Culture

Main article: Culture of Houston

See also: List of events in Houston

Houston Art Car Parade

Located in the American South, Houston is a diverse city with a large and growing international community.^[127] The metropolitan area is home to an estimated 1.1 million (21.4 percent) residents who were born outside the United States, with nearly two-thirds of the area's foreign-born population from south of the United States–Mexico border.^[128] Additionally, more than one in five foreign-born residents are from Asia.^[128] The city is home to the nation's third-largest concentration of consular offices, representing 86 countries.^[129]
Many annual events celebrate the diverse cultures of Houston. The largest and longest-running is the annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, held over 20 days from early to late March, and is the largest annual livestock show and rodeo in the world.^[130] Another large celebration is the annual night-time Houston Pride Parade, held at the end of June.^[131] Other annual events include the Houston Greek Festival,^[132] Art Car Parade, the Houston Auto Show, the Houston International Festival,^[133] and the Bayou City Art Festival, which is considered to be one of the top five art festivals in the United States.^[134][135]
Houston received the official nickname of "Space City" in 1967 because it is the location of NASA's Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. Other nicknames often used by locals include "Bayou City", "Clutch City", "Magnolia City", and "H-Town".

The annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo held inside the NRG Stadium

The George R. Brown Convention Center regularly holds various kinds of conventions.

Arts and theater

Hobby Center for the Performing Arts

Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

Houston Museum of Natural Science

The Houston Theater District, located downtown, is home to nine major performing arts organizations and six performance halls. It is the second-largest concentration of theater seats in a downtown area in the United States.^{[136][137][138]} Houston is one of few United States cities with permanent, professional, resident companies in all major performing arts disciplines: opera (Houston Grand Opera), ballet (Houston Ballet), music (Houston Symphony Orchestra), and theater (The Alley Theatre, Theatre Under the Stars).^[15][139] Houston is also home to folk artists, art groups and various small progressive arts organizations.^[140] Houston attracts many touring Broadway acts, concerts, shows, and exhibitions for a variety of interests.^[141] Facilities in the Theater District include the Jones Hall—home of the Houston Symphony Orchestra and Society for the Performing Arts—and the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts.
The Museum District's cultural institutions and exhibits attract more than 7 million visitors a year.^[142][143] Notable facilities include The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston Museum of Natural Science, the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, the Station Museum of Contemporary Art, Holocaust Museum Houston, and the Houston Zoo.^{[144][145][146]} Located near the Museum District are The Menil Collection, Rothko Chapel, and the Byzantine Fresco Chapel Museum.
Bayou Bend is a 14-acre (5.7 ha) facility of the Museum of Fine Arts that houses one of America's best collections of decorative art, paintings, and furniture. Bayou Bend is the former home of Houston philanthropist Ima Hogg.^[147]
The National Museum of Funeral History is located in Houston near the George Bush Intercontinental Airport. The museum houses the original Popemobile used by Pope John Paul II in the 1980s along with numerous hearses, embalming displays, and information on famous funerals.
Venues across Houston regularly host local and touring rock, blues, country, dubstep, and Tejano musical acts. While Houston has never been widely known for its music scene,^[148] Houston hip-hop has become a significant, independent music scene that is influential nationwide.^[149]