Pearland, TX Outdoor Activities

Since its inaugural meeting more than 60 years ago, the League City Lions Club has upheld its mission of promoting peace and understanding with volunteer community services. Special events such as carnivals, music festivals, and cook-offs allow the Lions to raise money and resources for local charities such as Leader Dogs for the Blind, Perry YMCA, and the Butler Longhorn Museum. Like the superathlete who singlehandedly powers America's electrical generators, the Lions happily accept volunteers, ever increasing their group of supporters who desire to better their community.

The Pearland Town Center Mall morphs into a communitywide celebration of food, arts, and entertainment during Pear Fair 2012. Kicking off the festivities at noon, a summer fashion show sends models strutting down the catwalk sporting warm-weather wares. At 2 p.m., Pearland Idol finalists attempt to win over the hearts of ears by belting out tunes, and at 6 p.m., Modulation Band seizes the spotlight with a lively mix of jazz and blues as audience members try to capture their favorite notes in empty soda bottles. An eclectic spread of refreshments keeps toes tappin' throughout the festival, specifically from inside the Flavors of Pearland food garden, where tasty treats from more than 40 vendors dance across tongues and reduce conversations to a chorus of "yum”s.

David Bullard, Davis Graham, and Gary Stahlhebar manage Texas Dive Center's new facilities with an eye toward equipping divers with everything they need, whether it's education or equipment. The team teaches PADI introductory and certification courses to get the uninitiated diving, and they provide DAN classes to educate rescue divers and equip recreational divers with the skills to keep themselves safe underwater.

In addition to educational classes held in their onsite pool or on open-water excursions, Texas Dive Center joins the ranks of fewer than 50 U.S. dive shops to earn the title of ScubaPro Platinum dealer. They sell top-of-the-line ScubaPro equipment, held to the manufacturer's very stringent standards in terms of stock quality and regular maintenance such as cleaning, functionality checks, and nightly tucks in.

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.

In its first annual festival, Houston Oktoberfest pays homage to the centuries-old German shindig by corralling more than 30 different beers from both local breweries and the Deutschland itself. German beers such as Hofbräu, Spaten, and Warsteiner swirl with crisp, effervescent flavors that pair deliciously with German morsels. Diners can also enjoy local seasonal pours and complement them by nibbling on autumn leaves. As participants mingle and sip, they can also swing their hips to the sounds of 10 different bands throughout the grounds. Louisiana’s Grammy-nominated Pine Leaf Boys headline the fest with a Cajun set complete with a squeezebox, raspy vocals, and fiddle, and Houston’s own The ‘71’s churn out hard-rock anthems such as “Confession.” The strains of traditional German music bounce off the nearby carnival area, which features games and rides for children, adults, and sentient lederhosen.