Jack Bonney

Annual Events

From sporting events and ceremonies to popular fairs and festivals, Anchorage is filled with annual events to spice up every season. Whether you’re looking for snow-packed winter excitement or a family-friendly summer celebration, Anchorage offers unforgettable gatherings throughout the year. 

In January, experience the Anchorage Folk Festival, a toe-tapping good time featuring free public performances, workshops, jam sessions, and a banjo competition. Sip local suds during Alaska Beer Week, an annual celebration of craft beer in Alaska involving a rotating schedule of samplings, pairings, tastings, and other hops-fueled fun.

February features Fur Rendezvous, an Anchorage tradition since 1935. Spanning the last week of February, the festival usually includes a carnival, parade, snow sculpture competition, fireworks show, dog sled races, and more unique Alaska fun.

March brings the ceremonial start of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, which dovetails with the end of Fur Rendezvous. See some of the world’s best dog teams and mushers flock to the Mushing District in the heart of downtown Anchorage.

In April, celebrate the end of the ski season with the Spring Carnival in Girdwood. Alyeska Resort’s popular event includes the Slush Cup, when costumed skiers attempt to leap across an icy pond traditionally surrounded by cheering crowds at the foot of the mountain.

June traditionally brings the annual Summer Solstice Festival: Make the most of the longest day of the year with food trucks and an exhilarating array of family-friendly fun on downtown Anchorage’s Fourth Avenue. PrideFest, a celebration of Anchorage’s LGBTQ communities, features a fair on the Delaney Park Strip and the Anchorage Pride Parade through the streets of downtown. For runners, the Mayor’s Marathon (and corresponding half-marathon, 5k, and kids’ mile) is an iconic way to explore Anchorage-area trails.

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. Also in July, Girdwood’s popular summer Forest Fair draws thousands of people to the woods at the edge of Chugach State Park with arts and crafts vendors, food booths, entertainers, and a parade. Later in the month the Bear Paw Festival, a family-friendly summer favorite, traditionally includes a carnival, a classic car show, a foot race, and the iconic Slippery Salmon Olympics.

August brings more race action to Anchorage trails, as Anchorage Run Fest brings a 49-kilometer ultra race, marathon, half marathon and more.

The fun doesn’t stop there: Visit our event calendar for daily details on concerts, shows, exhibits, and more.

Salmon Derby

Reel in the best catch of the day for the chance to win big during Anchorage’s only king salmon fishing...

Winter Events

Winter sparkles with events in Anchorage. Snow from the Chugach Mountains blankets the twinkling lights of the...