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News and Updates

 

Changes and updates for 2024 (new!)

 

Contest Promo Video #1 (students from one school tell why they love contest)

 

Contest Promo Video #2 (one student tells why she loves contest)

 

Teacher-to-Teacher Tips

 

Houstonfest Scholarships

 

Scholarships at State

 

State Promo Video Contest

 

Tips for Pair Discussion

 

Arrival at Heights High School

 

Lunch options
 

Daily log of changes to state-qualifier list

 

Photo Gallery

 

Important Dates

 

Mon. Jan. 8, 2024, 4:00 p.m.: Application for transportation grants from Houston Saengerbund opens (teachers will be sent a link to a Google Form).

 

Tue., Jan. 16, 2024, 11:59 p.m.Houstonfest registration spreadsheet due for regular price of $12/student (payment does not have to be mailed until 1/22).

 

Mon., Jan. 22, 2024, 11:59 p.m.Houstonfest registration spreadsheet due for late price of $15/student. Deadline to postmark Houstonfest payment.

 

Sat., Jan. 27, 2024, 9:00 a.m.:  Submission of entries in the 7 virtual Houstonfest events due (get link to Google Form from your teacher).

 

Tue., Jan. 30, 2024, 11:59 p.m.:  Remote judging of the 7 virtual Houstonfest events ends.

 

Wed., Jan. 31, 2024, 9:00 p.m. Houstonfest changes (adds, drops, substitutions) due. After this point, no more changes will be allowed.

 

Sat., Feb. 3, 2024 Houstonfest, Heights High School, Houston.

 

Fri., Feb. 9, 2024, 11:59 p.m.:  State online registration due for "early bird" price of $12/student (payment does not have to be mailed until 2/14).

 

Wed., Feb. 14, 2024, 11:59 p.m.:  State online registration due for regular price of $15/student. Deadline to postmark State payment.

 

Sat., Feb. 17, 2024, 9:00 a.m.:  Submission of entries in the 7 virtual State events due (get link to Google Form from your teacher). Also, Mary El-Beheri Memorial Scholarship applications due.

 

Mon., Feb. 19, 2024, 8:00 p.m.:  Entries in promotional video contest due to State director.

 

Tue., Feb. 20, 2024, 11:59 p.m.:  Remote judging of the 7 virtual State events ends.

 

Sat., Feb. 24, 2024 Texas State German Contest, Texas State University, San Marcos.

 

Sat., Mar. 2, 2024, 11:59 p.m. Houstonfest Scholarship applications due.

 

Sun., Mar. 10, 2024 Gail Cope State Scholarship applications due.

 

rolling basis:  submit Gail Cope Teacher Grant applications.

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.

 

For the last pre-pandemic contest (2020) we had 562 students registered from 21 schools. In the pandemic years of 2021 and 2022, our all-online editions of Houstonfest drew 166 students from 12 schools and 371 students from 19 schools respectively. We returned to an in-person contest in 2023 and had 450 students from 17 schools registered. Teachers and others from the local German-speaking community serve as judges; we had at least 124 teachers and volunteers serving as judges and proctors in 2023. 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 (which will be February 3 in 2024), advance to the Texas State German Contest, traditionally held on the last Saturday of February (which will be February 24 in 2024). 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 Heights High School in Houston 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:

 

Brochure about 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)

 

Incentives for schools new to Houstonfest

 

Show your love for the Texas German contest system by producing a promotional video and entering our contest.  You could win $250! Click here for the contest guidelines.

 

Rules

 

 

Registration

 

 

Schedule

 

 

Results

 

 

Contact

 

 

The logo in the header is the

winning entry from the

Digital Logo Design

contest held at Houstonfest 2023.

It is by Andrea Duarte Gonzalez of

Kingwood High School.

 

Danke schön

to these businesses who donated items for the judges' breakfast in 2023. Every dollar saved on that can instead be invested in the contest and in scholarships!

 

Starbucks

SW Freeway @ Wilcrest

(donated ALL the coffee!)

 

Sprouts

Sugar Land

(donated ALL the fruit!)

 

 

 

When is the next Houstonfest?

 

Saturday,

February 3, 2024

 

Where is Houstonfest?

 

Heights High School

413 E. 13th Street, Houston, TX 77008

 

Link to Texas State German Contest

 

Texas State German Contest on Facebook

 

Texas State German Contest 40th Anniversary Facebook Group