Frontier Fiesta is a showcase for the talents of the University of Houston student body. The event is set in an authentic western town called "Fiesta City". This Texas-style festival is part of a long standing tradition at UH. The major components of Frontier Fiesta include Broadway-style shows, carnival booths, cultural and educational performances, living-historical exhibits, concerts by nationally known recording artists, a world class Cook-Off, and a scholarship competition.

Broadway-style shows are the heart of Frontier Fiesta. The shows are traditionally produced by UH student organizations and are patterned after famous Broadway hits or original concepts. They usually have 6 to 8 acts with lots of music and high powered choreographed routines. Each show has 11 performances throughout the event. The shows are judged in several areas with the most prestigious award being the "Joe Koppel Award" - named for the second chairman of Frontier Fiesta in 1941 who lost his life in World War II. Each act is also judged and the "Top 10 Acts" are announced Saturday afternoon.

Carnival booths such as dunk tanks, mechanical bulls, and moonwalks are another component of Frontier Fiesta. The booths are traditionally sponsored by UH student groups and colleges and provide fun for the entire family. This is a way in which many organizations can participate at a reasonable cost.

Cultural and educational performances and living-historical exhibits are also very much a part of Frontier Fiesta. Some of the most popular presentations have been the Native American Powwow, Ballet Folklorico Dance Troupe, the Buffalo Soldiers Regiment and the Texas Rangers Frontier Company. These groups along with petting zoos, blacksmiths and others, seek to educate the audience as well as entertain.

Jerry Jeff Walker, Doug Supernaw, Los Palominos, Kevin Eagan, Perfect Stranger and Daron Norwood have all performed at Frontier Fiesta in the last two years. As the evenings sweep over Fiesta City, the hottest recording artists hit the stage. At 10:00 p.m. on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, a different nationally known recording artist will perform a free concert in Fiesta City.

There is only one way to describe the Cook-Off...World Class!!! Teams from all over the state converge on Fiesta City to compete for the coveted, "All-Round Champion" award. The teams compete in five food categories: brisket, chicken, ribs, beans and fajitas. In addition, the baking contest is now in its third year and continues to grow in popularity. These are judged by veteran Cook-Off judges and celebrities. The Scholarship Program was added to the event in 1994. As the event has grown so has the Frontier Fiestas Association ability to award more scholarship money to deserving students attending the University of Houston.

Combine the above components with lots of great food and fun and throw it all into an authentic western town setting and you have Frontier Fiesta..."The Greatest College Show on Earth", according to Life magazine. While the above mentioned components have always been a part of the festival, there is always room for new ideas. After all, Frontier Fiesta is first and foremost about you.

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Last Updated on 3/13/01