See some eye-catching scenes from the Katy Rice Harvest Festival parade this year

Plus: TxDOT holds off on a toll in Katy. A Katy ISD board member protests a drag bingo event.

View in browser FALL SALE! Unlimited Digital Access: 6 Months for 99¢. Subscribe Today. Katy Insider   The Katy Rice Harvest Festival is this weekend. Are you ready? It's against the rules of professional journalism to use exclamation points in writing, so just imagine that I'm yelling all of this: The Rice Harvest Festival is this weekend, and I'm beyond excited. It has everything you can possibly want in a festival- shopping, games, food, shopping, live music, carnival rides, shopping- you name it, it will be at the Rice Harvest Festival, or as we locals call it, Rice Fest. The parade kicked off the festival past weekend, and the Rice Fest fun begins this Friday.  The Houston Chronicle is excited, too. A photographer will be on site snapping pictures of festival goers to create a slideshow of "seensters," so if you see a Chronicle photographer, flag them down and find your smiling mug in an online feature.  And of course, I'll be there covering the event, so if you see me, come say hi. I love meeting my readers in the real world.  Are you as excited about the Rice Harvest Festival as I am? Let me know at claire.goodman@chron.com.   Claire Goodman Katy reporter claire.goodman@chron.com Top stories   Photo: Jon Shapley, Staff Photographer A Katy ISD trustee has admitted to protesting ahead of a drag bingo event. Victor Perez, a Katy ISD board member, on Wednesday confirmed he and his wife attended a protest ahead of a church drag bingo event.    Katy's largest charity wine festival returns next month. Sip N Stroll, Katy's largest charity wine and culinary festival, returns Nov. 19, and this year's event promises to be bigger than ever.    Houston's newest Saltgrass Steak House is now open in Fulshear. More than 20 years ago, Saltgrass Steak House first got its start in Katy. A new location just opened in Fulshear near the original location.   TxDOT pumps the brakes on toll rate hike on Grand Parkway and Texas 249. For now. The math said toll rates on the Grand Parkway and Texas 249 needed to go up by nearly 10 percent because of inflation, so officials paused the process.   Need to know   The Willow Fork Drainage District will be hosting "Night of the Nerds," a space-themed celebration on Friday, Oct. 7th starting at 5 p.m. in La Centerra's Centra Park.  The Houston Astronomical Society will bring some of its most powerful telescopes for nighttime viewing, and around 7:30 p.m. they will be showing "Star Wars: A New Hope" to close the night.   Shout out   Houston nonprofit The Rose is reaching out to women through its "Let's Talk About Your Breast" campaign during Breast Cancer Awareness month in October. The Rose, a breast health and imaging center, provides breast cancer screenings and treatment regardless of patients' ability to pay. The Rose aims to dispel stigma and stereotypes by starting conversations about breast health. The organization is encouraging women in their 40s and beyond to talk about their breasts with friends, family, care providers and online.    One last thing ...   Last week I asked you if you thought the fall weather was here to stay. I received several replies, all of which were "No." And you were right, Texas is once again playing its favorite prank, "Fake Fall." Despite entering October, Houston will see highs in the low 90s and lows in the mid-60s, according to the National Weather Service.   FALL SALE: Get 6 Months for 99¢ Unlimited Digital Access Act Now No Commitment | Cancel Anytime Unsubscribe  |  Manage Preferences  |  Privacy Notice Houston Chronicle 4747 Southwest Freeway, Houston, TX 77027 © 2022 Hearst Communications