Anchorage Folk Festival
The vibrant annual folk music extravaganza offers free public performances, workshops, jam sessions, and a banjo competition. Enjoy original melodies from local lyricists, crowd-pleasing traditional tunes, and appearances by renowned guest artists – it’s a foot-stomping good time for all, just after the start of the year every January.
Fur Rendezvous
An Anchorage tradition since 1935, Anchorage Fur Rendezvous (or Rondy, as it’s affectionately known by locals) has become one of the city’s most magical midwinter events. A carnival, parade, snow sculpture competition, community pancake feed – the two-week festival hosts a full schedule of unique Alaska fun. Join in for sparkle fireworks over Ship Creek, the speed and skill of the World Championship Sled Dog Races, and a madcap, costumed dash in the Running of the Reindeer.
Summer Solstice Festival
The annual Summer Solstice Festival makes the most of the year's longest day, filling downtown Anchorage’s Fourth Avenue with food trucks and an exhilarating array of family-friendly fun. Elsewhere throughout the city, revelers enjoy the extended daylight hours with evening baseball games, hikes in Chugach State Park, and other outdoor adventures.
Juneteenth
Every June, this national observance commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. Anchorage's Delaney Park is the spot for celebrations, guest speakers, entertainment, education, history and family gatherings. Black culture in Alaska stretches back to the late 1800s, runs through the construction of the Alaska Highway - many of the military units assigned to link Alaska and continues today, with more than 5% of Anchorage's population is black, according to U.S. census data, and many local Black-owned businesses.
Pride
An annual celebration of Anchorage’s LGBTQ communities, Anchorage Pride features a fair on the Delaney Park Strip, and the Anchorage Pride Parade through the streets of downtown.
Girdwood Forest Fair
Every summer, Girdwood’s popular summer Forest Fair draws thousands of people to the woods at the edge of Chugach State Park. Vendors sell handmade arts and crafts, food booths serve Alaska-grown snacks and locally-made treats, and entertainers from around Alaska perform for the public from multiple stages throughout the forest. There’s a parade, too, with occasional appearances by the black bears and moose that roam the Girdwood Valley.
Fourth of July
Anchorage celebrates the Fourth of July in a big way, with a community parade and carnival on Delaney Park Strip in the heart of downtown. See handmade floats, marching musical performers, festive displays representing Anchorage’s dozens of diverse cultures, and a heavy dose of Alaska history.
Bear Paw Festival
This annual summer event combines a Grand Parade, a carnival, a classic car show, a foot race, and the iconic Slippery Salmon Olympics. Bear Paw is a family-friendly summer favorite that takes place in the cozy community of Eagle River, a quick 20-minute drive from downtown Anchorage.
Blueberry Festival
Girdwood throws a sweet celebration of the berries that cover local mountains in late summer. Scour the slopes of Alyeska on a lift-assisted picking foray or stay at sea level and chow down on berry desserts.
Anchorage International Film Festival
AIFF is a tribute to the silver screen each December. With showings of Alaska-made films and the work of award winning filmmakers worldwide, the screenings are thought-provoking, inspiring, and just plain fun.
