Culture of Houston

See also: List of events in Houston and List of people raised in Houston

Houston is a multicultural city with a thriving international community supported by the third largest concentration of consular offices in the United States, representing 86 nations.[1] In addition to historical Southeast Texas culture, Houston became the fourth-most populous city in the United States.[1] Officially, Houston is nicknamed the "Space City" as it is home to NASA's Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, where Mission Control Center is located. "Houston" was the first word spoken on the Moon.[2] Many locals refer to Houston as "Bayou City." Other nicknames include "H-Town", "Clutch City", and "Magnolia City".[3]

About 145 languages are regularly spoken in the Houston area.[4] Some neighborhoods with high populations of Vietnamese and Chinese residents have Chinese and Vietnamese street signs in addition to English ones. Houston has two Chinatowns—the original located in East Downtown and the other along Bellaire Boulevard in the southwest area of the city. The city also has a Little Saigon in Midtown and Vietnamese businesses located in the southwest Houston Chinatown.[citation needed]

There are many popular events held in the city celebrating cultures of Houstonians. The largest is the annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo that is held over 20 days from late February through early March. The event begins with trail rides that originate from several points throughout the state, all of which convene at Reliant Park for a barbecue cook-off. The rodeo includes typical rodeo events, as well as concert performances from major artists and carnival rides. Another large celebration is the annual Houston Gay Pride Parade held at the end of June to commemorate the struggle for gay liberation, gay rights, gay pride, and the Stonewall riots of the late 1960s in New York City. The event is held in Downtown Houston (2015 and beyond) – prior to 2014 the parade was held along Westheimer Road within Neartown—home to many gay establishments, such as restaurants, bars, nightclubs, and coffeehouses. Other events held annually include the Houston Greek Festival and Houston International Festival.

Anna Rohleder of Forbes said "Among Houston's wealthy denizens, social life centers on charity events and the arts."[5]

  1. ^ a b "Life in the Program and City". Archived from the original on February 19, 2014. Retrieved June 2, 2012.
  2. ^ "The 20th Century | Texas Almanac". www.texasalmanac.com. Archived from the original on June 19, 2011.
  3. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved June 2, 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. ^ Houston Facts. City of Houston
  5. ^ Rohleder, Anna. "Finest Places Houston." Forbes. 2006. Retrieved on October 17, 2012.