Best Free Concerts in Houston This Summer

If you're looking for a little free family fun this summer in Houston, you should consider packing up the kids and heading to any of the free concerts available in the Houston area. To make it easy, I've shared some of the best free, fun family concerts in the Houston area to visit this summer.

Kemah Boardwalk - Rock the Dock

The Kemah Boardwalk is a fun place to spend the day during the summer with armbands costing in the $20 range for riding amusement park rides and having splashing play fun with the kids. We spent several days at the Kemah Boardwalk last summer, and had a blast. But if money is an issue and you can't afford the armbands, that's okay too. Simply wait until the evening, and there are free concerts from local bands every weekend during the summer in the Kemah Boardwalk's Rock the Dock concert series.

These concerts are held outdoors and you can hear the bands from clear across the lake. There is seating closer to the band's stages, with chairs, or you can eat at one of the many restaurants along the boardwalk that have balcony outdoor seating. You can sit on the balcony and have dinner while listening to the bands on the boardwalk and enjoying the fireworks every Friday night and sometimes on Saturdays.

Miller Outdoor Theatre in Houston - Free Music, Plays and More

Whether it's classical music, a jazz concert, a play, ballet, classic films or plenty of other forms of entertainment, summer wouldn't be the same for families and lovers of the arts without Miller Outdoor Theatre. The best part about the theatre, located on nearly eight acres of land near the Houston Zoo at Hermann Park, is that almost all of their concerts and events are free of charge to the public. There's a schedule for the summer up on Miller Outdoor Theatre's website, so you can plan your fun before you arrive.

The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion - Free Houston Symphony and Ballet Outdoor Concerts

Also known by long-time Houston area residents as The Center for the Performing Arts at The Woodlands, The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion is a beautiful outdoor amphitheater located near Houston where rock concerts of epic proportions have taken place, and where the Houston Symphony and Ballet both have offered free grass seating during the summer months. You'll want to check out the website to see when the free concerts are scheduled, because some of the pay concerts, such as The Moody Blues and Jimmy Buffett, are quite pricey. Keep in mind also that only the grass seating is free. You'll either want to spring for tickets to get under the Pavilion itself, or you'll want to bring your own lawn chairs or blankets to enjoy the show.

Jones Plaza in Houston, Weeknight Free Open Air Concerts

Jones Plaza has recently had an expensive face-lift, and it is now much more easily accessible from the road. It is also more accessible for those who need mobility assistance, like I do for a wheelchair. With new pedestrian ramps, sidewalks and railings, it's much easier to visit Jones Plaza. The City of Houston maintains an events schedule on its website, and those free concerts in the park are noted. Parking around Jones Plaza ranges from distance parking for free (but it's very limited) to inexpensive lot parking in the theatre district for a couple of bucks for a few hours, to premium lot parking for twenty bucks or more. Though the concerts and many of the events are free, parking usually is not, so do plan accordingly.

Having a good time in Houston for free is easy if you're willing to look for the free concert events many of the local pavilions, parks, and docks provide. During the summer, both weekend and weekday shows and events are available that are fun and free for families, and there are many more than the top ones mentioned here.