Midnight Sun Festival in Fairbanks Alaska
A Family Summer Trip with Gold, River Cruise, and Hiking Trails
Mar 1, 2009
Fairbanks, Alaska is a family friendly region which kicks the summer off with an impressive celebration of the summer solstice, the beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. The Midnight Sun Festival is held in June every year. Enjoy this trend to meet the local people in Fairbanks, Alaska, one of the last frontier towns in USA.
Many people cruise the waters of Alaska, however a visit inland to Fairbanks is a unique vacation experience. People enjoy hiking and sightseeing of the unusual landscape not far from Mount Denali. Local people from Alaska are friendly and have been known to go the extra mile for visitors.
Get off the cruise ship and drive, fly direct into Fairbanks airport, or drive the Alaskan Highway to Fairbanks and enjoy getting acquainted with people of this northern most USA territory. There is a one hour time difference (behind) from California.
Midnight Sun Festival in Fairbanks, Alaska
The community tourist attraction is the fun Midnight Sun Festival which locals celebrate their daylight of 24 hours. There are several bands playing all day, a decorated canoe race and water demonstrations on the Chena River, delicious local food treats like fried elephant ears, brisket sandwiches, fabulous pretzels, and of course dancing, games, and good old fashion celebration.
Be sure to get a souvenir coin from the annual baseball game at midnight played without lights and join in with the midnight run which kicks off this festival the night before this festival.
Remember to pace oneself during the day of the festival with activities that happen 24 hours because of the continuing daylight. Acquire accommodations near downtown or rent a car to drive to/from campgrounds or hotel to relax. Travel eye masks are great to wear when trying to sleep if people are not used to the 24 hours daylight.
Gold Nuggets, River Cruise, and Hiking Activities Found Around Fairbanks, Alaska Region
Ask about the assortment of leisure and adventurous things to do at the Visitors Center in the easy to find log cabin downtown:
- Self-guided walking tour of downtown Fairbanks
- Ice Museum - (907) 451-8222, fascinating place to learn about ice sculptures prominent in the winter
- Pioneer Park, Parks and Recreation, Fairbanks North Star Borough, (907) 459-1087 – a historic frontier and gold mining town
- El Dorado Gold Mine, 866) 479-6673 and Gold Dredge No. 8, (800) 544-2206 - tour through these gold mines and pan for gold
- Riverboat Discovery, (866) 479-6673, cruise by river boat which includes stops to see scenes of the early years of Eskimos, dog sled demonstrations, prominent Alaskan ranches
- Bird watching at Creamer Field
- Museum at University of Alaska
- Professional day sighseeing tours to see places around Fairbanks as the Alaskan pipeline
- Hiking and Canoeing
- Day trips to nearby attractions such as Denali National Park and Preserve
A travel professional may assist people in planning fun individual family trips like this one to Fairbanks, Alaska by providing undiscovered options of where to stay and things to do.
Jane Engle writes in a Los Angeles Times article on December 28, 2008, “one should not feel exploited by using a travel agent. The average travel agent makes less than $29,000 per year in this thin-margined enterprise as per ASTA (American Society of Travel Agents). When you pay a service fee, they are not getting gold rims for their Escalades or Mercedes. And you might get priceless help.”
People receive information like, a visit to charismatic McCafferty's, A Coffee House, in Fairbanks, Alaska for a light lunch during the day or live local entertainment on Friday and Saturday evenings which add value to this Alaskan trip.
A visit to Midnight Sun Festival in Fairbanks, Alaska is an unusual family fun vacation with a diverse selection of activities of all levels. People may visit the historic mining village of Pioneer Park with Alaskan Salmon bakes and old time saloons, downtown historic museums, or enjoy adventure hiking, canoeing, camping and is not too expensive vacation trip.
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