learned a jillion things that will help you survive at that place.” The sequel to, Junie B. Jones the Musical, this is the wisecracking first grader’s newest adventure — writing her own survival guide with tips and tricks on surviving an entire day at school!

Recommended for Kindergarten and up.  Junie B.’s Essential Survival Guide to School is adapted from the JUNIE B. JONES series of books by Barbara Park. Book and Lyrics are by Marcy Heisler. Music is by Zina Goldrich.

About the Musical’s Creators

Marcy Heisler (Lyricist/Author) and Zina Goldrich (Composer) have been collaborating together since 1993. They were the first women ever honored with the Fred Ebb Award for Musical Theatre Songwriting, and Heisler was honored with the 2012 Kleban Prize for Outstanding Lyrics. Current projects include EVER AFTER, (Alliance Theatre), Junie B's Essential Survival Guide to School (Lucille Lortel, Off-Broadway), Hollywood Romance (Scott Sanders Productions) and a musical adaptation of a Universal Studios romantic classic (Universal Stage Productions). In 2012, Goodspeed Opera House premiered The Great American Mousical, based on the bestselling book by author/director Julie Andrews. In 2016, Goldrich and Heisler continued their collaboration with Andrews, contributing songs to her Netflix series Julie's Green Room. They earned 2009 Drama Desk nominations for Outstanding Lyrics and Music for their musical Dear Edwina, a Lucille Lortel Award nomination for Theatreworks USA's JUNIE B. JONES (based on the popular children's book) and a Helen Hayes Award nomination for their Kennedy Center production of SNOW WHITE ROSE RED (and FRED). They have provided original songs for The Disney Channel, Disney Interactive and Feature Animation projects, Disney Theatricals, PBS, Nickelodeon, and others. As performers, they have toured domestically and internationally with The Marcy and Zina Show. November 2009 marked the release of MARCY AND ZINA: The Album on Yellow Sound Label. They are both active members of The Dramatist Guild, and have served as contributing writers to Dramatist magazine.

About the Production

Jimmy Phillips directs Junie. Steven Jones is the music director. Megan Jankovic reprises the role of Junie at MST.  The rest of the cast includes Joshua Mendiola-Garcia, Sloane Teagle, Jordi Viscarri, and Maryann Williams.  The design team is Liz Freese (set design), Hudson Davis (lighting design), Danielle Hodgins (costume design), Shawn W. St. John (sound design), and Lauren Davis (properties design).  Kaylee Sarton is the stage manager. 

Registration is now open for the 18th annual YMCA Kids Triathlon to be held on Saturday, July 17, 7:30 am at the Branch Crossing YMCA location. It will be a LIVE Event in 2021. Children, ages 6-12, are eligible to register and experience the fun and excitement of triathlon. It will be a morning of friendly competition and physical activity that can lead to a lifetime of wellness. The event is designed for all levels. Previous triathlon experience is not required. 

Presented by Texas Children’s Hospital The Woodlands, the Kids Triathlon benefits the YMCA Annual Campaign, which ensures everyone, regardless of age, income or background has the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive at the Y. Proceeds from the event will help us to create a stronger community, make an impact and bring about meaningful change. 

Swim + Bike + Run = FUN! Triathlon is an exciting sport for young children because it involves three activities that every child enjoys — swimming, cycling and running. Triathlon is an individual event with segments running consecutively until all three elements are completed. 

Distances will vary per age group. Children ages 6 — 9 years will swim 50 meters, cycle for 1 mile and run 1/4 mile. Children, ages 10 — 12 will swim 100 meters, cycle for 2 miles and run 1/2 mile. All participants must provide their own bike. Training wheels are not allowed. Helmets must be worn for the bike course and shoes must be worn for the bike and run courses. 

The 2021 event will feature chip timing for faster and more accurate finish line results. The event features 7 age divisions: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 years. Boys and girls will compete separately in their age groups. The top 3 finishers, male and female, in each age group will receive a special award. All participants will receive a goodie bag, t-shirt, finisher medal and refreshments at the conclusion of their race. 

Race day check in begins at 5:30 am at Branch Crossing Y, located at 8100 Ashlane Way in The Woodlands. All participants are encouraged to arrive no later than 6:30 am to park, unload equipment, check in, ready your transition area and review the course. At check in, triathletes will receive instructions, a course map and will be body marked. Please remember, parents are not allowed in transition area once the race begins. 

Post race activities will include refreshments, face and balloon art, mascots, music, games, photo booth, awards ceremony and sponsor booths. Concessions will be available for purchase. 

Thank you to our generous sponsors: Texas Children’s Hospital The Woodlands, SelecTRI, Kelsey-Seybold The Woodlands, Raising Canes, Valorem Insurance, Haynie & Company, Two Men & A Truck and H.E.B. 

For more information and online registration visit  ymcahouston.org/ymca-kids-tri. Early Bird registration ends June 17. Registration fees increase on June 18. Registration closes at Noon on July 13. Sponsor and volunteer opportunities still available. For more information contact Roxanne Davis at 281-367-9622 ext 230.

Find adventure with friends and family this summer at a Texas State Park. Two new features, now available on the Texas State Park Online Reservations webpage, make it easier than ever to plan spontaneous camping trips. Visitors can now see and reserve available campsites for the same day and for the upcoming weekend.

The new Camping This Weekend tab on the online reservation system shows visitors where tent camping sites, RV/trailer sites and lodging are available for the coming weekend (Friday and Saturday nights). The search results can even be narrowed down by park or by city, so if a popular park isn’t available, you can find other state parks nearby to explore.

The reservation system has also been upgraded to allow spontaneous park goers to make same-day overnight camping reservations online or by calling the customer service center. Previously, same day reservations could only be made by contacting the park directly. Same-day reservations can be made online or through the customer service center until 4 p.m. every day and are only available for camping, including campsites with full hookup, electricity, and water.

Texas State Park reservations can be made online anytime or by calling the Texas State Park Reservation Center at 512-389-8900  on weekdays during normal business hours. Overnight reservations can be made up to five months in advance, and day passes can be reserved up to 30 days in advance. If your plans change, please modify or cancel your reservation as soon as possible to allow someone else to enjoy the park.

For more information about Texas State Parks reservations, visit the reservations webpage on the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department website.

Commissioner R. Jack Cagle of Harris County Precinct 4 and Commissioner James Noack of Montgomery County Precinct 3 have entered into an interlocal agreement for the construction of a new Gosling Road bridge and roadway over Spring Creek and additional drainage improvements. The Montgomery County and Harris County improvements require additional property for the roadway and new detention facilities to meet the drainage criteria.  The Howard Hughes Corporation® (NYSE: HHC) is donating a total of approximately eight acres of land for project improvements.

The new improvements will complete the boulevard section of the roadway from Gatewood Reserve Lane in Montgomery County to Creekside Forest Drive in Harris County, all located in The Woodlands. 

“We appreciate the willingness of The Howard Hughes Corporation in working with us and keeping this project moving forward,” said Commissioner Noack. “When we all work together, we are better stewards of taxpayer dollars. We are excited to get this project going which will greatly improve safety and mobility along this thoroughfare in our community.”

Commissioner Cagle added, “I certainly appreciate the generosity and civic-mindedness of The Howard Hughes Corporation in donating the land that allows us to complete the Gosling Road bridge improvements and the crucial drainage improvements. With their help, we will significantly improve commuting in the area.”

Upon completion, the bridge will be dedicated to the late Calvin T. Ladner, a local civil engineer whose company, LJA, Inc. is designing the roadway improvements. Ladner and his companydesigned much of the infrastructure in The Woodlands over the last 30 plus years including The Woodlands Waterway®, multiple major thoroughfares and collector streets, neighborhoods and numerous water, sewer and drainage facilities for Howard Hughes, the San Jacinto River Authorityand local MUDs.   

“We are committed to The Woodlands and are pleased to donate this acreage for the betterment of our infrastructure in the community,” noted Dan Kolkhorst, Vice President, Land Development for Howard Hughes. “We applaud Montgomery County and Harris County for working together on these enhancements. The Gosling Road bridge and roadway serve as an integral thoroughfare for both counties. The improvements will add ease and convenience to the flow for drivers along Gosling Road.”

Are you ready?  Children’s Museum Houston is counting down the days until the school year is over and your mind can come out to play!  The Museum will reopen on Tuesday, June 8, with “Fun Summer Vibes” - a “tropi-cool” paradise destination for families to chill out and switch to vacay mode.  You’ve been waiting a whole year for this.  Now is the time to celebrate summer!  Timed entry tickets are now available for purchase.  

FUN SUMMER VIBES PROGRAMMING

Get away and soak in the fun during the Museum’s splish-splashing, flip-flopping “Fun Summer Vibes.”  Embark on a daily escapade filled with thrills, interactive activities, live demonstrations, and performances, including: 

Let the Good Vibes Roll
Tuesday, June 8
Saturday, June 12

• Strolling juggler, from 10 a.m. to noon
• Magic show with Jamie Salinas, at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
• DJ Ryan dance party, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Chill Out
Wednesday, June 16

• Cool science demos, at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Freedom Fest
Saturday, June 19

• Spoken word artist Vascola Stoney – history of Juneteenth, at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
• DJ Ryan dance party, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Kidpendence Day
Saturday, July 3

• Captain America, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

STEAM Xtreme
Saturday, July 10

• Cool science demos, at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Dog Days of Summer
Saturday, July 17

• Texas Six Steppers dancing dogs, at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
• Faithful Paws therapy dogs, at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

I Scream for Ice Cream
Saturday, July 24

• Juggler show, at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
• National Ice Cream Day food science demos, at noon.

Marvel Mania
Saturday, July 31

• Black Panther, Captain Marvel and Spider-Man, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Sunny Days Ahead
Saturday, Aug. 7

In partnership with Consulate-General of Japanese in Houston

• Tanabata Japanese Star Festival, at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
• Japanese origami and Tanzaku workshops, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Be Our Guest
Saturday, Aug. 14

• Princess Party with Ariel, Belle, Cinderella, Jasmine, Moana and Tiana, at 11 and 1 p.m.

Innovation Nation
Saturday, Aug. 21

• Cool science demos, at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

And the Vibes Go On
Saturday, Aug. 28
Saturday, Sept. 4

• Tot*Tunes on Tour, at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

“Fun Summer Vibes” Workshops

BASF Kids’ Lab

Every Friday, at noon, 1:30 and 3:30 p.m.

• June 4, Operation Filtration
• June 11, Candy Loves Chemistry
• June 18, Chemistry is Bananas
• June 25, Energy Loves Produce
• July 2, pHun Factor
• July 9, Playful Polymers
• July 16, Sink or Float
• July 23, The Great Chemistry Caper
• July 30, The Rainbow Connection
• 6, We Dig Soil
• 13, Operation Filtration
• 20, Candy Loves Chemistry
• 27, Chemistry is Bananas
• 3, Playful Polymers

The Museum will be open from Tuesday through Saturdays, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Thursdays, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. (Free Family Night Thursday from 5 to 8 p.m.)  Don’t forget to book you visit in advance as the Museum will be operating at a limited capacity. 

The museum is adhering to CDC cleaning and safety guidelines – requesting face masks for those who have not received the COVID-19 vaccine, maintaining 6-feet of social distance, booking timed entries and more.  A complete list of health and safety practices are available on the website at www.cmhouston.org.