Summertime in Fairbanks, Alaska is filled with events and activities as residents try to fit as much as they can into their short, but intense summer. There are a number of exciting and entertaining festivals that are enjoyed by visitors and locals alike.

Celebrate summer solstice in downtown Fairbanks, which boasts 24 hours of daylight at the Midnight Sun Festival taking place on June 19. Alaska's largest single-day event, the 12-hour street fair is marked by 30,000 attendees enjoying hundreds of vendors, and 33 live performances and is also host to gold panning, break dancing and a climbing wall. Musical guests, an impressive array of food and a family friendly atmosphere make this a definite “don't miss” for Alaskans and visitors. Other major events that coincide with the festival include the Midnight Sun Baseball Game, the Midnight Sun Run, and the Yukon 800 Riverboat race.

Alaska's premier cultural gathering, Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival takes place July 17–31, on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus. The festivities, which began as a small jazz festival, now attract visitors worldwide for American roots and other music, dance, literary, healing, visual and culinary arts. There are dozens of performances throughout the two weeks of Festival, many of them free.

The World Eskimo-Indian Olympic (WEIO) Games takes place July 20-23 in Fairbanks. A four-day series of traditional Alaska Native athletic competitions and dances, WEIO draws Native athletes and dancers from around the state, the United States, Canada and Greenland, as well as visitors, fans and media from around the globe. WEIO is also a time to don parkas, moose hide dresses and vests, mukluks and moccasins to compete in parka and Indian dress contests, and to dance and tell stories through songs and motion. WEIO gives visitors a chance to see unparalleled feats of endurance and agility. WEIO provides visitors the rare chance to experience a culture alongside those who live within it.

For an authentic Alaskan celebration come to Fairbanks for Golden Days taking place July 20-24. That's when residents cut loose in honor of their Gold Rush history during a five-day festival they call Golden Days. It's a great time to meet locals—who are in a festive, social mood—and to be swept up in a big Alaskan event. Declared one of the country's top 100 events by Destinations Magazine, the festival includes costume contests, Alaska's largest parade, foot races, a BBQ cook-off, and a rededication of the Felix Pedro monument, which was a gift to Fairbanks from the Italian government. Most of the events are held in Pioneer Park, just along the Chena River. Keep your eyes open for parties; many organizations host events in conjunction with Golden Days.

Each August as thousands of Sandhill Cranes begin their southward passage from Alaska and Siberia, the Tanana Valley rings with gathering calls with the Sandhill Crane Festival held August 26-28. The festival includes talks, bird watching, nature walks, workshops and many other related activities with ample opportunities for observing Cranes and other fall migrants.

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About Explore Fairbanks
Explore Fairbanks is a non-profit marketing organization whose mission is to be an economic driver in the Fairbanks region by marketing to potential visitors and optimizing the visitor experience. Explore Fairbanks markets Fairbanks as a year-round destination by promoting local events, attractions and activities to independent travelers, group tour operators, travel agents, meeting planners and the media. Find out more at explorefairbanks.com.