News and Updates

NEW: Changes and updates for 2027

NEW: Pass auf! preparation

Houstonfest Scholarships - 2026 Winners Announced!

Scholarships at State

Houstonfest history

Arrival at Heights High School

Lunch options
 

Teacher-to-teacher tips

Tips for Pair Discussion

Daily log of changes to State-qualifier list

State promo video contest

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!)

Contest promo video #4 (2025 State-winning submission from Cedar Ridge High School)

Contest promo video #5 (fun 2026 State-winning submission from our own Jordan High School!)

Photo gallery

Important Dates

Mon., Jan. 11, 2027, 4:00 p.m.: Provided we receive funding from the Houston Saengerbund, the application for transportation grants opens; link will be sent to teachers.

Fri., Jan. 15, 2027, 11:59 p.m.: Transportation-grant application closes.

Wed., Jan. 20, 2027, 11:59 p.m.: Houstonfest registration spreadsheet due for regular price of $15/student (payment does not have to be mailed until 2/1).

Wed., Jan. 27, 2027, 11:59 p.m.: Houstonfest registration spreadsheet due for late price of $20/student (payment does not have to be mailed until 2/1).

Sat., Jan. 30, 2027, 9:00 a.m.: Submission of entries in the 7 virtual Houstonfest events due (get the link to the Google Form from your teacher).

Mon., Feb. 1, 2027: deadline to postmark payment for registration fees (or pay electronically).

Tue., Feb. 2, 2027, 11:59 p.m.: Remote judging of the 7 virtual Houstonfest events ends.

Wed., Feb. 3, 2027, 10:00 p.m.: Houstonfest changes (adds, drops, substitutions) due. After this point, no more changes will be allowed.

Sat., Feb. 6, 2027:  Houstonfest, Heights High School, Houston.

Fri., Feb. 12, 2027, 11:59 p.m.: State online registration due for regular price of $15/student (payment does not have to be mailed until 2/xx).

Wed., Feb. 17, 2027, 11:59 p.m.: State online registration due for late price of $20/student (payment does not have to be mailed until 2/xx).

Sat., Feb. 20, 2027, 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 an application, get the link to a Google Form from your teacher).

Mon., Feb. 22, 2027, 8:00 p.m.: Entries in State promotional video contest due (link to submission form typically emailed to teachers 1-2 weeks in advance).

Tue., Feb. 23, 2027, 11:59 p.m.: Remote judging of the 7 virtual State events ends.

Sat., Feb. 27, 2027: Texas State German Contest, Texas State University, San Marcos.

Sat., Mar. 6, 2027, 11:59 p.m.: Houstonfest Scholarship applications due.

Sun., Mar. 14, 2027: Gail Cope State Scholarship applications due (link to application form is typically sent to teachers a few days after State contest).

between Fri., Jan. 1 and Fri., Apr. 30, 2027: submit Gail Cope Teacher Grant applications.

Changes and Updates for 2027

The following changes taking effect in 2027 flow primarily from the State steering committee meeting held on May 9, 2026, in Boerne:

• Houstonfest will move back to Heights High School in Houston and be held on Saturday, February 6, 2027. State will remain at Texas State University in San Marcos and be held on Saturday, February 27, 2027. There are no price increases this year (still $15 per student for regular registration and $20 per student for late registration).

• Substantial changes were made to the rules for Digital Logo Design. The design should now always be circular and should be in .gif, .jpg, or .png format (.png is new and .pdf is OUT as an option). Absolutely no AI should be used in creating the design, and entries will be checked for AI.

• The spending limit for the Gingerbread House contest has been permanently increased to $80. The limits for all other art events with spending limits remain at $60.

• The event "Video Show" has been renamed to "Short Film." There are no changes to the rules, just the name.

• Starting in 2027, schools statewide will be able to register directly for State without having to qualify through a regional contest in the group music events Classical Ensemble, Contemporary Music, Einzeltanz, Folk Dance, and Polka Band and in the drama events Duet Acting, Puppet Show, Short Film, and Skit. If you wish to enter any of these events at Houstonfest and/or State, you will still register for them for Houstonfest. Once registrations are in, each region will have the latitude to handle these events as they see fit: hold no contest at all in those events at the regional contest, let schools that want to do a trial run at the regional contest perform in those events for feedback but no prizes or sweepstakes points, or hold normal regional contests in those events (for prizes and sweepstakes points). Regardless of how these events are handled at the regional contests, however, all entries that register for the regional contest in these events will automatically qualify for State. At Houstonfest, as long as our registration numbers justify it, we will continue holding a contest in these events, but each school that registers will have the choice whether to compete at HF (for prizes and sweeps) or simply take the free pass to State (with no prizes or sweeps). About 1-2 weeks before HF, director Rustin Buck will contact all schools registered for those events to find out whether they intend to compete at HF or not. Those who do compete at HF will all qualify for State, regardless of placing, and those who register for but don't compete at HF will also qualify for State. Commentary: This may sound like a radical departure, but I don't think it's going to affect us much at HF, where I think most schools will continue wanting to compete at HF. There are two schools of thought about performing at regionals: on one hand, perhaps the best way to have success at State (while also earning sweeps points at HF) is to "force yourself" to perform at HF, get feedback, and then use the next 3 weeks to fine-tune; on the other hand, some might prefer to focus on the other events in the lead-up to HF while taking the free pass to State in these group events and then really blitz the preparation for the group events in the 3 weeks between HF and State. In any event, the choice is now yours.

• This year's Einzeltanz is the Heidauer Schuhplatter (last used in 2023). The dance notes, the music, and a video are posted here.

• In Pass auf!, the special topic for 2027 is Ferien-Straßen - for example, the Romantische Straße, the Deutsche Märchenstraße, etc. There are MANY of them, but they won't all be in play; guidance is forthcoming soon as to which 5 to 8 of them to focus on (with links). The 2027 Novice study list and an update to the Study Guide will be published in the fall. State Pass auf! coordinator Rustin Buck will offer weekly or bi-weekly Zoom study sessions on Thursday evenings in the fall as well. Check the new Pass auf! preparation page for updates on the special topic, the Zoom sessions, and lots of new study aids that have been added recently. Although the rule change last year to allow Advantaged speakers in Pass auf! is not universally loved, the committee, after much debate, chose to keep it in place but clarified that no more than 1 Advantaged speaker may be on a team.

• It has long been the rule that a student who takes German for at least 2 years and then quits taking it but still wants to compete at Houstonfest in subsequent years can do so if they remain active in German Club or German NHS. The State steering committee has now bumped the requirement in these cases down to 1 year of German class. As always, schools may have "wild-card" musicians who have never taken German in Classical Ensemble (1) and Polka Band (2), but otherwise, every competitor should be someone who is either currently enrolled in German class or who previously took German on that campus for at least 1 year and is still active in German Club/GNHS.

• The seven virtual events will continue with no changes in 2027 except for the name change to Short Film and the revisions to the Digital Logo Design rules. Submissions will be due one week before the date of contest (for Houstonfest, virtual events will be due on Saturday, January 30, 2027, 9:00 a.m., and for State, they will be due on Saturday, February 20, 2027, 9:00 a.m.).

• The statewide Gail Cope Teacher Grants (up to $500 per school to help with the purchase of items for contest preparation) can be applied for between January 1 and April 30 each year. Gail gave 3 grants worth $500 each in 2026!

• We will continue to use online Google Sheets to register for Houstonfest, as we have done the last 5 years. The other 2 regional contests are adopting the system as well, and at State, the alpha list will now be identical to the registration sheet we use at Houstonfest, but you will continue to have to fill out the online form to register for State. That form has features that are simply too valuable to the State director for her to give it up. As soon as you know for sure that you will be entering Houstonfest (or even suspect that you might), email Rustin Buck to request a link to a Google Sheet registration spreadsheet that will be unique for your school. Please do not wait until the last minute to request a link. As of this writing in May 2026, the template for 2027 is already finalized, so you may request the link at any time, even if you don't intend to fill out the form right away, so that you'll have it when you do get ready to fill it out. Since the Google Sheet is a shared document, there is no particular moment when you "submit" it, but the director requests that you send him a quick email when you deem the form to be substantially complete. However, you may continue making updates (drops, adds, changes) in the Google Sheet on a rolling basis up to Wednesday, February 3, 2027, at 10:00 p.m. After that point, your editing access will be changed to "view only" and your registration will be finalized.