"We heard them loud and clear. Reliant Stadium is back." NRG Energy's Brad Bentley said that in the company's April 15 announcement, which brought back the names Reliant Stadium, Reliant Center, Reliant Arena and Reliant Park. The old names returned in August 2026, in time for the Texans' 25th season, and the Texans date the park's return to August 1. This is the first holiday season under the old name.
For Braes Heights, about two miles away, the new signs matter less than the calendar behind them. Between November 11 and November 24, the complex is booked on nine separate days. One of them is a football game. That game is on a Thursday night, which is also the one night this season when the city's published closures put the Kirby Drive exit on the list.
What the Name Change Touched
The Houston Chronicle reported that the decision was NRG's alone. The Harris County Sports & Convention Corporation approved it, and the existing naming-rights term still runs through 2032. Reliant Park gate signs were already going up by late May, according to ABC13. During the World Cup the stadium carried temporary "Houston Stadium" signage, with Reliant Stadium signs set to follow.
Much of what a neighbor deals with day to day still carries the old wording:
| Changed to Reliant | Still the same |
|---|---|
| Stadium, Center and Arena names | Street address, 1 NRG Parkway |
| Park name, including the grounds around the Astrodome | METRORail stop, still Stadium Park/Astrodome |
| 2026 Texas Bowl listing and RodeoHouston 2027 tickets | Kirby, Main and Fannin as the lot approaches |
If you put "Reliant" into a map or tell a rideshare driver, you still end up in the same lots off the same roads. What changes from week to week is how many people are headed there with you.
Nine Event Days in Two Weeks
The season opens with a lighter weekend. The Petco Love Jump Into Joy Adoption Event fills Reliant Arena on November 7 and 8, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday adds a 9 a.m. fast-pass hour. The pace picks up the next week:
- Wednesday, Nov. 11. The Wells Fargo Preview Party opens the Houston Ballet Nutcracker Market, 6:30 to 10 p.m.
- Thursday, Nov. 12 through Sunday, Nov. 15. The Nutcracker Market fills Reliant Center. Hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, 10 to 7 Friday, 10 to 6 Saturday and 10 to 5 Sunday, as KPRC reported. General admission is $25, or $20 for Sunday only. The Snow Queen's and Sugar Plum's fashion show luncheons seat at 10:15 a.m. on Thursday and Friday.
- The same four days, next door. Disney On Ice presents Magic in the Stars plays Reliant Stadium. Shows are at 7 p.m. Thursday, 10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, and 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. Sunday.
- Wednesday, Nov. 18. Power Tools for Non-Profits meets at Reliant Center.
- Thursday, Nov. 19. The Texans host the Indianapolis Colts at 7:15 p.m.
- Sunday, Nov. 22. King of Cars Custom Car Show & Culture Fest runs at Reliant Arena from 1 to 8 p.m.
- Tuesday, Nov. 24. The R&B Tour with Usher Raymond and Chris Brown plays Reliant Stadium at 7:30 p.m.
The stretch from November 12 to 15 is the one to plan around. A daytime market crowd at Reliant Center overlaps with family ice-show crowds at the stadium, and the Friday and Saturday schedules have both buildings running at once from morning into the evening. If you want the market with fewer people, the $60 Early Bird ticket gets you in from 8:30 to 10 a.m. Thursday and Friday, along with repeat admission all four days.
Thursday, Nov. 19 Is the Night Kirby Closes
Sunday noon kickoffs follow a routine most of the neighborhood already knows. The Colts game is different because it lands at evening rush hour on a weeknight. For that game, the City of Houston's special events calendar sets the surrounding-street window from noon to 11:59 p.m. Starting one hour after kickoff, it also closes the westbound Kirby Drive exit ramp from the South Loop, the IH-610 South frontage road and US 90A Main Street. With a 7:15 p.m. kickoff, those closures start around 8:15, about when the second quarter is underway and many people are driving home from dinner.
The Texans' parking guidance explains why Kirby feels it first. Most game-day lots open four hours before kickoff, which puts the Colts game's lot openings in the middle of Thursday afternoon. The Blue and Red lots are routed through Kirby, while the other lots are reached from Main Street and Fannin. The Texans have themed the night as the Rivalries Game, with the debut of the NFL x Nike Rivalries uniforms on Thursday Night Football.
The two remaining Sunday home games use the city's standard 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. surrounding-street window:
- Sunday, Nov. 29, noon. Ravens, the Salute to Service game honoring military and first responders.
- Sunday, Dec. 20, noon. Jaguars, Kids Day, with family activities on the BULLevard.
All three kickoff times are current as scheduled. The team's schedule notes that primetime games in Weeks 11 through 17 may move under NFL flexible scheduling, so check the Texans schedule the week of each game.
December Thins Out, Then Ends on New Year's Eve
After Thanksgiving the calendar mostly shifts to expos:
- Wednesday, Dec. 2. Small Business Expo.
- Saturday, Dec. 5. ThriftCon at Reliant Center, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Saturday, Dec. 12 and Sunday, Dec. 13. Scales Expo at Reliant Center, 10 to 5 Saturday and 10 to 4 Sunday.
- Thursday, Dec. 31. Kinder's Texas Bowl at Reliant Stadium. The official event page still lists the time as TBA and names no teams.
The bowl game has the biggest effect on the neighborhood. The city has set its surrounding-street window from 2 to 10 p.m. on New Year's Eve. If you have dinner plans that evening, expect stadium traffic on the roads you would normally take.
The Red Line Option
For the expos, parking at the gate is listed at $25 plus tax per space for Power Tools for Non-Profits, ThriftCon and the Texas Bowl, and the posted rates are subject to change.
The bigger events make the train worth a look. METRO runs Red Line trains to Stadium Park/Astrodome about every 6 to 12 minutes and adds special-event service on Texans game days. Special-event parking at Fannin South Park & Ride is listed at $25 to $50, card only. Every occupant gets a round-trip Red Line wristband, and the stadium is one stop away. Regular fare is $1.25 per boarding. METRO says event parking prices can vary, so check the page before you leave.
For a Braes Heights household, the train also keeps you off Kirby. Driving south to a park-and-ride and riding one stop avoids the lot entrances that cause the backups.
Before or After, Closer to Home
Eater Houston's guide to dining near the stadium, updated in June 2026, includes two spots on the neighborhood side of the trip. Molina's Cantina, at 3801 Bellaire Boulevard, appears for its Tex-Mex, shaker margaritas, queso-topped Jose's Dip and weekday happy hour, which Eater suggests for drinks and appetizers after an event. Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken, at 8110 Kirby Drive, is Eater's quick stop before a game for spicy fried chicken and Southern sides. Gus's sits on Kirby itself, so on the Colts night it works better as an early dinner than a late one.
If you plan to list this winter, the stadium calendar can affect your dates as well. Event days can make it harder to schedule photography, showings and open houses around Kirby, and we plan around them. To pick listing dates around Reliant Park's busiest days, Kasteena Parikh can help. Request a Pre‑List Consultation.
