Happy Tuesday, Katy 🤠
Two things I did not have on my Katy bingo card for late August: watching my inbox fill up with "how do I make school lunches again" texts, and finally – finally – getting real names of who's moving into The Green at Katy Park. Both happened this week, and details about The Green announcements are below.
Between that, Week 2 of KISD football, and a Labor Day weekend that's not going to plan itself, this one's what Katy’s all about.
Now, in today's edition:
Katy ISD's first virtual high school is officially open
We finally know some of who's opening at The Green at Katy Park
A Restaurant Spotlight on a Kitchen that brings a father-daughter love letter to Calabria
35+ events & more
— Grant H
Community News
Katy ISD's first virtual high school is officially open – and any Texas teen can enroll
Katy ISD quietly made statewide history on Aug. 12 when its brand-new Legacy Virtual High School (LVHS) greeted its inaugural class alongside ~94,000 in-person students. It's the district's first full-time online high school and, for now, the most direct way any Texas family – anywhere in the state – can put a Katy ISD diploma on their kid's résumé.
Here's what to know:
Classes are fully online, tuition-free for eligible full-time in-state students, and taught by certified Katy ISD teachers.
Year one serves grades 9–11; grade 12 comes online for the 2027–28 school year.
Students get a full seven-period day with core academics, AP, dual credit, and select CTE offerings.
The program sits inside Katy ISD's broader Innovative Pathways initiative and was made possible by Texas Senate Bill 569.
It's built for families whose kids don't thrive in a traditional building – think competitive athletes, students with health considerations, or families moving around the state.
The bigger idea: any high-school-age Texan can now earn a Katy ISD diploma without setting foot on a Katy campus – a first for the district and one of the more distinctive virtual public-school launches in Texas.
P.S. Share this with a friend who's been eyeing Katy ISD from afar!
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City Updates
We finally know who's opening at The Green at Katy Park
After a year of dirt-flying (feels like longer!), photo-ops, and vague "coming soon" chatter, we have real answers about the 46-acre restaurant-and-retail district going up at the northwest corner of Morton Road and Katy Hockley Cut-Off – right across from H‑E‑B at Katy Park. The first named tenants are on the board, and coffee people, you're going to be happy.
Here's what's happening:
7 Brew Coffee is the newest confirmed addition – a ~$1M drive-thru build with construction running August through December and a planned grand opening in early February 2027, per franchisee Texas Coffee Partners.
Chipotle and Taco Bell both appear on developer Read King's leasing site plan as identified tenants.
Phase 1 – a $20M, ~63,000-sq-ft build of five commercial shells – has been under construction since early 2026 and was scheduled to top out this summer.
Long-term, the district is planned to hit ~175,000 sq ft of retail and dining plus a 10,000-sq-ft open-air plaza – a walkable hub aimed at the 24,000+ new homes projected for the surrounding trade area by 2032.
If you've been driving past those crews and wondering when the "come eat here" phase begins, we're finally not far off.
Local Restaurant Spotlight 🍽️
Nonno's Kitchen: a father-daughter love letter to Calabria, tucked off Katy Fort Bend Rd.
Some places are named for a founder. Nonno's Kitchen is named for the whole family it came from. Father-daughter duo Domenico and Andria Nunez – born in New York, roots in Calabria – opened the place in early 2026 to cook the recipes they grew up on, and if you've been looking for Italian food in Katy that isn't just red sauce on a plate, this is the one to try.
What to know before you go:
Where: 806 Katy Fort Bend Rd., Ste. 110 (call ahead: 281-913-5793)
When: Closed Mondays; Tue–Thu & Sun until 9 p.m.; Fri & Sat until 10 p.m.
What to order: Handmade pastas, arancini, baked ziti, lasagna, meatball parmigiana, chicken piccata – and for dessert, tiramisu, cannoli, limoncello cake, or pistachio cheesecake.
A vote of confidence: Currently a Best of Katy 2026 nominee for Best Pizza.
If you go, tell Andria and Domenico The Katy Dispatch sent you.
Events coming up this week:
This section includes only the major events happening soon. For a complete list of all events, you'll have to wait for future editions!
Community & Culture 🏛️
10th Annual Katy Cares Gala – "Boots & Bling" | 6:00 PM, Thursday, September 3 | Tickets
Location: Venue 116, 32903 FM 359, Brookshire
Description: Katy Cares' 10th-anniversary fundraiser – Nowhere But Up on stage (Top 40 across country, pop, classic rock, disco, and Tejano), a BBQ dinner, wine and beer, and a room full of people supporting local mental-health and family-services work. Proceeds fund trauma-informed therapy for single-parent families.
Championship BBQ Weekend – Fort Bend County Fair Kickoff | Friday–Saturday, September 18–19 | Tickets
Location: Fort Bend County Fairgrounds
Description: Kickoff weekend for the 90th Fort Bend County Fair – Championship Culinary & BBQ Cook-Off with Los Morales opening Friday and country artist Cole Phillips headlining Saturday. About 100 competitive cook teams. Ramps into the full fair on Sept. 25.
KTX Market Day (September Edition) | 5 PM–9 PM, Saturday, September 19 | (Free) Details
Location: No Label Brewing Co., 5351 First St, Katy
Description: Dozens of local vendors, food trucks, live music, art, antiques, plants, honey, jewelry.
Live Music & Entertainment 🎸
Ronnie Coleman Jr. & Merlot Music | 7:00–9:00 PM, Saturday, September 5 | (Free) Details
Location: Central Green at LaCenterra
Description: Free outdoor concert on the green and a solid pick for Labor Day weekend if you're staying in town – pack a blanket, order in from LaCenterra, call it an evening.
Parrot Head Radio – A Jimmy Buffett Tribute | 7:00–9:00 PM, Friday, September 11 | (Free) Details
Location: Central Green at LaCenterra
Description: Grab your Hawaiian shirt and lawn chair – the Gulf Coast's premier Jimmy Buffett tribute band takes over Central Green for a free night of "Margaritaville" under the stars. –
The Passion of Spain | 7:00–9:00 PM, Saturday, September 12 | (Free) Details
Location: Central Green at LaCenterra
Description: A free outdoor evening of Spanish music and flamenco-inflected performance on the green – great for date night or the whole family.
Boots & Brews – Katy Rice Harvest Festival Kickoff | 7:00–10:00 PM, Saturday, September 12 | Tickets
Location: Historic Town Square, 904 Avenue C, Katy
Description: The official kickoff to the 2026 Katy Rice Harvest Festival – live music from Holly Tucker and Hayden Baker, craft-beer tastings from local breweries, food trucks, and dancing. Proceeds support scholarships through the Katy Rice Harvest Festival and the Rotary Club of Katy.
Everclear at Wildcatter Saloon | 8:00 PM, Friday, September 18 | Tickets
Location: The Wildcatter Saloon, 26913 Katy Fwy., Katy
Description: '90s alt-rock hitmakers ("Santa Monica," "Wonderful") on the covered outdoor stage right here in Katy, with Anything But Human and Trackside opening.
Shreya Ghoshal – The Unstoppable Tour | 8:00 PM, Friday, September 18 | Tickets
Location: Smart Financial Centre, Sugar Land
Description: Bollywood playback superstar Shreya Ghoshal, with a full live band, covering two decades of Hindi film work plus rotating Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Bengali selections. Expect a huge Katy contingent.
100 Proof | 7:00–9:00 PM, Saturday, September 19 | (Free) Details
Location: Central Green at LaCenterra
Description: Free live music on the green – same weekend as Katy Market Day and the Space Cowboys 5K, if you're stacking your Saturday like I am.
gymclassheroes. & Lupe Fiasco – Back To Basics Tour | Wednesday, September 30 | Tickets
Location: Smart Financial Centre, Sugar Land
Description: The Travie McCoy-fronted Gym Class Heroes reunion tour, co-headlining with Chicago rapper Lupe Fiasco, with B.o.B. and Billy Blue also on the bill – a nostalgia-heavy hip-hop/rock night 20 minutes down 99.
Sports & Fitness 🏃
Sugar Land Space Cowboys vs. Reno Aces | 7:05 PM most nights, Tuesday–Sunday, September 1–6 | Tickets
Location: Constellation Field, Sugar Land
Description: Six-game Triple-A home stand over Labor Day weekend against the Diamondbacks affiliate. Look for Dollar Dog Wednesday (Sept 2) and Fireworks Friday (Sept 5) – always a fan favorite.
Katy ISD Week 2 Football – full slate | Thursday, September 3 – Saturday, September 5 | Tickets
Location: Rhodes Stadium and Legacy Stadium (both at 1050 Katyland Dr., Katy), plus away games
Description: Week 2 of the KISD varsity season is stacked. Buy tickets through here
Keller Williams Premier Katy Labor Day 5K & Kids K | 7:30 AM (Ainsley's Angels) / 7:35 AM (5K), Monday, September 7 | Tickets
Location: Villagio Town Center, Cinco Ranch, Katy
Description: Chip-timed 5K on a certified course plus a Kids 1K, benefitting The Ballard House and Ainsley's Angels. Heads up: runners registering after Aug 13 aren't guaranteed a shirt or preferred size.
9/11 Memorial Stair Climb at Constellation Field | Gates 7:30 AM · First responders start 8:00 AM · Public start 9:10 AM, Friday, September 11 | (Free) Details
Location: Constellation Field, 1 Stadium Dr., Sugar Land
Description: Third annual Sugar Land Space Cowboys climb honoring the 25th anniversary of 9/11 – 2,200 steps (110 stories, the height of the WTC towers), with moments of silence at 8:46 and 9:03 AM. Every participant gets a free ticket to the Sept. 15 Space Cowboys home game vs. Las Vegas.
Space Cowboys 5K presented by Houston Methodist | Kids Dash 7:30 AM · 5K start 7:45 AM, Saturday, September 19 | Tickets
Location: Constellation Field, 1 Stadium Dr., Sugar Land
Description: The second annual on-field 5K – start line is outside the stadium, finish line is on the field near home plate. Kids Dash for ages 1–12 kicks it off, and every finisher gets a medal, a T-shirt or tank, a commemorative bib, and a free ticket to a select Space Cowboys game. Only 8% of spots are left so get to it!
Family Fun 🐣
Labor Day Goatstravaganza at ROSE Therapeutic Farm | Saturday–Monday, September 5–7 | Tickets
Location: ROSE Therapeutic Farm
Description: A Labor Day farm-animal festival with all the baby-goat-cuddling energy small kids could ask for – worth a look if you need a "get out of the house" plan for the long weekend.
🔁 Recurring Weekly Events
Story Time with Ms. Najia | 10–11 AM, Third Monday Each Month, Next is September 21 | Details
No Label Run Club | Mondays, 5:30–6:30 PM | Details
Walking Group at Mary Jo Peckham Park | Tuesdays, 8 AM | Details
Fleet Feet Tuesday Run | Tuesdays, 6 PM | Details
Yoga on the Green | Wednesdays & Fridays, ~8 AM | Details
Knotty and Nice Knitting Club | Wednesdays, 1 PM - 3 PM | Details
No Label Ruck Club | Wednesdays, 5 PM | Details
Bird Walk | Thursdays, 8:30 AM - 11:30 AM | Details
Totally Toddler Time | Thursdays, 10:15 AM - 10:45 AM and 11:15 AM - 11:45 AM | Details
Adult Watercolor Art Club | Every Other Thursday, Next is September 3rd | Details
Story Time with Ms. Maria | First Thursday of Each Month, 10 AM - 11 AM, Next is September 3rd | Details
Adult Coloring Hour | Thursdays, 6 PM | Details
Music Bingo at The Social Pub & Grill | Thursdays, 7 PM – 9 PM | Details
Katy Garden Club | Second Thursday of Each Month, Next is September 10 | Details
Farmers Market on Grand Parkway | Saturdays, 8 AM - 12 PM | Details
Farmers Market at The Dryer | Saturdays, 9 AM – 1 PM | Details
Fulshear Farmers Market | Saturdays, 9 AM – 1 PM | Details
George Ranch Historical Park | Saturdays, 9 AM – 5 PM | Tickets
Breakfast with Our Veterans at Katy Elks Lodge | First Saturday monthly, 7 AM – 10 AM | Details
Farmers Market at LaCenterra | Sundays (Starting September 6th), 11 AM – 3 PM | Details
That's it for today!
Thanks for reading The Katy Dispatch this week! See you next Tuesday!
P.S. Want to get your business in front of thousands of Katy locals? Email us at [email protected].