Houstonfest - Schedule

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!)

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.

Sat., Feb. 7, 2026: Houstonfest, Kingwood High School, Houston.

Sat., Feb. 28, 2026: Texas State German Contest, Texas State University, San Marcos.

Past:

Mon. Jan. 13, 2025, 4:00 p.m.: Application for transportation grants from the Houston Saengerbund opens; teachers were sent a link to an application on 1/7/25).

Fri. Jan. 17, 2025, 11:59 p.m.: Application for transportation grants from the Houston Saengerbund closes; teachers were sent a link to an application on 1/7/25).

Thu., Jan. 23, 2025, 11:59 p.m. (extended from 1/21): 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; it was emailed to them on 1/21/25).

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 2/22).

Wed., Feb. 19, 2025, 11:59 p.m.: State online registration due for regular price of $15/student (payment does not have to be mailed until 2/22).

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). Deadline to postmark your State payment.

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.

Schedule

New: In 2025, we will start the competition 30 minutes later than in the past (at 9:00 instead of 8:30). This will shift the timing of the rest of the day a bit later as well, although as always we'll attempt to finish the awards ceremony as soon as possible to allow everyone to head home.

Printer-friendly schedule - Word

Printer-friendly schedule - PDF

(fits on one page front-and-back)

Arrival instructions

Map of the Kingwood campus

(will be posted a few days before contest)

Judging assignments - PDF

Instructions for judges of virtual events

Instructions for judges of in-person events

(other than Pass auf! and proctors of written tests)

General Schedule 2025
7:30-8:00 a.m.	Judges who are not teachers check in and pick up judging packets just inside the entrance and then proceed to Room 2310 to wait for the judge orientation meeting to begin while enjoying a complimentary breakfast of donuts, kolaches, fruit, coffee, juice, soda, and water.
7:45-8:15 a.m.	Teachers check in and pick up judging packets just inside the entrance and then proceed to Room 2310 for breakfast and the judge meeting.
8:15-8:45 a.m.	Important judges' meeting in Room 2310.
8:00-9:00 a.m.	Students should set up their art entries in the designated rooms and sign up for times to compete in these events: classical ensemble, contemporary music, directed dialogue, duet acting, extemporaneous speaking, pair discussion, poetry memory, polka band, prose memory, scavenger hunt, sight reading, and vocal solo. The sign-up lists will be posted next to the doors of the rooms.
9:00 a.m.	Competition begins. The first of two sessions for Timed Writing begins. Judging of art events begins. Once you have set up your art entries in the proper rooms, please leave the art area. The art rooms are off-limits to everyone but the judges as long as judging is taking place.
9:30 a.m.	Training for written-test proctors begins in Room 4206. The second of two sessions for Timed Writing begins.
10:00-11:30 a.m.	Advantaged Speaker Test: All contestants MUST arrive by 10:00; this is the only opportunity of the day to take the test, and there is no late admission.
10:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.	Written testing: 9 sessions beginning at 10:00, 10:30, 11:00, 11:30, 12:00, 12:30, 1:00, 1:30, 2:00. You do NOT have to sign up for a time.
12:00 noon (?) - 2:00 p.m.	The three art rooms (2208, 2209, 2210) are open to all for browsing (look but don't touch!!!) from the time that the last judges finish judging through 2:00.
12:30-1:00 p.m.	Most contests end. Folk Dance ends at 1:20 and Novice Pass auf! at 1:30. Varsity Pass auf! and written tests end at 2:30.
	Lunch at our on-campus vendors.
1:00-1:30 p.m.	Meet-and-greet with German professors from the University of Houston in Room 2106. Drop by and find out what the UH German program has to offer!
1:30-2:00 p.m.	First opportunity to retrieve art entries (not earlier, not later). The doors to the art rooms will be locked from 2:00 until the end of the awards ceremony. Gather in the auditorium.
2:00 p.m.	Entertainment by the band Das ist lustig and folk dancers in the auditorium.
~4:00 p.m.	Announcement of awards in the auditorium.
~5:00 p.m.	Second opportunity to retrieve art entries: Immediately after the awards ceremony, the doors to the art rooms will be unlocked to allow students to retrieve their art entries as they depart.

Judging Assignments
Event	Room	Judges
virtual: Digital Logo Design	online	Sarah Murray, Kaity Nelson, Lisa Parrott
virtual: Oral Presentation 4	online	Juliane Henneberger, Philipp Kaiser, Friedhelm Luening
virtual: Oral Presentation Advant.	online	Luisa Boettner, Saskia Mehlhorn, Maike Nawroth
virtual: Photo Essay	online	Dusty Brown, Barbara Lott, Yvonne Thomas
virtual: Poetry Reading 1	online	Sarai Macedo, George Rissky, Braden Ross
virtual: Poetry Reading 2	online	Pamela Cramer, Stefanie Harris, Brittany Updegrave
virtual: Poetry Reading 3	online	Elke Crow, Hildegard Glass, Heidi Keschenat
virtual: Poetry Reading 4	online	Manuela Hammer, Nora Neu, Nadja Springer
virtual: Prose Reading 1	online	Taleed Atieh, Diana Bangert, Jule Boehm
virtual: Prose Reading 2	online	Miranda James, Martina Luke-Dorn, Alexia Uhlendorf
virtual: Prose Reading 3	online	Tassa Arentsen, Sylvia Ehret, Elke Monreal
virtual: Prose Reading 4	online	Lena Anhauser, Barbara Homann, Manuela Sieber
virtual: Research Paper	online	Miriam Lacayo, Cecilia Lara, Christiane Salvador
virtual: Video Show	online	Liz Brydon, Leslie Friedrich, Katharina Kley
Advantaged Speaker Test	4109	Jennifer Martin
Classical Ensemble, Polka Band	4113	Robert Herridge, Valina Witte
Club Album	2208	Arianna Alvarez, Kylie Day
Contemporary Music	4416	Brian Berlin, ~~Dusty Brown~~
Crafts	2210	Norma Perez Duran, Chloe Wellman
Culture	4302	Michelle Durkee, Fatimata Lam
Directed Dialogue 1	2113	Kathrin Correll, Nora Neu
Directed Dialogue 2	2112	Michael Rossow, Christina Tower
Doll Costume	2210	Diane Sullivan, Brigitte Therivel
Duet Acting Lower	2305	Brenda Bauske, Karen Schmidt
Duet Acting Upper	2304	Anja Green, Heinz Schmidt
Extemp. Speaking facilitator	2104	Victoria Morales, Aurea Portillo
Extemp. Speaking 3	2105	Steve Wynne, Enes Yozgatli
Extemp. Speaking 4	2103	Burhanuddin Calcuttawala, Friedhelm Luening
Extemp. Speaking Advantaged	2102	Hildegard Glass, Manuela Sieber
Folk Dance (Einzeltanz), Folk Dance (Team)	4310	Piper Brown, Zachary Brown, Jacob Desporte, Josephine Griffith, Brayden Montgomery, Kaity Nelson
Gingerbread House (Non-Trad.)	2210	Jadyn Bryce, Anna Mozisek
Gingerbread House (Traditional)	2210	Jule Boehm, Jamie Overstreet
Grammar	4303	Connie Galloway, Colby Williams
Listening Comprehension	4206	Maria Teresa Flores Nucamendi, Natalie Wilkes
Needlework	2210	Siobhan Madden, Laura Rissky
Original Models	2210	Eric Heckart, Norma Perez Duran
Pair Discussion	2111	Elmy Biermanns, ~~Sonja Kazmierczak~~, Jens Schmieder
Pass auf! (Novice)	2408	Brandon Collins, Allan Sundag
Pass auf! (Varsity)	2407	Lauren Davis, Sarah Smith
Photography	2209	Margaret Molloy, Markus Wimmer
Poetry Memory 1, 2	2204	Chuck Bearden, Alexandra Wirth
Poetry Memory 3, 4	2205	Markus Hatzelmann, Alison Wimmer
Poetry Memory Advantaged, Prose Memory Advantaged	2203	Sabina Entzian, Eric Linnes
Poster Design	2209	~~Wandra Jordan~~, Svenja Karad, Siobhan Madden
Prose Memory 1, 2	2207	Karen Frye, Stanley Stifflemire
Prose Memory 3, 4	2307	Anja Drewes Neidhardt, Sebastian Gobel
Puppet Show Lower, Upper	2306	Howard Cornelsen, Victoria Henecka
Reading Comprehension	4304	Alan Sullivan, Kimberly Watson
Scavenger Hunt	2409	Bryan Due, Hannah Henry
Shirt Design	2208	Lia Janssen, Ann Marie Schrock
Sight Reading 1	2109	Alan Jones, Chris Kapp
Sight Reading 2	2110	Michael Miller, Juergen Mueller
Sight Reading 3	2108	Annett Gray, Guenter Sundag
Sight Reading 4	2107	Bettina Albermann, Sylvia Ehret
Skit 1, 2	4210	Tanya Bandmann, Robert Gervais, Seth Hulse
Skit 3, 4	2206	David Brenner, ~~Robert Goldmann~~, Judith Herman
Spelling	4207	Joellyn Brugger, Anushka Desai
Timed Writing	4205	Ute Hoefel, Sarah Murray
Vocabulary	4305	Bryan Galloway, Jen Williams
Vocal Solo	4413	Suzi Byrd, Pamela Cramer
Reserve Judges	Jens Schmieder (assigned to Pair Discussion), pull a judge from Skit 1/2, pull a judge from Skit 3/4, pull 1 or 2 judges from Gingerbread and have 1 team of 2-3 judges do both types of houses. Reserve judges WILL BE ASSIGNED! You will either replace someone who drops out before the day of competition or someone who doesn't show up on that day, or if everyone shows up, you will have your pick of events to be added to as a third judge.

Director (Tabulation: Library)		Rustin Buck
Host		David Kniess
Assistant to director		Henry Innes
Written testing coordinator (Library), also judge check-in assistance		Beverly Randall
Written testing assistant (Library), also judge check-in assistance		Susan Dworaczyk
Written testing runners (KPHS)		Daileyanne Brom, Mirabel Jones, Cassity Pryor, Izzy Sikora
Breakfast, refreshment cart, proctor/tab lunch		Gina Ellis, Barbara Murray, Emily Tidey
Parking lot (7:00-9:00)		Jim Durkee, Fred McGrew
Folk dance monitor		Ashton Kubiak
Art room monitors (~12:00-2:00)		Elizabeth Chesser, Joshua Kosmicki, Martha Leyva, Belen Lopez, Cappi Tatum
Data entry		Sandy Harvey, Yvonne Thomas
Tabulation room (intake and bagging)		Laura Baker, Lauren Kerbow, Stephen Patton, Tracy Patton, Laura Rissky (after judging Needlework)
Awards set-up and distribution		Rustin Buck, Henry Innes, David Kniess, Kingwood students/parents, adult folk dancers

Room Finder (This list is a bit more user-friendly than the list above if you are looking for a room number.)
Advantaged Speaker Test	4109	Poetry Memory 4	2205
Classical Ensemble	4113	Poetry Memory Advant.	2203
Club Album	2208	Polka Band	4113
Contemporary Music	4416	Poster Design	2209
Crafts	2210	Prose Memory 1	2207
Culture	4302	Prose Memory 2	2207
Directed Dialogue 1	2113	Prose Memory 3	2307
Directed Dialogue 2	2112	Prose Memory 4	2307
Doll Costume	2210	Prose Memory Advant.	2203
Duet Acting Lower	2305	Puppet Show Lower	2306
Duet Acting Upper	2304	Puppet Show Upper	2306
Ext. Speaking - get topic	2104	Reading Comprehension	4304
Ext. Speaking 3 - judging	2105	Scantron Room	Library (upstairs)
Ext. Speaking 4 - judging	2103	Scavenger Hunt	2409
Ext. Speaking Adv. - judging	2102	Shirt Design	2208
Folk Dance (Einzeltanz) Folk Dance (Team)	4310	Sight Reading 1	2109
Gingerbread House (Non-Trad.)	2210	Sight Reading 2	2110
Gingerbread House (Trad.)	2210	Sight Reading 3	2108
Grammar	4303	Sight Reading 4	2107
Listening Comprehension	4206	Skit 1	4210
Needlework	2210	Skit 2	4210
Original Models	2210	Skit 3	2206
Pair Discussion	2111	Skit 4	2206
Pass auf! (Novice)	2408	Spelling	4207
Pass auf! (Varsity)	2407	Tabulation Room	Library (upstairs)
Photography	2209	Timed Writing	4205
Poetry Memory 1	2204	UH professors 1:00-1:30	2106
Poetry Memory 2	2204	Vocabulary	4305
Poetry Memory 3	2205	Vocal Solo	4413

Advantaged Speaker Test Schedule	only at 10:00 (lasting until 11:30)
Listening Comprehension Schedule	Lower Level (1 & 2): 10:30, 11:30, 12:30, 1:30 Upper Level (3 & 4): 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 1:00, 2:00
Spelling Schedule	Lower Level (1 & 2): 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 1:00, 2:00 Upper Level (3 & 4): 10:30, 11:30, 12:30, 1:30
Timed Writing Schedule	Levels 1 & 2: only at 9:00 and 9:30
Culture, Grammar, Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary	all levels of each test given at 10:00, 10:30, 11:00, 11:30, 12:00, 12:30, 1:00, 1:30, 2:00

Group Schedule
Lower Puppets, Rm. 2306		Skit 2, Rm. 4210		Einzeltanz, Rm. 4310
9:00	Kingwood	11:00	Tompkins	9:00	Kingwood Holland/Williams
9:20	Tomball Memorial	11:15	Jordan	9:10	Kingwood Appling/Ellis
9:40	Jordan	11:30	Heights	9:20	Jordan Darger/Wortham
10:00	Travis	11:55	Kingwood	9:45	Brazoswood Krasovskiy/Rezn.
10:20	Clements	12:10	Bellaire	9:55	Brazoswood Heil/Lackey
10:40	Tompkins	12:40	Taylor	10:05	British Int'l Janda/Pham
				10:20	Tompkins Baito/M.K. Schmidt
Upper Puppets, Rm. 2306		Skit 3, Rm. 2206		10:30	Tompkins Mozisek/K. Schmidt
11:40	Bellaire	9:00	Tompkins	10:40	Tomball Memorial Kohut/White
12:00	Kingwood	9:20	Kingwood	10:50	Tomball Memorial Macon/Sum
12:20	Tompkins	9:45	Jordan
12:40	Jordan			Folk Dance, Rm. 4310
		Skit 4, Rm. 2206		11:15	Jordan
Skit 1, Rm. 4210		10:35	Jordan	11:40	Brazoswood
9:00	Grand Oaks	10:55	Kingwood	12:05	Tomball Memorial
9:15	Bellaire	11:45	Tompkins	12:30	Kingwood
9:30	Kingwood	12:05	Heights	12:55	Tompkins
9:50	Tompkins	12:25	Bellaire	Novice Pass auf! schedule Varsity Pass auf! schedule
10:05	Jordan	12:45	Klein Oak
10:20	Clements
Note: Students will choose their own times for the other group events: classical ensemble, contemporary music, duet acting, pair discussion, polka band, and scavenger hunt.

Note:

Students in all drama events and folk dance MUST do everything possible to adhere to the scheduled performance times. They should, in fact, arrive 10 minutes BEFORE their scheduled time to get all props, etc. ready, so that when the previous group finishes, they can march right in and get on with the show. The students should structure the entire rest of their day around their scheduled drama times.

If a cast member is involved in a Pass auf! game when the drama event is scheduled to start, they should leave the Pass auf! game and go to the drama event. Pass auf! teams can continue to compete with fewer than five members if necessary.

When is the next Houstonfest?

Saturday,

February 7, 2026

Where is Houstonfest?

Kingwood High School

2701 Kingwood Dr.

Kingwood, TX 77339

Link to Texas State German Contest

Texas State German Contest on Facebook

Texas State German Contest 40th Anniversary Facebook Group

This website houstonfest.org has been in operation since 2007 (contest itself founded in 1980).

Houstonfest is a constituent member contest within Texas State German Contests, Inc.