Page 49 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide 2017 - Alaska

ALASK A THROUGH THE Y EAR  47

a marathon race along the Deltana Fair (last weekend),
Copper River Highway. Delta Junction. A carnival,
Midnight Sun Festival (Jun 21), rodeo, and outhouse and
Fairbanks. The festival features mud bog races are on offer
live music, a classic auto show, at this agricultural fair.
and the Alaska Goldpanners Arctic Thunder (last weekend),
Midnight Sun Baseball Game, Anchorage. Featuring ear-
played by natural light splitting maneuvers by the
at midnight. Air Force Thunderbirds, this
Nalukataq (late Jun), Barrow. is an unmissable summer
An early summer festival event at the Joint Base
that celebrates the end, and Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER).
hopefully the successes, of Southeast Alaska State Fair
the spring whaling season (4th week), Haines. This fair
with Inuit games, a feast, features a farmers’ market,
and a blanket toss. a lumberjack show, pig races,
Alaska Highland Games (last Athlete participating in the high kick event, a dog show, and live music.
weekend), Palmer. Visitors can World Eskimo-Indian Olympics in Fairbanks
see the hammer toss, stone August
and caber throws, eat haggis, World Eskimo-Indian Olympics Salmonfest (1st weekend),
and listen to bagpipe music. (mid-Jul), Fairbanks. This Native Ninilchik. Originally called
event includes an array of ‘Salmonstock’, this Woodstock-
July traditional games, including style campout, with non-stop
Independence Day (Jul 4), the kneel jump, toe kick, partying, bills itself as ‘Three
across Alaska. While there are blanket toss, ear pull, and Days of Fish, Love, and Music’.
statewide celebrations, Seward greased pole walk. Music styles range from
has the biggest event with Alaska Bearpaw Festival (mid- rock and folk to blues and
its Mount Marathon Race. Jul), Eagle River near Anchorage. indie. There is also a daily
Seldovia and Skagway On offer are bear-oriented children’s program.
are also popular venues. events, including a parade, Blueberry Arts Festival
Girdwood Forest Fair (1st a teddy bear picnic, Miss Bear (1st weekend), Ketchikan. The
weekend), Girdwood. This very Paw Pageant, and a 300-yard humble blueberry is honored
popular festival takes place (270-m) dash called Running with pie-eating contests, art
about an hour south of with the Bears. exhibitions, folk music, food
Anchorage in the resort Fairbanks Golden Days (3rd stalls, and even a slug race.
town of Girdwood. Food week). An air show and a host of Seward Silver Salmon Derby
and craft booths cover the citywide activities are part of this (mid-Aug), Seward. Alaska’s
grounds, and partygoers event, which ends with a grand most famous salmon derby
dance to bands on two stages. parade featuring a junk truck offers a $10,000 grand prize
Campsites are available. and a “hoosegow” (jail) wagon. and a total purse of $100,000.

Crowds at the Fourth of July parade in downtown Seward

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