Officially opened in October 2015, Houston's Buffalo Bayou Park celebrates its 10-year anniversary this year.

The details

The park features 160 acres and stretches from Shepherd Drive to Sabine Street, just west of downtown, according to the Buffalo Bayou Partnership's website. Amenities include hike and bike trails, a nature play area, dog park, public art and picnic areas.

The Buffalo Bayou Partnership—the nonprofit which creates and stewards parks, trails and welcoming spaces along 10 miles of the Buffalo Bayou waterway—also curates public programs to connect visitors to nature, culture, art and recreation, per an early February news release on the 2025 season.
The park is 160-acres and stretches along Shepherd Drive to Sabine Street. (Shawn Arrajj/Community Impact)
The park is 160 acres and stretches along Shepherd Drive to Sabine Street. (Shawn Arrajj/Community Impact)
"We are thrilled to offer these engaging programs that highlight the unique spaces along Buffalo Bayou, from repurposed infrastructure to the natural environment,” Karen Farber, vice president of external affairs for the nonprofit, said in a statement. “As we head east, extending the park and trail system, we are also looking back at the first 10 years of Buffalo Bayou Park and how it has brought transformative things to Houston’s urban core. We look forward to celebrating this past decade while looking ahead to the next one.”

What's happening?
53rd Annual Buffalo Bayou Partnership Regatta takes place March 22. (Courtesy Buffalo Bayou Partnership)
The 53rd Annual Buffalo Bayou Partnership Regatta takes place March 22. (Courtesy Buffalo Bayou Partnership)
In addition to music series, guided tours, art showcases and exploration of the native ecosystem, Buffalo Bayou Partnership will host a free festival called KBR Kids Day on Oct. 19 at The Water Works in Buffalo Bayou Park, according to the release. The event will feature nature-inspired activities, wildlife encounters and a Halloween costume parade.


Other events and programs happening throughout the year include:
  • Underground Sounds—beginning in March and ongoing during select weekends throughout the year, four vocalists and musicians will come to the park's Cistern, a former drinking water reservoir built for Houstonians in 1926, to compose sounds specifically curated for the cavernous, repurposed space. Tickets are available a month in advance.
  • Witness Series—in March, September, October and November, Buffalo Bayou Partnership's 2025 Artist in Residence Kristi Rangel will lead this series, which explores the history of the public park and the diverse people and movements that shaped it, per the release. These events are free and each feature a local artist who will facilitate a mindful activity or practice to help attendees engage with the natural environment.
  • 53rd Annual Buffalo Bayou Partnership Regatta—this canoe and kayak race takes place March 22. The 15-mile race will include hundreds of participants from across Houston.
  • Summer Species: Native Plants—From May through August, this year's summer species series will include monthly nature walks, artwork by Mark Dion and more educational offerings to engage with native plants and trees that help the bayou's ecology thrive.
See Buffalo Bayou Partnership's full list of programming here.