To me it’s a bit sad to know that today when we hear about Alaska, the first thing that comes to the minds of many is Sarah Palin. I don’t want to bring politics in here, but I only say this because Alaska is so much more than just its (in)famous governor. Alaska is a place where time stops, the worries of the world are left behind, and nature runs wild. Nevertheless I’m afraid this place is going through some transformations that might take all of this away. The whole state should be a National Park, not an exploitation site.
I was there back in 2006 for a long weekend (Labor Day) and the first thing I visited (besides Anchorage) was that year’s edition of the Alaska State Fair, and that was a good start to the trip. It’s a postcard of what Alaska is in terms of its people and culture. This year the fair will be held from August 27th to September 7th. Book your holidays now!
Alaska State Fair - Huge vegetables
The fair takes place by the South Palmer Station (by car, an hour north of Anchorage). A quick tip: while in Alaska, I suggest renting a car. You can get to places by bus and train, but a car will take you to better places. And rent a hybrid while you’re at it – it’s environment friendly. Since the fair is usually held at the end of the summer and since Alaska is high up in the Northern Hemisphere, you will have daylight until 11:00pm. The fair is surrounded by beautiful mountains, and there’s a lot to see and do despite the fact that the fair itself is not that huge. One day should suffice unless there is something specific you want to see that happens on a certain date. Check the calendar beforehand.
For food you can get the usual fair goodies like Cotton Candy, Corn Dogs, Chili, Corn Dog with Chili, Clam Chowder, Crab Cakes, etc. You will also find veggie stuff using local products. And everything looks delicious, especially taking into consideration that it’s a fair. This may have to do with the fact that it’s also an agricultural showcase, so there will be animals for children and adults to pet, and you can also see the biggest vegetables in the state, country and maybe even world. That’s what you get with 24-hour daylight. Mutant vegetables. It would be cool if animals mutated too, but no such luck.
Alaska State Fair - Dog show
There are also a lot of artisans there selling their handcrafts and showing their talent. For instance you can do some pottery (non Ghost style), trim bonsai trees, build something with paper-maché, even sand sculpture is possible. As for shows, there are rodeos, dog tricks, concerts, among others (this year they will have David Archuleta). The entrance is not much (check the prices on the website below) and you’ll be sure to find at least 1/3 of Alaska population at the fair (it only has 680.000 people total). So if you wanna see Alaska, Alaskans, and the Alaskan way of life in one place, this is the place to be. The only thing you won’t see there is Russia. Ah, and don’t forget to play in the Rat Roulette. It’s for charity.
Alaska State Fair - Bet which hole the mouse will go into in Rat Roulette
Alaska State Fair
2075 Glenn Hwy
Palmer, AK 99645
Phone: +1 (907) 745-4827
Email: info@alaskastatefair.org
The city of Anchorage, AK has always been one of the preferred tourist destinations. A recent report however contradicts this fact and the news is that the next year would not be any better as a result of fewer cruise lines arriving….
Like a coin has two sides, this situation is also characterized by low air fares, rock bottom hotel rates and special discounts.
So if anyone is planning a vacation, why not make Anchorage their next vacation destination and save on flights and hotel rates??
Wow. I found this site on Yahoo searching for something totally unrelated, and now I’m gonna need to read through all the archives XD So much for my free time this morning, but this was a spectacular find.