Bellaire, TX Outdoor Activities

With the sound of fast-approaching engines roaring in your ear, you jam your foot down even harder on the gas pedal and narrow your eyes at the upcoming left-hand turn, determined not to let up even for an instant. If you do, there’s a good chance that your new view will consist of your competition gloating triumphantly while they zip past you on the track. You may only be driving a GT-5 Sodikart, and not a tricked-out racecar, but you absolutely refuse to let any of the other adult or—gulp—junior drivers beat you.

Track 21 lets speed-demons careen around one of three indoor go-kart tracks at speeds of up to 40 mph as they try to edge past other karts, competing with fellow birthday partiers or coworkers to reach the finish line before it decides to become a finish wall. In case competition gets too fierce, the karts are surrounded by heavy nylon bumpers and rubber blocks designed to absorb impact from all sides.

Friendly rivalries continue on foot inside Area 21, a two-story laser-tag battleground beset with fog, obstacles, and space-age scenery. Sharpshooters zap each other's targets in pursuit of a grander mission, such as capturing the opposing base or stealing the enemy's supply of light, before matches end and scores are tallied on a stats sheet. Glowing decor also illuminates a jungle-themed nine-hole mini-golf course, where gorilla and lion statues bask in the black lights. Track 21’s arcade demands timing and button-smashing dexterity from gamers, and a track-side casino sets up rounds of blackjack, poker, and craps.

Each year, the Spring Home & Garden Show gathers home-design experts into one location so that enthusiasts of home decorating and outdoor living projects can catch a glimpse of the latest in domestic products and design. Visitors peruse booths hosted by professionals occupying cozy niches that span the home-improvement spectrum, from landscaping and gardening to organizing garages and building a custom home. While attendees bounce from booth to booth, a lineup of notable industry sages take the stage to discuss the year’s best ideas and products and answer any embarrassing questions that fairgoers might have about where houses come from.

Presented by the Strictly Street Salsa dance studio, El Festival de la Salsa brings Houston’s annual spring of salsa to a celebratory close with hours of performances by live salsa bands, including the Houston All Stars, Salsa Orchestra, and the Latin Jazz Ensemble. As many as 5,000 fans and dancers gather to swish and sway to the music, or gatherers can pause to take in tributes to famed salsa great such as Celia Cruz and Ruben Blades. While performers coax sensual beats from their instruments on the main stage, a kid-friendly zone provides structured fun and play for tykes whose attention might escape the rhythm’s hold every now and then.

Stone Moves Indoor Rock Climbing's multicolored crags rise from padded floors, creating a safe environment for top ropers, lead climbers, and boulderers alike to practice their vertical virtuosity. Each climbing and lesson package includes rental equipment such as a harness, helmet, climbing shoes, and chalk bag, but does not come with any Spiderman webbing. During the one-hour private sessions, instructors tutor wall scalers on the basic techniques of climbing and belaying, and also cover safety tips before pupils test-climb their new skills. Bouldering walls rise at gradual and sharp angles, allowing novice climbers to achieve their dreams of being stalactites for a day and membership holders to gain unlimited access to the gym's challenging crags.

Spread across 5 acres of indoor and outdoor facilities, Pitch Putt & Play summons friendly competition with miniature golf, batting cages, arcade games, and a host of other all-ages attractions. During the summer months, a bumper-boat pond equips pintsize sea captains with their own water-cannoned battleship, and other outdoor attractions, such as the water-balloon launcher, keep visitors cool. Indoors, the concession stand refuels guests with fresh-baked pizzas and snacks, and arcade machines eat their own pizzas in the form of metal tokens.

Charged only by the moon, glowing costumes, and a desire to help local charities, participants in the Firefly Run take over their city streets for friendly 5K and 10K competition. During the race, runners cut through the cool night air decked out in incandescent gear, leaving little neon trails behind them like a gaggle of baby comets. Participants are encouraged to sign up in teams and coordinate outfits for the postrace costume contest, and DJs and LED dance troupes gather around the finish line to welcome them back from moonlit journeys.