Tomball Heritage Festival 2013Willkommen Y’All!!

You do not have to be German to enjoy this festival.

In the beginning, there was Alpenfest on one flat bed trailer, and a small committee of volunteers with lots of determination. After twelve years of fun and frolic, the festival has become an annual tradition in Tomball and one of the best music/street festivals in Texas. Every year, on the very last weekend in March, festival-goers break out their Lederhosen and Dirndls “Go German” for the area’s largest festival celebrating the heritage of the original German families that settled this area beginning in about 1840. In other words in the case of German heritage there is much to celebrate in this part of Texas!

The 13th Annual Tomball German Heritage Festival will be March 22, 23, & 24 located on the Old Downtown Streets of Tomball Texas near 201 S. Elm St., Main St. (FM 2920), and Market St. It is a Music/Street festival celebrating German and ethnic heritage with 5 stages of live music entertainment “happy music for happy people”, ethnic and festival food, beer, wine, 150 street vendors, all kinds of German souvenirs and clothing, arts crafts, antiques, Heritage Center, German church service, fireworks, carnival, pony ride, petting zoo, strolling music makers, street performers, and much more. Like Oktoberfest in March! Admission, parking and shuttle are FREE!.

The Carnival opens Thursday evening, March 21st, with a special price for the “all you can ride” armband, and is located at the corner of Main and Cherry.

On Friday, March 22nd at 6:00 p.m. till 10:00 p.m. the music begins featuring The Alex Meixner Band sponsored by Polkabeat.com, Alpenfest, Chris Rybak, de Texas KlompenDansers (Dutch), Cloggers Unlimited, Valina and many more.

Saturday, March 23rd at 10:00 a.m. till 10:00 p.m. begins with the “tapping of the keg” and Willkommen ceremony for German exchange students and Tomball host families, and official opening by the Mayor of Tomball Gretchen Fagan. The music and dancing goes all day and into the night with more Alex Meixner Band, Das Ist Lustig, Eurofest, Round Top Brass Band, German Folk Dance Groups, TubaMeisters, Armstrong Family Bluegrass and bluegrass jam sessions, Scandinavian Folk Dancers of Houston and more. Chicken Dance, Best Dressed German and Yodeling Contests. At 9:00 p.m. a beautiful fireworks display at Tomball’s Train Depot Plaza on the festival grounds.

Sunday, March 24th opens at 10:00 a.m. till 6:00 p.m. with more Alex Meixner Band, Alpenfest, Rathkamp German Dancers, Shelia Lee, Polka jams and more. Doggie costume parade and contest! The festival is sponsored by the Tomball/Telgte Sister City, Org. Wir sprechen Deutsch. Call 281-379-6844 or email Grady Martin for information. For additional info, visit facebook, tomballsistercity.org and Valina Polka.

 

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