Festivals & Events
From music festivals to fishing derbies, Alaska celebrates all things wild and wonderful. Scan the skies at one of Alaska’s many birding festivals, experience an Alaska Native cultural event, or cheer on the state's canine athletes at a dog mushing race. Winter or Summer, Alaska’s festivals range from quirky to creative and everything in between. Be sure to check out the Alaska Events Calendar while planning your trip. There's something for everyone!
Upcoming Festivals & Events
The World Ice Art Championships, held in February and March, attracts talented ice carvers from around the world to Fairbanks. The event is one of the largest ice art competitions in the world, featuring stunning ice sculptures lit up with colorful lights. Visitors can walk among the sculptures [...]
Anchorage’s flagship winter event is Fur Rendezvous, nicknamed "Fur Rondy." This 12-day February festival celebrates the pioneering spirit of Alaskans and has been running since 1935. Fur Rondy features a wide selection of fun and wacky events including the Rondy Carnival, snow sculptures, the Grand [...]
One of Alaska’s most famous events, the nearly 1,000-mile Iditarod Sled Dog Race begins the first Saturday in March with a ceremonial start in Anchorage and an official start the next day in Willow. The event ends in Nome about a week later as the mushers begin to cross the finish line. If you’re [...]
Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival is Alaska’s largest wildlife-viewing festival, where birders from all over the world flock to Homer for workshops, seminars, and guided birding adventures. More than 100,000 shorebirds arrive at the tidal flats around Homer in early May, making it the largest bird [...]
The Kodiak Crab Fest is Kodiak Island's best event. First held in 1958 to celebrate the end of crabbing season, the weeklong festival in late May features a parade, a blessing of the fleet, foot and kayak races, live music, fishing skills contests, and a lot of king crab. Please Note: this event [...]
Each summer, Fairbanks is home to the World Eskimo-Indian Olympics, a series of traditional Alaska Native competitions of mental and physical toughness that started in 1961. This four-day event attracts Indigenous athletes from across the north who display amazing athletic abilities in contests like [...]
Fairbanks hosts one of the best summer solstice celebrations in Alaska on summer solstice weekend, when the midnight sun shines all night long. This free 12-hour event includes a downtown street fair with arts, crafts, food, live music, and entertainment. If you’re around on the actual summer [...]
In Utqiagvik, the Nalukataq whaling festival is held by the Iñupiaq people in spring following a successful whaling season to appease the spirits of deceased whales so that they will return in the form of new whales the next season. In addition to dancing, singing, and food, the whaling festival [...]
“Everything’s bigger in Alaska” doesn’t just refer to mountains, glaciers, and wildlife. Alaska’s largest event, the Alaska State Fair, takes place in Palmer in late August and early September. Concerts, performances, exhibits, thrilling rides, and world-record-setting vegetables are all part of the [...]
Celebrate one of the largest gatherings of Alaska Native peoples in the state at Celebration, a four-day event that occurs every other year in downtown Juneau. Alaska Native Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian peoples from come together to dress in traditional regalia and take part in song and dance [...]
Alaska: AKA Your Next Adventure
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