Langham Creek YMCA is putting a spin on reality TV with “The Show,” a series of camps for kids ages 12-14 that pays tribute to today’s real-life pop culture.

Upcoming sessions include:

• Myth Buster, July 5-9
• YMCA’s Got Talent, July 12-16
• TRL, July 19-23
• The Amazing Race, July 26-30
• Survivor, Langham Creek, Aug. 2-6
• Heroes, Aug. 9-13
• Made, Aug. 16-20

The Monday-through-Friday sessions are 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and cost $160 a week for facility members and $200 per week for program members. Activities include two weekly field trips/events, service projects, archery, swimming, skating, team challenges and more.

The YMCA also has summer camps for younger children.

Langham Creek YMCA, just 5.6 miles from Bridgeland, recently underwent an 11,000-square-foot expansion that included a group exercise studio, an expanded spinning studio, a 5,500-square-foot child watch area, lobby improvements and new cardiovascular equipment. For more information, visit www.ymcahouston.org/langham-creek. 

Comment (0)

Young local thespians will present "Abracadabra Aladdin!" June 23-26 at the Houston Family Arts Center, 10760 Grant Road.

This adaption of the popular fairy tale is full of adventurous fun and engaging music, three genies, the whimpering "Ali Bubba," the haughty sultan's wife, and — of course — Aladdin and Jasmine.

Performances are at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. each day. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased online at www.houstonfac.com or by calling the box office at 281/685-6374.

"Abracadabra Aladdin!" is part of the arts center's summer performance camps for children, where campers learn to create their own sets, props and costumes, and rehearse and perform a show in front of a live audience. Upcoming performances include "Kung Fu Kitty," July 21-24, and "Hansel and Gretel," Aug. 11-14.

Comment (0)

Cirque du Soleil Alegria — a baroque ode to the energy, grace and power of youth — comes to Cypress in eight performances at the Berry Center June 16-20.

The themes of the show, whose name means "jubilation" in Spanish, are many. Power and the handing down of power over time, the evolution from ancient monarchies to modern democracies, old age, youth and more. Characters such as minstrels, court jesters, beggars, old aristocrats and children take the audience on a fanciful journey through time.

Performance dates are 7:30 p.m. June 16 and 17, 3:30 and 7:30 p.m. June 18 and 19, and 1 and 5 p.m. June 20. Ticket prices range from $32 to $95.

The Berry Center is located at 8877 Barker-Cypress Road. For tickets to Cirque du Soleil or information on upcoming events, visit http://www.berrycenter.net/.

Comment (0)

Protection and fitness will be the focus of a series of self-defense classes slated in Bridgeland this summer. The classes are open to the public.

Classes are scheduled for 7-8:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 9; 2-3:30 p.m. Saturday, June 26; 7-8:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 7; 2-3:30 p.m. Saturday, July 17; 7-8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 4; and 2-3:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 14. Classes will be held at the community’s Lakeland Activity Center, 16902 Bridgeland Landing.

Key points of the class include how to fight more than one person and win, how to increase your chances of surviving a home invasion or carjacking, the most effective way to get a 250-pound person off of you in seconds and the additional weight loss and strength-building benefits of self defense.

Cost for a single class is $40 per resident or $55 per non-resident. Residents can register for multiple classes at a reduced rate: $70 for two classes; $110, three classes; $150, four classes; $190, five classes; and $210 for six classes.

Teaching the classes is Terry Tom, a certified self-defense instructor who has 15 years of experience in the fitness and martial arts field. Tom specializes in counter-assault for women, Jeet Kune Do concepts, escrima, kickboxing, Muay Thai, wrestling, jiu-jitsu boxing and Wing Chun Kung Fu.

Comment (0) Read more

Best Buy will be giving away free tickets to the Greater Houston Builders Association’s New Home & Remodeling Show, June 12-13 at Reliant Center.
The ticket giveaway begins Memorial Day weekend, May 29-31, and continues June 5-6 and 12-13. More than 150 vendors will be showcasing the latest products and services in home building and remodeling. A variety of seminars also are planned.

Special activities during the two-day event include free popcorn to the first 100 children ages 12 and under both days, a live Radio Disney show 1:30-3 p.m. on Sunday’s Family Fun Day and “Sippin’ Saturday” in Frontier Home’s Wine Grotto 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, June 12. Plus, a master artisan will carve woodwork pieces at the Wood Essence booth on both days and Astros’ mascot Junction Jack will be on hand each day.
GHBA and HomeAid Houston also will unveil the 2010 Project Playhouse, “The Vintage Astros Dugout,” during the show. The playhouse also will be at Bridgeland in a special baseball-themed event July 10. Those interested can buy raffle tickets for a chance to win the house, autographed balls and hats or tickets to an Astros game both at the home show and at Bridgeland.

For more information on the home show, visit GHBAShows.com.

Comment (1)

There’s plenty to tempt Bridgeland residents outdoors, with a wealth of amenities that might appeal to both the highly active and the more relaxed outdoorsman.

The master-planned community is devoting 3,000 acres to open space, with plans for more than 900 acres of lakes and waterways, 300 of which are already in use. Already open is one of four planned recreation centers, the Lakeland Activity Center, which includes a resort-style pool, two 30-foot tower slides, diving wells, water volleyball and a spray park. The complex also boasts a 6,000-square-foot community center, two lighted tennis courts, two playgrounds and expansive sun shades.

Comment (0) Read more

Anglers wanting to explore the intricacies of fly fishing are invited to a beginner fly-fishing class 9-10:30 a.m. Sunday, March 7, at Bridgeland’s Oak Meadow Park.

This is one of several community events that will be open to the public this year.

The class will include hands-on casting instruction on both a group and individual basis; how to present an artificial fly to trout, bass and saltwater species; and how to hook and land a fish. Also on the agenda are how to make basic fishing knots and how to assemble a fly-fishing outfit.

Comment (0) Read more

With a master plan that boasts four distinct villages, varied home choices and a host of different amenities, there will be one unifying factor — the Bridgeland community’s 60 miles of trails.

The trails will connect Bridgeland’s many neighborhoods, parks and recreation centers, putting all the community has to offer within easy reach of residents. Miles of trails — from pedestrian pathways to nature trails — are already open, with many more planned.

Comment (0) Read more

A first stop for prospective Bridgeland home buyers is the community’s Welcome Center, which blends historically authentic architecture with the latest interactive technology to facilitate the selection of the perfect home and homesite.

Welcome Center visitors are greeted by the warmth of a traditional home, with the lobby decorated to resemble a family room with a fireplace, luxurious area rugs, rich mahogany accents and decorative duck decoys reflective of Bridgeland’s natural bird habitat.

Comment (0) Read more

Different is good.

It’s no accident that Bridgeland stands out. Planners developed a careful road map for the community, one that embraces a host of differences, including Bridgeland Difference No. 10: Lakeland Activity Center, one of several planned hubs of fun for the growing community.

Lakeland Activity Center is the centerpiece of the Bridgeland community’s current amenity package, complete with an aquatic park, fitness center and more. It is the first of several large-scale activity centers that will be built as development continues, each with complementary amenities that all residents can enjoy. The center — along with its planned counterparts — is just one of a list of differences that set Bridgeland apart from other communities. Differences are both highly visible, such as the activity center and hundreds of acres of lakes, and invisible, such as underground power lines. All differences, however, are significant to the way of life Bridgeland provides residents.

Comment (0) Read more