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German and Russian
German Fair

When is the German Fair?

The Fair takes place every year in mid-April on the “reading” day between the last day of classes and the first day of final exams for BYU. The scheduled dates for the near future are:

2025 – April 17 – Thursday

2026 – April 15 – Wednesday

Schedule

8:30am Registration

9:00am German Choir presentation and introduction to the Fair

9:30am Events and Kleindeutschland

11:30am Award ceremony

Where is the Fair?

  • The Fair takes place at Brigham Young University, Provo UT.
  • All events take place at the BYU Jesse Knight Building (JKB). This is a different location from previous years!
  • The bus drop off area is in the Museum of Art (MOA) parking lot.
  • Buses park in Lot 45, west of the football stadium. This is a different location from previous years.
  • More detailed parking directions can be found under Parking.
  • For directions to campus, maps of the campus and other information about the university, go to BYU’s information page.

Why come to the Fair?

The Fair provides a long-term incentive for German students to excel as they prepare throughout the year for the Fair.

The Fair also provides a cultural experience in Kleindeutschland, where students only speak German! Every participant receives a souvenir button and a rating for each event they participate in. A template of a professional certificate will be provided to each teacher who brings students for the Fair.

The Fair contributes to the esprit-de-corps of your program as all students work together to represent the school well. Although (by teacher choice) there is no direct competition among schools, the students do notice the schools that receive the Outstanding Presentation recognition and have quality booths in Kleindeutschland.

The Fair represents an opportunity for students to use the language in the wider world and to feel a sense of progress. A variety of events provide for different kinds of language use and cultural knowledge ranging from memorized performance to spontaneous conversation.

How should we prepare for the Fair?

Successful schools plan on attending the Fair early in the school year. Students identify events they wish to participate in and prepare over time. Tryouts are held and/or students are asked to demonstrate preparation well before the registration deadline. Once the registration is set, polishing of the entry continues. Alternates may be identified. Participation in the Fair is treated as an incentive and reward for good work and an honor to represent the school. In addition to this preparation, students are also given the opportunity to purchase German souvenir items as well as food from the Kleindeutschland booths and are encouraged to bring money if they'd like to buy something.

For further information:
Teresa Bell
Department of German and Russian
3112 JFSB
Brigham Young University
Provo, UT 84602
(801) 422-4961
tbell@byu.edu