Fairbanks sits at the heart of the Alaskan wilderness, the largest city in the state’s interior, and the gateway to the vast tundra that contains some of the most incredible landscapes and thrilling experiences the Last Frontier has to offer. Some of the best hiking, most remarkable wildlife, and most exciting back-country experiences can be found starting at Fairbanks.
But Fairbanks itself is far more than just a base for exploring the wide-open spaces of Alaska’s interior. The city boasts a rich cultural tapestry that makes it a wonderful place to visit in its own right and offers a vibrant calendar of events with something for everyone throughout the year.
From dazzling winter wonderlands at Christmas to spiritual summer Solstice celebrations, there are some amazing things to do whenever you arrive in Fairbanks. So if you’ve chosen to explore Alaska by boarding a cruise or setting off on a road trip and are looking for something cultural to add to your adventure, here are some of Fairbanks’ most exciting festivals and events to look forward to.
Fairbanks Ice Art Festival
Fairbanks kicks off the year in grand style with its annual Ice Art Festival. Held every February, the festival transforms Fairbanks into a magical, mysterious, and thoroughly mesmerizing world of incredible sculptures made solely from ice and snow. The festival attracts ice sculptors and artists from around the world to work their magic, carving stunning works of art from blocks of ice and creating an enchanting and thoroughly astonishing frozen landscape.
Midnight Sun Season
Alaska’s interior might conjure up images of long, dark nights and frozen wilderness, but during the summer this couldn’t be further from the truth. As the city sits within the Arctic Circle, Fairbanks enjoys extraordinarily long days during May, June, and July, and the sun doesn’t set for 70 consecutive days! As a result, the summer solstice is a phenomenon to behold – 24 hours of genuine sunshine, with midnight being as bright as midday. This remarkable celestial event is celebrated in Fairbanks with the Midnight Sun Festival, a street fair that combines exciting live music, local art, and food trucks, with a slightly more spiritual ambiance recognizing the importance of the solstice for various cultures.
World Eskimo-Indian Olympics (WEIO)
The World Eskimo-Indian Olympics (WEIO) is also known as the Alaska Native Games. This fascinating and incredible event showcases the traditional skills, games, and pastimes of the indigenous Alaskans, with some weird and wonderful events such as the one-foot high kick and the ear pull. It offers a unique twist on traditional sporting events and is a brilliant opportunity to learn more about Native Alaskan customs, culture, and sport.
Golden Days
The history of Fairbanks is inextricably interlinked with the history of gold, as it was the discovery of gold near the city in 1902 that led to the Fairbanks Gold Rush. In fact, Fairbanks was largely built around the fervor for gold, so it is unsurprising that one of their biggest celebrations is in its honor. Fairbanks’ Golden Days is a week-long festival in July commemorating the first discovery of gold in the city, with parades, street fairs, and most excitingly of all a rubber duckie race own the Chena River!
Tanana Valley State Fair
In August Fairbanks celebrates everything agricultural with the Tanana Valley State Fair. With everything from hay rides and tractor races to live entertainment and nose-to-tail eating, it is a wonderful exposition of the local produce and industry of the region, and a delightfully family-friendly affair.
Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival
Fairbanks has a pretty serious cultural side, and art lovers should make the effort to visit during the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival in July. This wide-ranging event combines exhibitions, performances, and workshops across a variety of artistic disciplines, and is an incredible showcase of the creativity and ingenuity of the city and Alaska as a whole.
The Yukon Quest
The Yukon Quest is known as the ‘toughest sled dog race in the world’, a gruelling challenge across 1,000 miles of rugged Alaskan and Canadian wilderness, pitting race teams against the elements. Starting in Fairbanks in February it is an extraordinary testament to the endurance of mushers and dogs, and the unbreakable bonds that join them together.
Thanks to its diverse and unique calendar of festivals and events, Fairbanks is one of the most interesting cultural hubs in Alaska, and maybe even across the US. From ice art to Native Alaskan traditions, the cultural heritage of this fascinating state is proudly on show throughout the year in Fairbanks.