Program: Accordion Kings and Queens

Accordion Kings and Queens - Baca, Farias
AKQ Halata

Join us for a night as big as the Lone Star State showcasing the amazing musical diversity of Texas accordion styles.

 

Texas Folklife’s Accordion Kings & Queens (AKQ) draws thousands annually to Houston’s Miller Outdoor Theatre. The event celebrates the cultural diversity of Texas by bringing communities together for an evening of roots music, featuring a variety of Texas accordion music genres. 

 

Watch live in person or online on Saturday, November 6, 2021 at 7 PM Central Time!

 

Limited seating is available in the covered area this year due to Covid-19 event safety regulations.

 

Texas Folklife Members are now able to RSVP for reserved covered seats before they are open to the general public! Use this form to claim your tickets and remember to pick up your tickers at the Texas Folklife Information & Merchandise Table before the show (by 6:45 PM). Not a current Texas Folklife Member? Become a member or renew your membership today to reserve your tickets today!

 

RSVP for AKQ on Facebook

 

Special AKQ Fundraisers & Pre-Events:

#AKQ32 Lineup

Give it up for the incredible 2021 Accordion Kings & Queens Lineup!

 

 Jeffery Broussard & the Creole Cowboys

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Broussard and his Creole Cowboys deliver great, pack-the-floor renditions of Creole classics, cultivating and inspiring new generations of Creole Zydeco fans. Broussard has received numerous awards, including Accordionist of the Year, the Trailblazer Award, and has been inducted into the Louisiana Folklife Center’s Hall of Fame.

 

Christina Valdez

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Known as The Squeeze Box Girl, Valdez is a rising Conjunto star from San Benito, Texas, a town known for its musical heritage including being the birthplace of Freddy Fender. Valdez was a 2018 finalist of Texas Folklife’s Big Squeeze, and in the years since has seen a meteoric rise in her career, performing all over Texas with her band.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Accordion Kings & Queens?

Since 1989, the Accordion Kings & Queens Concert has been a staple event of the Houston area. Bringing in capacity crowds at the Miller Outdoor Theatre, AKQ celebrates the musical diversity of the accordion within Texan cultural communities. Historically, the show has showcased the genres of polka, conjunto, zydeco, cajun, Tejano, swing, & more. This year, the event will take place live at the Miller Outdoor Theatre and online. 

 

Mark your calendar to tune in live on November 6!

 

Watch last year’s show anytime on YouTube

Where to Watch

This year, there are many ways you can watch Accordion Kings & Queens live on November 6th:

1. In-person: Join us at the Miller Outdoor Theatre in Houston to watch the show in person! The Miller Outdoor Theatre is located at 6000 Hermann Park Drive, Houston, TX 77030 in Hermann Park, just south of the Museum of Natural Science and the McGovern Centennial Gardens.

2. Online Options:

a. Facebook: The show will stream on the Texas Folklife and Miller Outdoor Theatre Facebook Pages

b. YouTube: The show will stream on the Texas Folklife and Miller Outdoor Theatre YouTube Channels

c. Miller Outdoor Theatre Website

 

Note: This is a FREE show and you will not be asked to give your credit card information into one of these online viewing platforms in order to watch. Please do not click links from accounts other than the official Texas Folklife or Miller Outdoor Theatre Pages! Also, please be aware of scammers claiming to resell tickets.

Important Dates
Ticket Information

Tickets for Texas Folklife Members: We are excited to offer our current members* the opportunity to reserve assigned covered seating for the 32nd Annual Accordion Kings & Queens Concert on November 6th at the Miller Outdoor Theatre before they are available to the general public on November 4th. Tickets are limited, please respond as soon as possible to reserve your tickets while you can. The deadline to reserve tickets is November 3rd!

Members, please fill out this form to reserve your tickets for pick up at the Texas Folklife Information & Merchandise Table. We will not be mailing out tickets this year. You must pick up your tickets BEFORE THE SHOW between 5:30 PM and 6:45 PM Central Time.

All tickets unclaimed at 6:45 PM will not be able to be picked as they are required to be released and returned to the theater box office to become available to the open public directly before the show.

Members: Reserve Your Tickets By November 3rd!

*Note: To be eligible to pick up tickets , you must meet the following requirements: 1. Be a current Texas Folklife Member as of November 21st, 2021 2. Have reserved tickets using the Texas Folklife Member Ticket RSVP Form 3. Arrive before 6:45 PM

General Tickets: Free tickets under the covered seating will be available on the Miller Outdoor Theatre Website starting November 4th at 9:00 AM Central Time. Tickets are limited to four (4) per person. Limited amounts of tickets will be available at the box office on the night of the performance. No tickets are necessary for seating on the hill.

 

Texas Folklife Information & Merchandise Table

Hours of Operation

Texas Folklife Information & Merch Table: 5:30 PM - 10:30 PM

Texas Folklife Member Ticket Pick Up: 5:30 PM - 6:45 PM

 

How to Find Us

We will be located on the backside of the theatre building, to the right of the Miller Theatre Box Offices (if facing the Box Office). We will have "Texas Folklife" signs and banners dispalyed.

 

Picking Up Texas Folklife Member Tickets

Please remember to pick up your tickets before the show. You will check-in with a team member at the table who will have your tickets ready for you. Do not go to the box offices to pick up your tickets if you reserved them using our form! More information on claiming member tickets is available in the "Ticket Information" Tab

Raffle Tickets

Our annual Accordion Raffle is back and better than ever! You can now win a brand new Hohner Corona II Accordion AND A Private Lesson with accomplished Houston musician, Roberto Rodriguez III.

 

Visit https://go.rallyup.com/akq32raffle to purchase your tickets.

 

Current Texas Folklife Members and those who become a member or renew their memberships by November 3 will receive the following entries to the raffle:

  • Student/Senior: 25 Entries
  • Individual: 35 Entries
  • Family: 60 Entries
  • Folklife Friend: 100 Entries
  • Folk Hero: 250 Entries
  • Folk Legend: 500 Entries
  • Folk Saint: 1000 Entries

 

Purchase an Annual or Monthly Sustaining Membership by November 3 to claim your free entries and other exciting perks!

Merch Options

At the Show: Visit is at the Texas Folklife Infor & Merch table for all your merch needs! The table is open from 5:30 PM - 10:30 PM. Click the "Texas Folklife Information & Merchandise Table" tab above.

Online: Not able to make it to the show? No worries! You can get the official 32nd Annual Accordion Kings & Queens Commemorative t-Shirt plus other limited edition designs shipped directly to you on bonfire.com starting November 6th! Link coming soon!

 

All proceeds from merch, the accordion raffle, silent auction, and memberships directly benefit Texas Folklife programming. Thank you for your support of our work by purchasing a t-shirt at the show or online!

How do I get to the Show?

The Miller Outdoor Theatre is located at 6000 Hermann Park Drive, Houston, TX 77030 in Hermann Park, just south of the Museum of Natural Science and the McGovern Centennial Gardens.

Find information on parking at the venue and taking the Metro to the Theatre on the Miller Website.

Why is There a Limited Lineup This Year?

Due to health guidelines and financial impacts Covid-19 has had on the arts, we are unable to have our traditional lineup of 4-5 bands. We hope to return to that format and include even more accordion music genres in 2022. We are very excited to return to the stage this year.

How to Support the Show

It takes a village to put on a show like this, and we would not be able to offer free and low cost folk & traditional arts programming like Accordion Kings & Queens without the support of our members and donors! Please consider supporting our work by purchasing an annual or monthly recurring membership or a one-time donation. Find all the ways to give to Texas Folklife here.