The Union High School German Exchange Club will be hosting a Vendor/Craft Fair on Saturday, April 23 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Union High School gymnasium.

The fair, designed to help raise funds for the upcoming exchange student program to Germany, will feature many local and national retailers as well as a meal for purchase of walking tacos and hot dogs courtesy of Gilbertville Locker. There is a free will donation at this event.

Jamberry Nails, Mary Kay, Pampered Chef and Scentsy are just a few of the many booths that will be open at the fair.

Below is some information on the Exchange Club’s planned activities during their trip, courtesy of instructor Holly Dunkelberger:

We are scheduled to depart May 29th, flying via Iceland to Munich, We will head to Salzburg, Austria by train for a few days. Plans include a visit to the Hohensalzburg castle, the Berchtesgaden Salt Mines, the Untersberg mountain, various Salzburg highlights such as Mozart’s birthplace and home, the Mirabell Gardens, catacombs and the Salzburg Cathedral.

After a few days acclimating to the time change and the language/culture, we travel by train to Lautersbach in Hessen, Germany. This is a new location for Union students, as we have a new partnership school, the Alexander-von-Humboldt Gymnasium. This type of school is a college-prep school going to grade 13.

The Union -AVH partnership is part of a program administered by the Goethe Institut – a government supported institute to support the learning of German language and sharing of the German culture all over the world. The German American Partnership Program (GAPP) matches schools from both countries who communicate and visit each others’ school.

We will spend 2 weeks living with host families in Lauterbach, attending classes and learning about their town and daily lives. As part of our joint project titled “Wir lernen uns kennen-Getting Acquainted”, students will be sharing what they learn about the community, school life and families on our Facebook site. When the German students visit us next year, we will be introducing them to our towns, organisations, culture, families and school life. Included will be side trips to local sites.

UHS has had a partnership school since 1998. For most of that time we were paired with the Karolina Burger Realschule in Ludwigshafen. Many life-long friendships have been forged and contacts have been maintained between families. Students realize there are many similarities, as well as the differences they experience. They become international citizens with broader perspectives

After the family stay, we will return to Munich for a few days. A tour of the old city center, various cathedrals and churches, the market square, and the royal residences are planned. We will make a side trip to the Dachau Concentration Camp and the Olympic grounds. While we are there, Munich will be celebrating its 858th birthday.

On June 20th we make our way back to Iowa, having seen incredible places and making friends on the other side of the world.

As part of our continuing efforts to raise money for the trip, we are holding the Vendor Fair on April 23rd. Over 50 vendors will be offering their wares to customers. There will be walking tacos and hot dogs available, as well as other concessions.

We also still have $10 Pizza Hut coupon cards for sale, offering 12 free pizzas – a free pizza with the purchase of $15.

The Union German Exchange Trip group is very grateful for the support of our communities. Be sure and like our Facebook page to see what we are up to!