Houstonfest

News and Updates

Contest promo video #1 (students from one school tell why they love contest)

Contest promo video #2 (one student tells why she loves contest)

Contest promo video #3 (hilarious 2024 State-winning submission from our own Klein Oak High School!)

Daily log of changes to State-qualifier list

Important Dates

on a rolling basis but no later than Wed., Apr. 30, 2025 for payment during the 2024-2025 school year: submit Gail Cope Teacher Grant applications.

Mon. Jan. 13, 2025, 4:00 p.m.: Application for transportation grants from the Houston Saengerbund opens (IF THEY ARE OFFERED AT ALL; if so, teachers will be sent a link to a Google Form).

Tue., Jan. 21, 2025, 11:59 p.m.: Houstonfest registration spreadsheet due for regular price of $12/student (payment does not have to be mailed until 1/27).

Mon., Jan. 27, 2025, 11:59 p.m.: Houstonfest registration spreadsheet due for late price of $15/student. Deadline to postmark Houstonfest payment.

Sat., Feb. 1, 2025, 9:00 a.m.: Submission of entries in the 7 virtual Houstonfest events due (get link to Google Form from your teacher).

Tue., Feb. 4, 2025, 11:59 p.m.: Remote judging of the 7 virtual Houstonfest events ends.

Wed., Feb. 5, 2025, 10:00 p.m.: Houstonfest changes (adds, drops, substitutions) due. After this point, no more changes will be allowed.

Sat., Feb. 8, 2025: Houstonfest, Kingwood High School, Houston.

Fri., Feb. 14, 2025, 11:59 p.m.: State online registration due for "early bird" price of $12/student (payment does not have to be mailed until 2/19).

Wed., Feb. 19, 2025, 11:59 p.m.: State online registration due for regular price of $15/student. Deadline to postmark your State payment.

Sat., Feb. 22, 2025, 9:00 a.m.: Submission of entries in the 7 virtual State events due (get the link to a Google Form from your teacher). Also, Mary El-Beheri Memorial Scholarship and Sandra Dieckman GTHS Memorial Scholarship applications due (to submit the application, get the link to a Google Form from your teacher).

Mon., Feb. 24, 2025, 8:00 p.m.: Entries in State promotional video contest due to State director.

Tue., Feb. 25, 2025, 11:59 p.m.: Remote judging of the 7 virtual State events ends.

Sat., Mar. 1, 2025: Texas State German Contest, Texas State University, San Marcos.

Sat., Mar. 8, 2025, 11:59 p.m.: Houstonfest Scholarship applications due.

Sun., Mar. 16, 2025: Gail Cope State Scholarship applications due.

Houstonfest

Founded in 1980, Houstonfest is an annual competition for Houston-area students in grades 8 through 12 (and some in grade 7) who are learning German. It offers 42 contests for students in German I, II, III, IV, and V, including written and oral tests, declamation, drama, art, and music. Because some contests have multiple levels, there are actually 88 different competitions! These include some competitions exclusively for "advantaged speakers" and some that are conducted virtually through online submission. Registration is accepted only from German teachers registering their participating students as a group; we do not accept registration from individual students.

Totally new to contest? We know that it's a lot to take in. A good introduction to this sprawling enterprise is this new two-page overview of the contest system.

Incentives for schools new to Houstonfest

We had 483 students from 18 schools registered for Houstonfest 2024 along with at least 130 adult volunteers!

Teachers and others from the local German-speaking community serve as judges. If you are interested in serving as a judge, contact director Rustin Buck by email and he'll send you a link to a Google Form to sign up.

Entrants placing in the top five in each event at Houstonfest, traditionally held on the first Saturday of February, advance to the Texas State German Contest, traditionally held on the last Saturday of February. Note that an exception to these rules of thumb will occur in 2025, when Houstonfest will be on Saturday, February 8, and State on Saturday, March 1. At State, Houstonfest's winners compete against the winners of the other two Texas regional German competitions, Winterfest for the Dallas and North Texas area and Sprachfest for the Central and South Texas area.

Houstonfest is held at Kingwood High School (starting in 2025) and State at Texas State University in San Marcos.

After competition is over and while everyone is waiting for the awards to be tabulated, we usually have entertainment by the band Das ist lustig and local professional German folk dancers. The Tomball German Festival also traditionally invites winning Folk Dance and Polka Band groups as well as Vocal Soloists to perform at their festival each year and makes donations to the German Clubs of all schools that perform.

For more information:

New: Overview of Texas German contest system

Contest Promo Video #1

(students from one school tell why they love contest)

Contest Promo Video #2

(one student tells why she loves contest)

New: Contest Promo Video #3

(hilarious 2024 State-winning submission from our own Klein Oak High School!)

Show your love for the Texas German contest system by producing a promotional video and entering our contest (videos #1 and #3 above are past winners). You could win $250! Click here for the contest guidelines.