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Houston Theater Week 2026 Raises the Curtain on BOGO Deals—Use Promo Code HTW26

By CNN

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    August 3, 2026 (Houston Style Magazine) — Houston, get ready to trade streaming from the sofa for applause from a real audience. Houston Theater Week Presented by Huntington Bank returns August 24–30, 2026, with its crowd-pleasing Buy One, Get One Free ticket offer—and the special promotional code HTW26 is the key that opens the curtain.

Now celebrating its fifth year, Houston Theater Week has grown from a post-pandemic effort to welcome audiences back into performance venues into one of the city’s most successful cultural traditions. Since launching in 2022, the promotion has sold more than 118,000 tickets and generated nearly $5 million for local performing arts organizations. That is not merely a good run; it is a Houston-sized standing ovation for artists, musicians, dancers, actors, stagehands, designers and the nonprofit institutions that keep the Bayou City’s creative heartbeat strong.

The 2026 edition offers deals connected to nearly 400 live performances from 21 participating organizations. Houston First Corporation says the initiative is the only program of its kind in the nation to combine theater, music and dance within such an extensive lineup of BOGO offers. In practical terms, that means date night can cost less, family outings can stretch further and first-time patrons can sample something adventurous without asking their wallets to perform a tragedy.

The choices are as diverse as Houston itself. Audiences can explore classics such as Alley Theatre’s Romeo and Juliet, Edward Albee’s A Delicate Balance from 4th Wall Theatre Company and The Ensemble Theatre’s A Raisin in the Sun. Music lovers can consider Houston Symphony’s Handel’s Messiah, Houston Grand Opera’s Faust, DACAMERA’s Stewart Goodyear piano program or Mozart and Haydn from Mercury Chamber Orchestra.

Dance and family audiences are also invited into the spotlight. Houston Ballet is offering Pecos Bill, Bay Area Houston Ballet & Theatre presents The Nutcracker, and Main Street Theater brings the beloved If You Give a Mouse a Cookie to life. Theatre Under The Stars adds Disney’s The Little Mermaid, while Performing Arts Houston highlights Harrison Guy’s Dear Prairie View—a title with special resonance for generations connected to Prairie View A&M University and Texas history.

Houston Theater Week’s growth proves that access matters. When tickets become more affordable, the arts become less like an exclusive invitation and more like a citywide conversation. A discounted seat can become a child’s first ballet, a senior couple’s long-overdue night out, a student’s introduction to Shakespeare or a family’s new holiday tradition.

It can also support nearby restaurants, parking operations, hospitality workers and downtown businesses before and after the performance. Every curtain call represents a larger creative ecosystem working behind the scenes.

Houston First President and CEO Michael Heckman described the program as a win for the public, the performing arts community and the city. Houston Theater District Board Chair Meg Booth emphasized that the heart of Theater Week is giving people an affordable opportunity to try something new. After nearly $5 million in ticket sales, the history is clear: Houstonians will show up when the arts reach out.

Tickets go on sale Monday, August 24, 2026, beginning at 12:00 a.m. The BOGO promotion continues through Sunday, August 30. Use promotional code HTW26 when purchasing eligible tickets, and carefully review each organization’s performance dates, seating levels, availability and restrictions. Offers are limited, may vary by production and generally cannot be combined with other discounts.

Explore the complete and evolving lineup through the official Houston Theater Week website. Choose your show, invite someone special and let Houston remind you why nothing—not even the best screen—can replace the electricity of live performance.
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Special Offer Promotional Code: HTW26

A complete list of this year’s shows is available at HoustonTheaterWeek.com.

Tickets can be purchased starting August 24.

The special offer promo code for Houston Theater Week is HTW26.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Kierra Lee
KIELEESTYLE@GMAIL.COM
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1st deaths in cyclosporiasis outbreak reported in Michigan as cases surpass 11,000

Microscopic view of the Cyclospora cayetanensis oocyst, foodborne parasite taken during laboratory research. (Quantic69/Getty Images)(WASHINGTON) The first two deaths of the cyclosporiasis outbreak have been reported in Michigan, the state's health department announced Monday.Both people had "significant underlying health conditions that may have been impacted by cyclosporiasis and dehydration," the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) added. No additional information will be provided, according to the department.The deaths come as cases in the state have surpassed 11,000 for a total of 11,234, including 193 hospitalizations, MDHHS data shows.MDHHS added that cyclosporiasis is typically not a life-threatening illness and that deaths are uncommon in the U.S.Federal health officials have so far linked cases in Michigan and eight other states to shredded iceberg lettuce served at some Taco Bell restaurants. Taylor Farms, the supplier of the lettuce, issued a voluntary recall of all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico. Consumers are being advised to throw out or return any iceberg lettuce.Taco Bell said last month that it is no longer using lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico at any of its restaurants. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) wrote on its website that it "is aware of two cyclosporiasis-related deaths in people with underlying health conditions from Michigan as part of this outbreak. CDC will update its website to include laboratory confirmed cases, hospitalizations and deaths."The CDC has previously said it is investigating other outbreaks and illnesses of cyclosporiasis nationally that are unrelated to the nine-state outbreak.Since May 1, cases of cyclosporiasis have topped 18,000 in 45 states, according to data updated by the CDC on Wednesday.There are at least 6,707 laboratory-confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis, including 423 hospitalizations, the data shows.The agency is also aware of at least 11,500 additional cases that have not yet been laboratory confirmed or require further investigation and analysis.The CDC said it can take up to six weeks to determine if a sick person should be counted in the agency's tally, meaning nationally reported cases may be lower than state totals.Meanwhile, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) published data last week showing a "sharp rise" in cyclosporiasis infections among travelers returning from Mexico.Between April 30 and July 15, 67 cases have been reported among returning travelers in England, Wales and Scotland. Comparatively, an annual average of 93 cases has been recorded between 2022 and 2025.UKHSA said it is advising all travelers to take precautions when traveling abroad including "maintaining good food and water hygiene to reduce their risk of infection."Cyclospora, the parasite that causes infection, usually spreads through food or water contaminated with feces, according to the CDC.Foodborne outbreaks of cyclosporiasis have been linked to various types of imported fresh produce, such as raspberries, basil, snow peas, mesclun lettuce and cilantro, the CDC says.The most common symptom of cyclosporiasis is watery diarrhea "with frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements," according to the CDC. Other symptoms nay include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain or bloating.Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
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