Good morning, Galveston! In today’s edition: Best of the Island Awards winners, an adults-only Carnival cruise, Mardi Gras, and more. Let’s get to it!

— Cait Baker

🏆 Most popular this week

Curated by popular demand — here are this week’s most-clicked events, local spots, and stories.

Island excellence takes center stage: Galveston.com announced the 2025 Best of the Island Awards winners, dubbed the Oscars of the Gulf Coast, after record community voting, celebrating local favorites across categories — see the complete winners list.

Texas cruisers, take note: An adults-only Carnival cruise will sail from Galveston to Barcelona in 2026, with themed bars, a water park, and a thalassotherapy pool on a ship that holds about 3,600 passengers — get all the details.

New voyages set sail: Norwegian Viva has arrived in Galveston for its first winter season, offering seven-day round-trip Caribbean cruises. Longer 14-day voyages are scheduled through April 2026, with ports like Cozumel, Costa Maya, Roatan in Honduras, and Harvest Caye in Southern Belize. See destinations and itineraries.

Opportunity in civic oversight: Galveston is accepting applications for its Ethics Commission, which helps monitor and enforce the city’s ethics code for officials and employees, and applicants must be local residents — see how and where to apply.

Island revelry is calling: The 115th Mardi Gras Galveston is coming up with double weekend festivities, from the Jolly Jester Jaunt 5k to headliner concerts, parades, and more. If you plan to join, tickets for Little Joe Y La Familia will be sold at the event. Get all the details.

Cargo growth on the horizon: The Port of Galveston will finish major West Port Cargo Complex upgrades in 2026, investing $106 million to expand waterfront capacity with added acreage and longer berthing space — see project scope, funding, and timeline.

Are you overpaying? The national average for car insurance is around $175 per month. I was paying over $300 for ONE car until I checked out various quotes, switched providers, and ultimately cut my premium in half. If you haven’t checked in a while, you’re probably losing money too — this free comparison tool makes it easy.

Gold & silver are hot: Gold just had it’s best year since 1979. Silver did even better, climbing nearly 150% in 2025… and analysts expect the momentum to continue. If you’re curious about adding precious metals to your portfolio as a market hedge, American Hartford has a helpful guide that covers everything you need to know. It’s free — and definitely worth a read.

A new haircare solution: My hair’s been thinning and I’ve been quietly ignoring it, hoping it’ll fix itself. Plot twist… it hasn’t. When I finally started looking into what I should do, there were so many options I didn’t know where to start. I stumbled on Keranique, and its simplicity really sold me. One kit, no pills, no choosing products, and no confusion whatsoever. It’s also on sale with a money-back guarantee (although I doubt you’ll need it).

📆 Sneak peek at next week

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🌊 TGCIC Coastal Forum @ Texas A&M University at Galveston | Wednesday (1/14) at 7:00 AM – At the TGCIC Coastal Forum, whether you read bond proposals for fun or just want to know who is fixing the dunes and ports, you get the scoop on coastal infrastructure and policies shaping the Texas Coast. Fewer buzzwords, more straight answers, and decent coffee.

📖 Story Fair 4 @ Rosenberg Library | Thursday (1/15) at 10:00 AM – Rosenberg Library is rolling out Story Fair 4, a free, 30-minute burst of stories, songs, skits, and puppets built for schools and daycares. Perfectly sized for attention spans, and your schedule. Bring the class, enjoy the AC, and call it culture.

💯 100th Anniversary Celebration @ Knapp Flower Shop | Thursday (1/15) at 4:00 PM – Swing by 918 Broadway to toast Knapp Flower Shop’s 100th, the ribbon cutting, and their new digs. Complimentary bites from beloved local caterers, plenty of petals, and the satisfaction of telling a centenarian it still looks sharp.

🤠 Once Upon A Time: The Spaghetti Western Lecture @ The Bryan Museum | Thursday (1/15) at 5:30 PM – If your inner cowboy prefers a lecture hall to a dusty saloon, saddle up for a Spaghetti Western deep dive with San Jacinto College prof and film music historian Jordan Tucker. Expect Morricone lore, squints, and swagger, all for $5 members, $15 non-members.

🕊 MLK Weekend Adventure Pass @ Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. | Friday (1/16) at 12:00 AM – Grab the crew and hop between Kemah Boardwalk, Galveston Pleasure Pier, and Downtown Aquarium with one MLK weekend pass. Unlimited rides all four days, exhibits included, plus a free zip line, 5D theater ticket, and stingray snacks. Cheaper than brunch, and more memorable.

🍻 Yaga’s Chili Quest & Beer Fest @ Yaga’s Cafe | Friday (1/16) – Island patio weather calls for chili spoons and beer flights. Sample your way through Yaga’s Chili Quest & Beer Fest with live music, a not-too-serious 5K, washer pitching glory, and a jackpot margarita, because balance. Bring friends, loose pants, and your competitive streak.

🎪 Cirque Kalabanté @ The Grand 1894 Opera House | Friday (1/16) at 8:00 PM – Skip the same old dinner plan and catch Cirque Kalabanté, where Guinean acrobats stack human pyramids to live Afro-Jazz, percussion, and kora. Vibrant, joyful, and wildly athletic, it will light up the theatre and remind your knees to clap from the seat.

Wanna see more? Browse our full events calendar →

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📻 Galveston report

Weather forecast

Today – High: 65°F – Low: 48°F – Precip: 26%

A chance of rain showers before 10am. Mostly cloudy. High near 65, with temperatures falling to around 60 in the afternoon. North wind 20 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch possible. Later: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 48. North wind 20 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.

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Tomorrow – High: 60°F – Low: 50°F – Precip: 1%

Partly sunny, with a high near 60. North wind 10 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Later: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 50. Northeast wind 10 to 15 mph.

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