News and Updates

Houstonfest Scholarships - 2026 Winners Announced!

Scholarships at State

NEW: Pass auf! Preparation

Houstonfest history

Changes and updates for 2026

Arrival at Kingwood 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)

Photo gallery

Important Dates

Mon., Jan. 12, 2026, 4:00 p.m.: Application for transportation grants from the Houston Saengerbund opens; link will be sent to teachers.

Fri., Jan. 16, 2026, 11:59 p.m.: Application for transportation grants from the Houston Saengerbund closes.

Wed., Jan. 21, 2026, 11:59 p.m.: Houstonfest registration spreadsheet due for regular price of $15/student (payment does not have to be mailed until 1/28).

Wed., Jan. 28, 2026, 11:59 p.m.: Houstonfest registration spreadsheet due for late price of $20/student. Deadline to postmark Houstonfest payment.

Sat., Jan. 31, 2026, 9:00 a.m.: Submission of entries in the 7 virtual Houstonfest events due (get the link to the Google Form from your teacher - it was sent to teachers on Tue., Jan. 27).

Tue., Feb. 3, 2026, 11:59 p.m.: Remote judging of the 7 virtual Houstonfest events ends.

Wed., Feb. 4, 2026, 10:00 p.m.: Houstonfest changes (adds, drops, substitutions) due. After this point, no more changes will be allowed.

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

Fri., Feb. 13, 2026, 11:59 p.m.: State online registration due for "early bird" price of $15/student (payment does not have to be mailed until 2/21).

Wed., Feb. 18, 2026, 11:59 p.m.: State online registration due for regular price of $20/student (payment does not have to be mailed until 2/21).

Sat., Feb. 21, 2026, 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. 23, 2026, 8:00 p.m.: Entries in State promotional video contest due to State director. Link to submission form was emailed to teachers on Fri., Feb. 20.

Tue., Feb. 24, 2026, 11:59 p.m.: Remote judging of the 7 virtual State events ends.

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

Sat., Mar. 7, 2026, 11:59 p.m.: Houstonfest Scholarship applications due.

Sun., Mar. 15, 2026: Gail Cope State Scholarship applications due (link to application form was sent to teachers by State director on 3/2/26).

between Thu., Jan. 1 and Thu., Apr. 30, 2026: submit Gail Cope Teacher Grant applications.

Sweepstakes and Other Awards

Besides the awards given in the various contests, we award a number of comprehensive prizes.

Sweepstakes:  Schools receive sweepstakes points for each event in which they place in the top 10 (see table below). Schools are classified as "Large schools" or "Small schools" based on how many students are enrolled in German classes at the school.

We don't usually do this, but for 2026 there are different definitions of what constitutes Large vs. Small schools at Houstonfest and at State. For Houstonfest, we had 7 schools with over 100 students enrolled in German; those were our Large schools. And we had 10 schools with 82 or fewer students enrolled in German; those were our Small schools. Trophies were awarded to the top 5 schools in the Large division and the top 5 schools in the Small division.

At State, however, to keep a roughly equal balance between Large and Small schools, schools with 76 or more students in German classes will be in the Large category and schools with 75 or fewer students in German classes will be in the Small category. The cut-off point is subject to change every year, and the decision is made at the State level considering the size of all German programs entering all three regional contests.

This will mean that a few (probably 3) Houstonfest schools will be classified as "Small" at Houstonfest but "Large" at State.

The Klein aber fein trophy goes to the school with the highest ratio of sweepstakes points to number of students entered among those schools entering between 5 and 15 students.

Money prizes of $200 go to the "rookie school" with the highest number of sweepstakes points and to the "rookie teacher" whose school earns the highest number of sweepstakes points. A "rookie school" is defined as a school that has not entered Houstonfest in the previous five years, and a "rookie teacher" is defined as a teacher who has never entered students in Houstonfest before the current year.

Houstonfest uses the same system of awarding sweepstakes points that is used at the Texas State German Contest. The sweepstakes system was thoroughly revised beginning with the 2012 contests, with minor tweaks since then. Sweepstakes points are awarded for first through tenth place in each event, which means that even students who place tenth are contributing sweepstakes points to their school's cause. The table below shows how sweepstakes points are awarded.