Just as dandelions transform into wishes overnight, summer arrives in Alaska with a sudden flourish. My yard, once buried under a foot of snow, now blooms into a sea of peonies ready to burst open, and the air is rich with the sweet, sticky scent of a nearby lilac tree. Summer has arrived in all its glory. While in other places, the transition of seasons is a slow, deliberate dance—February snow, March frost, April showers, and May flowers—in Alaska, we awaken one June morning to sunshine and seventy-degree weather. Instead of easing into peak summer, we plunge right in.
Here in Alaska, the summer solstice is a time of reflection and gratitude. It took immense grit to endure the long, dark hours of winter, and now we can finally savor our achievement. We can reap the rewards of our perseverance. True to the meaning of ‘solstice,’ where the sun stands still, we too find stillness. In this stillness, we celebrate. Those long, dark hours were not endured alone but conquered together.
And so together, we celebrate. Here are some ways to do just that:
Locally
Thursday, June 20th (day of solstice)
- Music in the Garden: 6 PM Serende Marimba Ensemble; 7 PM Valley Below
- Live music at the Malemute Saloon: Alias Smith & Jones
Friday, June 21st
- Fairbanks Food Truck Rally
- The Alaska Goldpanners Midnight Sun Baseball Game
- Live music at the Malemute Saloon: The Avery Wolves
- Live music at The Cabin: Eerie Flats
Saturday, June 22nd
- The Tanana Valley Farmers Market
- The 42nd Annual Midnight Sun Festival
- The Midnight Sun Run 10K
Sunday, June 23rd
- 2024 Design Alaska Wild Arts Walk
State-wide
- Healy Solstice Brewfest (June 17-18)
- Anchorage Downtown Summer Solstice Festival; Mayor’s Marathon
- Moose Pass Summer Solstice Festival
- Seldovia Summer Solstice Music Festival
- Nome Midnight Sun Festival
- Homer Summer Solstice Festival
Your Local Guide
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