Year-round encounters: Nothing's stopping the ill-informed from keeping their meetings of folly - Festive seasons might not be the only occasion, but fools seem to schedule meetings year-round.
Year-Round Carnival Celebrations in Saxony-Anhalt
Carnival enthusiasts in Saxony-Anhalt revel in activities beyond the traditional January to Ash Wednesday season. The state's carnival association offers a diverse range of events, workshops, and summer camps for children, aiming to keep the spirit of carnival alive throughout the year.
In June, various events jam-packed with dance sports, men's ballet competitions, and carnival dance sports championships provide opportunities for carnival lovers to demonstrate their skills and passion. Training sessions for trainers in the early summer are also scheduled.
Many clubs in the region celebrate summer festivals, where carnival aficionados contribute to the festivities. These enthusiasts can also be booked for private events, performing show dances. The president of the Saxony-Anhalt Carnival Association, Dirk Vater, emphasizes the importance of expanding the children's dance workshop, particularly in rural areas, as carnival clubs often serve as the primary cultural carriers in these communities.
A unique offering is the "Carnival Makes Holidays" children's holiday camp, scheduled for June 29 to July 5, 2025, at the youth hostel in Nebra. This camp, organized by the carnival state association, is one of a kind in Germany, with a circus program planned for 56 children during the week-long event. With a motto encouraging all ages, it promises to be the "greatest show on earth."
For young people, a youth camp will take place over a long weekend in late August, featuring activities like canoeing, hiking, and discos. This tradition has been going strong for six years.
The carnival enthusiasts' calendar also includes various workshop training sessions. These include carnival, singing, and club workshops, with an average of 25 carnival speakers attending training sessions led by experts each year. The club workshop, scheduled in Gommern near Magdeburg, focuses on information related to digital media and tax law.
Dirk Vater, who has been serving as the association's president for 14 years, was recently re-elected for another three-year term in November 2024. Currently, 185 clubs are affiliated with the state association.
- Dirk Vater, in his aim to expand the children's dance workshop in rural areas, wants to involve them in various community policy activities, such as vocational training in dance sports.
- During the "Carnival Makes Holidays" children's holiday camp, vocational training in circus skills will be provided for 56 children.
- The club workshop scheduled in Gommern near Magdeburg will offer vocational training in digital media and tax law.
- The carnival enthusiasts, while not directly involved in lifestyle, fashion-and-beauty, food-and-drink, home-and-garden, relationships, pets, travel, cars, or shopping, seem to have a vibrant community life focusing on their shared passion for carnival.
- As carnival clubs often serve as the primary cultural carriers in their communities, they could potentially contribute to vocational training programs in their local areas, nurturing the next generation of carnival lovers and performers.
