Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Splashtown will thrown another Labor Day Luau. Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Splashtown/Facebook
This article originally appeared on CultureMap.
Labor Day is upon us, which means fall is fast approaching and, soon, we will no longer have to deal with this scorching-hot weather for much longer. It's that first Monday in September where we celebrate all the accomplishments hard-working men and women have made throughout history in building, shaping, and molding this country.
Labor Day is also a great day to kick back, and we've rounded up eight fun events to enjoy your long weekend.
a'Bouzy
Our favorite champagne dispensary will have a Labor Day brunch where bottles of Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Brut will be served for $49. This is a must for those who've always wanted to pop bottles and dance around like Damon Dash in old Jay-Z videos. Reservations are required. 10 am-6 pm.
El Segundo Swim Club
H-Town's only private outdoor swim club and bar will have special hours and access this Labor Day Weekend. On Friday, access is free, but it's $20 Saturday through Monday. Food is available for purchase during peak hours via food truck. 3 pm-sunset (11 am-midnight Saturday; noon-midnight Sunday; noon-7 pm Monday).
Gallery Auctions, Inc.
If your idea of a fun Labor Day is bidding for stuff during an auction, these guys have a special day for you. Along with bidding for furniture, antiques, etc. the Astros Shuttle Crew will be on hand, giving away two pairs of Astros tickets. They also have lite bites for breakfast and a complementary bar during the entire auction. 8 am-4 pm.
ISKCON of Houston
Labor Day is also Houston's Free Day of Yoga. So, get all loose and limber and one with your body with a free yoga class at this temple's main hall (taught by local yoga queen Farida Morsi), followed by lunch at Govinda's. Bring some extra cash and enjoy wonderful vegetarian cuisine together. 10 am.
Lone Star Flight Museum
The hallowed museum has a bevy of things planned for Labor Day. You can take tours inside the DC-3, talk to the mechanics, make and take crafts, and step in the simulators, which will be open all weekend. Plus, there will be free hot dogs, chips and drinks — and this is all for a mere $5. 9 am-5 pm.
Continue on CultureMap to see what's going on at Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Splashtown, and much more.
It’s May 1, and the Astros are turning heads—but not for the reasons anyone expected. Their resurgence, driven not by stars like Yordan Alvarez or Christian Walker, but by a cast of less-heralded names, is writing a strange and telling early-season story.
Christian Walker, brought in to add middle-of-the-order thump, has yet to resemble the feared hitter he was in Arizona. Forget the narrative of a slow starter—he’s never looked like this in April. Through March and April of 2025, he’s slashing a worrying .196/.277/.355 with a .632 OPS. Compare that to the same stretch in 2024, when he posted a .283 average, .496 slug, and a robust .890 OPS, and it becomes clear: this is something more than rust. Even in 2023, his April numbers (.248/.714 OPS) looked steadier.
What’s more troubling than the overall dip is when it’s happening. Walker is faltering in the biggest moments. With runners in scoring position, he’s hitting just .143 over 33 plate appearances, including 15 strikeouts. The struggles get even more glaring with two outs—.125 average, .188 slugging, and a .451 OPS in 19 such plate appearances. In “late and close” situations, when the pressure’s highest, he’s practically disappeared: 1-for-18 with a .056 average and a .167 OPS.
His patience has waned (only 9 walks so far, compared to 20 by this time last year), and for now, his presence in the lineup feels more like a placeholder than a pillar.
The contrast couldn’t be clearer when you look at José Altuve—long the engine of this franchise—who, in 2024, delivered in the moments Walker is now missing. With two outs and runners in scoring position, Altuve hit .275 with an .888 OPS. In late and close situations, he thrived with a .314 average and .854 OPS. That kind of situational excellence is missing from this 2025 squad—but someone else may yet step into that role.
And yet—the Astros are winning. Not because of Walker, but in spite of him.
Houston’s offense, in general, hasn’t lit up the leaderboard. Their team OPS ranks 23rd (.667), their slugging 25th (.357), and they sit just 22nd in runs scored (117). They’re 26th in doubles, a rare place for a team built on gap-to-gap damage.
But where there’s been light, it hasn’t come from the usual spots. Jeremy Peña, often overshadowed in a lineup full of stars, now boasts the team’s highest OPS at .791 (Isaac Paredes is second in OPS) and is flourishing in his new role as the leadoff hitter. Peña’s balance of speed, contact, aggression, and timely power has given Houston a surprising tone-setter at the top.
Even more surprising: four Astros currently have more home runs than Yordan Alvarez.
And then there’s the pitching—Houston’s anchor. The rotation and bullpen have been elite, ranking 5th in ERA (3.23), 1st in WHIP (1.08), and 4th in batting average against (.212). In a season where offense is lagging and clutch hits are rare, the arms have made all the difference.
For now, it’s the unexpected contributors keeping Houston afloat. Peña’s emergence. A rock-solid pitching staff. Role players stepping up in quiet but crucial ways. They’re not dominating, but they’re grinding—and in a sluggish AL West, that may be enough.
Walker still has time to find his swing. He showed some signs of life against Toronto and Detroit. If he does, the Astros could become dangerous. If he doesn’t, the turnaround we’re witnessing will be credited to a new cast of unlikely faces. And maybe, that’s the story that needed to be written.
We have so much more to discuss. Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday!
*ChatGPT assisted.
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