News and Updates

NEW: Changes and updates for 2025

Arrival at Kingwood High School

Lunch options
 

Teacher-to-teacher tips

Tips for Pair Discussion

Houstonfest Scholarships

Scholarships at State

NEW: Houstonfest history

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!)

State promo video contest

Photo gallery

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.

Daily Log of Changes to State-Qualifier List

After Houstonfest, some schools and individuals opt not to attend State for various reasons. Teachers should inform the Houstonfest director as soon as possible if their school as a whole or any individuals from their school will not participate in State. When this happens, the name of each entry that will not attend State is dropped from the state-qualifier list, and the next entry (from places 6-10) is moved up. These changes are reflected in the results spreadsheet, but for the convenience of teachers who are watching for changes that affect their students, this page will also contain a log of the changes made each day. Whenever possible, the Houstonfest director will also contact the teacher of anyone who can move up to inform them directly.

Clarification of policy effective starting in 2023:  If a student who qualifies for State cannot physically attend the State contest, follow these procedures:

• For individual in-person events (written tests, one-person oral tests, poetry memory, prose memory, vocal solo), you must inform the Houstonfest director so that he can drop your student and move up the next student from places 6-10. You do NOT have the option to replace the student in such events with someone else from your school.

• For any of the 7 virtual events (digital logo design, oral presentation, photo essay, poetry reading, prose reading, research paper, video show), the entry is already complete (although you're certainly welcome to revise/improve it before State if you want to), so enter the student in State and submit the virtual entry for them (or they can submit it themselves), even though they are not attending in person. If you opt not to enter it after all, inform the Houstonfest director.

• For non-virtual art events, enter the student in State and bring the project to State for them, even though they are not attending in person. If you opt not to enter it after all, inform the Houstonfest director.

• For pair events (duet acting, Einzeltanz, pair discussion), if ONE member of a pair from your school cannot physically attend State but the other one can, you may replace the one who can't attend with another student from your school from an appropriate level (if applicable), provided that the replacement student is not already part of another pair entering that same event at State. If BOTH members of a pair cannot attend State, you must inform the Houstonfest director that you are dropping that event.

• For group events (those with three or more participants), you may replace a student who cannot physically attend State with another student from your school from an appropriate level (if applicable).

• In all cases where one student replaces another at State, reflect the change in your State alpha list and be aware that the judges will make no special accommodations for replacement students joining a group at the last minute (e.g., they will be penalized if they have to read from a script or sheet music in an event that requires memorization).