Three calendars run Provo and Orem, and they almost never line up. UVU takes a long weekend in mid-October and the whole week of Thanksgiving. BYU takes no fall break at all. Provo's public schools take five days in late October. If you are a student with a younger sibling at home, a parent working on campus, or a landlord wondering when the parking lots empty out, the dates below are the ones that matter.
Every date here comes from the school's own published calendar. UVU's come from its Fall 2026, Spring 2027 and future semesters pages. Provo City School District's come from its 2026-2027 school year calendar. BYU's come from its 2026 and 2027 academic calendars, which our student events calendar also tracks. We checked all of them on October 20, 2026.
Fall break: three different answers
| Dates | What it means | |
|---|---|---|
| UVU | Thu.-Sun., Oct. 15-18, 2026 | Already past. Classes resumed Oct. 19. |
| BYU | No fall break | Term 1 ended Oct. 20; Term 2 began Oct. 21. |
| Provo City School District | Wed., Oct. 21 through Mon., Oct. 26, 2026 | No school for students. Students return Tue., Oct. 27. |
UVU's fall break is a four-day weekend built around a Thursday and Friday off. It is the reason UVU students show up at the trailheads and in St. George in mid-October while BYU students are still in class.
BYU does not pause in the fall. What it has instead is a term change: the first half-semester ended Tuesday, October 20, and second-term block classes start Wednesday, October 21. That matters for students in block courses, and for nobody else.
Provo's public schools are out from Wednesday, October 21 through Monday, October 26. The district's own notice explains the shape: October 21 is a professional development day that also ends the first term, the fall break days follow, and students return Tuesday, October 27. Parents who work at BYU should notice that this week does not match their own schedule at all.
If you are planning a family trip around that window, our day trips from Provo are sorted by drive time, and the fall farm festivals are still running.
Thanksgiving
| Dates | |
|---|---|
| UVU | Mon.-Sun., Nov. 23-29, 2026, the whole week |
| BYU | No classes Wed., Nov. 25; closed Thu.-Fri., Nov. 26-27 |
| Provo City School District | No school Wed., Nov. 25 (common comp day) and Thu.-Fri., Nov. 26-27 |
This is the one holiday where the three calendars roughly agree, except that UVU students get Monday and Tuesday too. For local events that week, see our Thanksgiving in Utah Valley guide.
December: last classes, finals and winter break
| Last class | Finals | Break | |
|---|---|---|---|
| UVU | Fri., Dec. 4 | Mon.-Fri., Dec. 7-11 | Until spring classes Jan. 11 |
| BYU | Thu., Dec. 10 | Sat.-Thu., Dec. 12-17 (Dec. 11 is a prep day) | Closed Dec. 24-25, Dec. 31 and Jan. 1 |
| Provo City School District | - | - | Mon., Dec. 21 through Fri., Jan. 1 |
The practical point: UVU students finish a full week before BYU students start their exams. BYU's finals include a Saturday, and its December 11 preparation day has no classes and no exams.
January and February
| Event | Date | |
|---|---|---|
| BYU | Winter Semester classes begin | Wed., Jan. 6, 2027 |
| UVU | Spring Semester classes begin | Mon., Jan. 11, 2027 |
| Provo City School District | Professional development day; common comp day | Thu., Jan. 14 and Fri., Jan. 15, 2027 |
| All three | Martin Luther King Jr. Day, no classes or school | Mon., Jan. 18, 2027 |
| All three | Presidents Day, no classes or school | Mon., Feb. 15, 2027 |
| BYU | Monday class schedule on a Tuesday; no Tuesday classes | Tue., Feb. 16, 2027 |
That February 16 swap is a BYU habit worth knowing: Monday classes meet on Tuesday so Monday-only courses do not lose a week. Provo schools are out four days in a row in mid-January: January 14 and 15, the weekend, and MLK Day.
Spring break
| Dates | |
|---|---|
| UVU | Mon.-Sun., Mar. 15-21, 2027 |
| BYU | No spring break week; no classes Fri., Mar. 19, 2027 |
| Provo City School District | Mon.-Fri., Apr. 5-9, 2027 (plus a professional development day, no school, on Fri., Mar. 19) |
Two things to notice. UVU and Provo schools take spring break three weeks apart, so a family with a UVU student and a Provo elementary student will not get the same week off. And Friday, March 19 is a day off for both BYU students and Provo City School District students. Our spring break from Provo guide and Easter and spring break week guide cover where to go.
The end of the year
| Last class | Finals | After | |
|---|---|---|---|
| UVU | Tue., Apr. 27, 2027 | Thu.-Wed., Apr. 29-May 5 | Commencement May 5-7 |
| BYU | Wed., Apr. 14, 2027 | Apr. 16-17 and 19-21 | Spring Term begins Apr. 27 |
| Provo City School District | Fri., May 28, 2027 | - | - |
BYU's winter semester ends almost two weeks before UVU's, which is why contract season and move-outs hit Provo in mid-April and Orem in early May. Our contract season guide has the housing side of that.
Looking ahead to 2027-28
UVU publishes years ahead. Its future-semesters page lists:
- Fall 2027: classes begin Wed., Aug. 18; fall break Thu.-Sun., Oct. 14-17; Thanksgiving break Mon.-Sun., Nov. 22-28; finals Dec. 6-10.
- Spring 2028: classes begin Mon., Jan. 10; spring break Mon.-Sun., Mar. 13-19.
- Fall 2028: fall break Thu.-Sun., Oct. 19-22; Thanksgiving break Nov. 20-26.
UVU notes that these dates can change with cabinet approval.
BYU's Fall 2027 classes begin Wednesday, September 1, 2027, with no classes on Labor Day, September 6.
If your kids are in another district
Provo City School District's calendar covers Provo only. Orem, Lehi, American Fork and the north county are in Alpine School District for 2026-27, and Alpine splits into three new districts for 2027-28. Our guides to Alpine School District and Aspen Peaks School District explain the split, and schools in Provo and Orem covers the choices. Check your own district's published calendar for its breaks rather than assuming they match Provo's.
For the rest of a first year here, from parking passes to finals week, see our first semester survival guide and Welcome Week in Utah Valley.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is UVU fall break 2026?
Does BYU have a fall break?
When is Provo City School District fall break 2026?
How long is Thanksgiving break at UVU and BYU?
When are finals in December 2026?
When is spring break 2027?
When does the winter or spring semester start in January 2027?
What about Alpine, Nebo and the new districts?
Sources
The facts in this guide were checked against these sources. Hours, fees and rules change, so confirm anything time-sensitive with the source before you go. How we make Provo.com.
- Fall 2026 Semester Schedule, Utah Valley University. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Spring 2027 Semester Schedule, Utah Valley University. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Future Semester Dates, Utah Valley University. Checked October 20, 2026.
- 2026-2027 School Year Calendar, Provo City School District. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Fall Break October 21-26, 2026, Provo City School District. Checked October 20, 2026.
- 2027 Academic Calendar (list view), Brigham Young University. Checked September 15, 2026.
- 2026 Academic Calendar (list view), Brigham Young University. Checked September 15, 2026.
