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Participants in the 2008 pie-eating contest get into the Ketchikan Blueberry Arts Festival spirit. This year's festival will be held August 6-8.
The fish tote race turns into an impromptu water fight at last year's Kake Dog Salmon Festival. Kake is one of many Southeast communities hosting festivals in the coming weeks.
Story last updated at 7/21/2010 - 12:50 pm
A month past summer solstice, we're starting to lose daylight and the weather doesn't almost feel quite as summery as it did in May. But we're in prime season for all kinds of activities, from foraging to fishing to wildlife encounters. If that sounds to you like something worth celebrating, you'll have plenty of company. Nearly every Southeast community seems to be hosting a festival in the coming weeks. Some of the festivals are brand new, like this week's Wrangell Bear Fest; others, like the Southeast Alaska State Fair in Haines next weekend, have been around for decades. Here's the Capital City Weekly's roundup of what's on the regional docket for the coming weeks.
WRANGELL BEARFEST, JULY 21-25
No matter where you live in Southeast, you've probably had reasons to think about bears lately - whether scouting out viewing opportunities for out-of-town guests or just trying to keep neighborhood bears of your trash.
The Anan Wildlife Observatory near Wrangell is thought by many to provide some of the best bear-viewing in the state, and Wrangell community members have long talked about doing something to celebrate their local bears. The result is the inaugural Wrangell Bearfest this week, a five-day celebration nobody should hibernate through.
Listen to experts discuss bear interactions - in town or in the wilderness - at the Bear Symposium. Learn how to stay safe hiking in bear country, watch movies with bear themes, and participate in wildlife photography workshops for all levels. There's also a Bearfest marathon, half marathon, 5K walk, and "Running of the Bears" 100-yard dash. Renowned gypsy jazz band Pearl Django will give free concerts, and Bearfest also coincides with the annual Alaska Airlines Golf Tournament at Wrangell's Muskey Meadows course.
See a detailed schedule on page 29, and learn more online at www.bearfest.net.
KAKE DOG SALMON FESTIVAL, JULY 24
It's hard to talk about the Kake Dog Salmon Festival without making a pun involving the word "chum." This festival celebrating chum, or dog, salmon is also a celebration of friendship, as old - here we go - chums return to Kake to spend the day with friends and family. The Dog Salmon Festival began as a community potluck celebrating the one-millionth pound of salmon processed at the local plant. Now, visitors come from across the region and around the world to join in the fun. The town of just over 700 residents has seen as many as 400 visitors attend the day-long festival. Events include canoe and foot races, a fish- filleting contest, a herring toss, line dancing, a community barbeque and more. Round-trip catamaran transportation is offered from Juneau and Sitka. For details and tickets, contact Carmel James at ktccjames@yahoo.com or 723-4576 (Juneau) or Kendall Jackson at 738-3083 (Sitka).
SOUTHEAST ALASKA STATE FAIR, JULY 29-AUGUST 1
The Southeast Alaska State Fair in Haines perhaps needs no introduction. It's been around for over four decades and just keeps getting bigger. Those who have attended in the past will probably agree with this year's theme: "Magic happens at the fair."
This year's magic includes entertainers such as the funk group Yo Mamma's Big Fat Booty Band; Trampled By Turtles, a bluegrass band from Minnesota; Blue Scholars, a hip-hop duo from Seattle; and Grammy Award-winning Inuit musicians and storytellers Pamyua. Even Gov. Sean Parnell is joining the fun as the Grand Marshall for this year's parade.
What's a fair without competitions? There are the usual favorites: the Fisherman's Rodeo; Logging Show; fun runs; and art, crafts and food contests. New this year is a baking contest, the Festival of Breads, and a regional talent show called "Southeast's Got Talent," in which the grand prize winner will receive $500 and qualify for the statewide "Alaska's Got Talent" at the Sept. 6 Alaska State Fair in Palmer.
Get your farm animal fix at McPherson Barn, where animals on display will include alpacas, goats, ponies, sheep, ducks, turkeys, chickens and bunnies. Goat milking and wool carding demonstrations will be scheduled, and the state Cooperative Extension service will talk about 4-H.
Look for the full schedule of events in the July 28 issue of the Capital City Weekly. More information is available online at www.seakfair.org/.
KETCHIKAN BLUEBERRY ARTS FESTIVAL, AUGUST 6-8
If something can tear even the most ardent berry-lover away from picking blueberries for a weekend, it's probably the Ketchikan Blueberry Arts Festival. Thousands of residents and visitors have gathered annually for 35 years at the biggest arts festival in Ketchikan. Celebrate the blueberry by competing for the best blueberry dish or enter the blueberry pie-eating contest. You can run in the Great Blueberry Race or you can give your legs a rest by cheering on some slower movers in the Slug Races. New this year is the Blueberry Beard Contest: who will be deemed to have the finest beard in all of Ketchikan? Family fun also includes the Pet & Doll Parade, food and game booths, the Battle of the Bands, and the Blueberry Juried Art Show. Enjoy dance performances at the 13th annual Gigglefeet Dance Festival and literary performances at the annual Richard Brautigan and Dick Whitaker Memorial Trout Fishing in America Poetry Slam.
The schedule will run in the August 4 issue of the Capital City Weekly. More information is available online at www.ketchikanarts.org/.
SUNNAHAE SUMMER ARTS FESTIVAL, AUGUST 6-8
Over on Prince of Wales Island, the first weekend in August will also be full of artistic expression and celebration. For the second year, the Sunnahae Arts Council is proudly presenting the Sunnahae Summer Arts Festival at Craig High School. The weekend's events will include a main stage musical production of "The Jungle Book," an art exhibit, vendor booths, arts workshops of all kinds, musical jam sessions, performing arts on the main stage, dance exhibitions, great food and more. For the kids, there will be 4-H activities and a bike rodeo.
The schedule will run in the August 4 issue of the Capital City Weekly. More information is available online at www.sunnahaearts.org/.
SITKA SEAFOOD FESTIVAL, AUGUST 6-7
Whether you're out fishing yourself, have friends who generously share their catches or try to buy as much local fish and shellfish as you can, it's hard not to appreciate the bounty of wild seafood at our doorstep. The Sitka Seafood Festival was started this year to celebrate wild Alaskan seafood and our local fishing industry. This culinary celebration is scheduled to feature an opening banquet dinner Friday night, with local chefs each showcasing a separate course. Saturday events will include a parade, vendors, bands, cooking demos, contests such as crab races and fish tossing, and more.
The schedule will run in the August 4 issue of the Capital City Weekly. More information is available online at sitkaseafoodfestival.org/.
