One of over 200 historical markers on the island, this marker is located at Saengerfest Park named after a biennial singing contest sponsored by German immigrant choral societies around the State of Texas in the 19th century.
Inscribed
The park takes its name from Saengerfest, a biennial singing contest sponsored by German immigrant choral societies around the State of Texas in the 19th century. A choral group from Galveston, “the Salamanders,” took top honors in the 1879 competition in New Braunfels, Texas, thereby receiving the honor of hosting the next Saengerfest in April 1881. In honor of this occasion, the City of Galveston built a lighted pavilion and giant, temporary arches along the Strand. Four hundred singers from 13 choral societies across the state were welcomed to the island with a torchlit parade that passed beneath these arches. Today’s Galveston Arches, constructed in 1986 celebrating Galveston’s revived Mardi Grass, took their inspiration from these festival monuments. Saengerfest Park, a project of George and Cynthia Mitchell, is inspired by the same spirit of civic celebration.
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