Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen is celebrating 40 years in business across the Greater Houston area during the month of October, business officials confirmed.

The details: The first Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen opened its doors in 1986 on Westheimer Road in the Galleria area, per the restaurant website.

During the month of October, restaurant officials announced in a Sept. 29 news release that several new and returning menu items will be available for a limited time, including:

• Crispy Shrimp Spring Rolls: shrimp, ginger cilantro cream cheese and sweet & sour sauce

• Praline Cheesecake: creamy cheesecake layered with pecan praline crumble, topped with warm praline sauce

In their words: "For 40 years, Pappadeaux has been a place where families celebrate and friends gather to let the good times roll," Pappas Restaurants Chief Marketing Officer Christina Pappas said. "This anniversary is a celebration of our guests and the generations of team members who have made Pappadeaux the destination it is today.”

The Texas Renaissance Festival will return to Todd Mission for its 52nd season in 2026, running from Oct. 10 through Nov. 29.

Read all about it: Spanning 70 acres, the nation's largest Renaissance-themed event features 21 stages, more than 400 artisanal shops and over 200 acres of camping facilities.

The festival will showcase eight themed weekends from Oktoberfest on Oct. 10-11 to Celtic Christmas on Nov. 27-29. Additional themes include Pirate Adventure, Barbarian Invasion and All Hallows Eve.

What's new: This year the festival will bring back fan-favorite attractions alongside new acts, including Paladin, the Errant Fool; Sons of Olympus; and Lester Jesterson.

Tickets range from $16 to $40. Admission is free for kids 5 and under on Saturdays, and kids 13 and under get in free on Sundays.

Cy-Fair ISD has maintained its 'A' state financial accountability rating for the 24th consecutive year, Amanda Boles, assistant superintendent of business and financial services, said. The Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas (FIRST) evaluates school districts on their financial management practices, decisions and instructional allocations.

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) uses 21 indicators to determine these scores. For the 2024-25 school year, Cy-Fair ISD received maximum points on 19 out of the 20 scored indicators. The indicators are divided into three categories:

• Critical: four indicators where incompletion results in immediate failure

• Solvency: 10 indicators, though the administrative cost ratio was not scored for 2024-25

• Financial competency: seven indicators

Additionally, Jae Simpson-Butler, director of student services, reported that the district's cumulative attendance rate reached 93.56%. This 0.43 percentage point increase from the prior school year boosted district revenue by $3 million to $4 million.

Community Impact reported on several developments across the North Houston area from Oct. 2-9:

Arms manufacturer Watchtower Defense opens facility in Tomball

Property owners in Cypress, Cy-Fair, Jersey Village to see tax rate increases

$8M Plum Grove Road expansion project wraps up in New Caney

The Container Store closes Spring-Klein area location

PREVIEW: Montgomery County commissioners to consider support for legislation granting ordinance powers

The White Canvas Event Venue now hosting events in Cypress

Whataburger opening new location in Conroe

Dutch Bros Coffee to open Kingwood location in late 2026

Bari Ristorante now open in The Woodlands

Have you lived in the west side of Cypress for many years, or did you recently move to the area? Community Impact is working on a story about how concentrated growth along 99 is changing Cypress and Cy-Fair, and we’d love to hear from you. 

We’re looking for: 

• Longtime residents who have watched the area change

• Newer residents who recently moved to the Highway 99 area

If you’re open to a short conversation, reach out to Ash Valenzuela at [email protected]. I’m hoping to hear from residents by Oct. 16.