When area codes first came to North America in 1947, Texas was designated for four sets of codes. Houston was assigned the digits 713.
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Of course, additional sets of numbers were given to the growing area, including 281 and 832.
Then in 2014, the Public Utility Commission of Texas put the 346 telephone area code into effect.
But the original always stays with us, and conveniently enough, the seventh month of the year has a 13th day. And, thus, Houston has 713 Day.
While there's not really a historical concept of the day, Houstonians have marked July 13 as H-Town's day, celebrating the things and landmarks that give Houston its identity.
Here are some of the celebrations scheduled in the city for this year, according to the website 365 Things To Do in Houston:
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- 713 Day concert: H-Town is holding it down with this show that will feature several rap stars including Lil Keke & the Screwed Up Click, Paul Wall, Slim Thug and more at Rise Rooftop on Travis Street in Midtown. The concert is for the 21 and up crowd only - sorry, kids! - and gets underway at 7 p.m. Rise's website says that masks are encouraged and you'll still have to follow the health and safety guidelines in place. General admission starts at $45 plus fees. VIP access is $75 plus fees. You can also add on a meet-and-greet with Lil Keke. Find tickets here.
- 713 Day trivia at Little Woodrow's: How much do you know about the Bayou City? Celebrate this unofficial holiday with Houston-themed trivia at Little Woodrow's on Shepherd, near Washington Avenue. Local vendors will be there for tastings and prizes are up for grabs. The fun starts at 7 p.m.
- Go mural hunting: Whether you're driving, biking or walking, you've likely seen the colorful artwork across our city. It's hard to miss: Houston has more than 1,000 murals after all. See how many you can find on the Houston mural map.
- Eat good at iconic Houston restaurants: From scarfing down breakfast tacos to trying chicken and waffles at The Breakfast Klub, filling up for lunch at Cleburne Cafeteria or heading to dinner at the Original Ninfa's on Navigation, Houston has plenty of fare for foodies.
- See what's brewing: It's no secret Houston boasts some great local breweries! Raise a pint in honor of 713 Day and support a local business. You can visit Texas' oldest craft brewery, Saint Arnold, just north of downtown Houston. But there are several places to go, including the following:
This isn't an exhaustive list so get out and explore!
- 713 Day at HoustonOpoly: This event with 97.9 The Box is from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Houstonopoly located at 2501 Rice Boulevard. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner is expected to be there. Tickets are $7.13 with promo code THEBOX. It's also a free vaccine site with the Houston Health Department. The Turkey Leg Hut food truck will also be there.
- Level up your podcast game with a Houston rap pioneer: DJ Screw Day was celebrated on June 27, but it's not too late to honor the man who created his own genre, Chopped and Screwed. The style was described as slowing music down until it sounded like syrup coming out of your speakers. The Spotify podcast Mogul dives into the legacy Robert Earl Davis, Jr., a.k.a., DJ Screw.
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Meanwhile, check out this behind the scenes look at the visual tribute to DJ Screw, "All Screwed Up."
'All Screwed Up' creators shine light on DJ Screw's legacy
Can't get enough of H-Town?
You can get a complete list of some Houston suggestions by visiting this story on why this is the greatest city in the world.