Meaning & use
small fete
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
A small outdoor public event with stalls, games, and food, often to raise money.
Grammar: Countable; plural 'small fetes'. Often used with 'at' or 'hold'.
Patterns
- at a small fete
- hold a small fete
- a small fete in aid of something
The village held a small fete to raise money for the new roof.
We bought homemade cakes at the small fete.
There was a small fete in the park last Saturday.
Word forms
| plural | small fetes |
|---|
Common combinations
- hold a small fete
- The school will hold a small fete next month.
- at a small fete
- I saw her at a small fete in the village.
- a small fete in aid of charity
- They organized a small fete in aid of charity.
- a small summer fete
- The small summer fete attracted many families.
Synonyms and how they differ
- fair
- A fair is often larger and may include rides; a small fete is usually simpler and local.
- festival
- A festival can be cultural or musical and may last several days; a fete is a single-day community event.
- bazaar
- A bazaar focuses on selling goods, often indoors; a fete is more outdoor and includes games.
Word family
- fete noun
- The base word; a public event, often outdoors, with stalls and activities.
Commonly confused: small fete or fate? small fete or fête?
small fete vs fate
Pronounced the same in some accents but means destiny; 'fete' is an event.
small fete vs fête
The French spelling with a circumflex; used in English for the same event.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'small fete' correctly?
Choose one answer.
A fete is a community event with stalls and activities, so a community center fits. Hospitals, libraries, and airports are not typical places for a fete.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “small fete”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.