Fredericksburg, Texas – The Fredericksburg City Council granted $519,975 of Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) funds to 27 applicants at its meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 22. The regular meeting was rescheduled from Tuesday to Wednesday due to winter weather in the Texas Hill Country.
The meeting concluded a nearly three-month process, which included an orientation meeting for potential applicants on October 24, 2024, a November 15, 2024 application deadline and then a Special City Council Meeting on January 16 to interview the applicants.
Highlights of the 2025 recipients were the Admiral Nimitz Foundation, which operates the National Museum of the Pacific War and received $150,000 in funding, after welcoming over 115,000 guests in 2024, the Gillespie County Historical Society, which received $90,000 for renovation to the Vereins Kirche Museum, and Der Stadt Friedhof Cemetery, which received $45,000 for continuing preservation efforts at its site.
The process was revamped in 2024 to allow for a resetting of the funds used. In past years, City HOT funds have been awarded prior to their collection, requiring a forecasting of future revenues. The granting of the 2025 funds is the first time that the City has awarded grants from monies already collected.
By state law, the City collects HOT from hotels, motels, condominiums, and short-term rentals and the revenue from HOT may be used only to directly promote tourism and/or the hotel and convention industry.
First, in the two-step process every funded project must attract overnight tourists to the City of Fredericksburg’s lodging industry. Second, in the two-step process the use of HOT funds is limited to the following statutorily provided categories: Promotions of the Arts, Historical Restoration and Preservation Activities, Sporting Event Expenses and Advertising, Solicitations and Promotions.
See below for a full list of the 2025 City of Fredericksburg HOT grant recipients…
• Admiral Nimitz Foundation (National Museum of the Pacific War) - $150,000
• Church of the Colored People of Gillespie County - $21,500
• Der Stadt Friedhof Cemetery - $45,000
• Die Kunstler Von Fredericksburg - $4,500
• Flavory TX (Holiday Prelude) - $5,000
• Flavory TX (Restaurant Week) - $10,000
• Fredericksburg Art Guild - $4,725
• Fredericksburg Chamber of Commerce (Christmas Parade) - $18,000
• Fredericksburg Farmers Market - $5,000
• Fredericksburg Junior Chamber of Commerce (Crawfish Festival) - $15,000
• Fredericksburg Music Club - $7,500
• Fredericksburg Parks Foundation (Party in the Park) - $10,000
• Fredericksburg Rotary Club Foundation, Inc. (Craft Beer Festival) - $10,000
• Fredericksburg Theater Company - $7,000
• Friends of Gillespie County Country Schools - $8,400
• Frontier History Company - $5,850
• German Choirs of Fredericksburg - $2,500
• Gillespie County Fair & Festival Associations - $30,000
• Gillespie County Historical Society (Renovations) - $90,000
• Gillespie County Historical Society (Home Tour) - $10,000
• Heritage School (Eisbahn) - $10,000
• Oktoberfest/PCAA - $15,000
• Stonewall Chamber of Commerce (Peach JAMboree) - $10,000
• Systems Go (Rockets 2024) - $5,000
• Texas Cellos (Fredericksburg Music Festival) - $10,000
• Texas Wine Auction (Gala) - $10,000
• Texas Wine Auction (Auction) - $0
The process to apply for 2026 funds will open in October 2025.
To learn more about the City of Fredericksburg, go to FBGTX.org or contact City Hall at (830) 997-7521.
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