2017 Golden Days

For an authentic Alaskan celebration, head to Fairbanks in the third week of July. That’s when residents cut loose in honor of their Gold Rush history, during a five-day festival they call Golden Days. Bank managers dress up as sourdough miners, waitress don “fluzie” outfits, and most of the city turns out for races, parades, and great food. 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.

This five-day festival began in 1952, when the Chamber of Commerce decided to honor Fairbanks’ Gold Rush and its proud mining tradition. Felix Pedro, a young Italian immigrant, started the rush in 1902 with a gold strike in the foothills outside town. He’s the man who famously proclaimed, “There’s gold in them there hills.” His cry was heard far and wide: Fairbanks grew from a sleepy river town to a bustling city almost overnight. Today, the town collectively celebrates this exciting time with Golden Days, declared one of the country’s top 100 events by Destination 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. A community dinner kicks off the festival, and the first 500 people to show up get free hot dogs, chips, and soda. For the next five days, events run pretty much non-stop throughout downtown, at the park, and in other spots. Keep your eyes open for parties; many organizations host events in conjunction with Golden Days.

Festival Highlights

Grande Parade - Kicking off Saturday morning, the biggest day of the festival, is Alaska’s largest parade, complete with some 100 floats, marching bands from across the state, and residents dressed in Gold Rush costumes. The floats have been as intricate as miners panning for gold alongside a running stream. There’s also a street fair one block away on First Street, featuring food and craft vendors.

Rubber Duckie Race - Held on Saturday, this is one of the biggest events in Fairbanks—not just for Golden Days, but all year! Some 6,000 rubber ducks are dropped in the Chena River, where they “race” ¼-mile downstream to the Cushman Bridge. There’s $15,000 on the line, plus 80 local prizes, like gift certificates and donated items. Buy a duck for $5, and you could win $5,000. Or buy a duck for $10 and you could win $10,000…but only if your duck’s one of the first two across the finish line.

Comedy Night - Held under the big tent at Pioneer Park, this is one of the festival’s highlights, and it often sells out. The evening usually features several local comedians who open up for a nationally known comic. The event, which includes a beer garden, is open only to those 21 and over, although organizers describe the humor as “Tonight Show clean.”

Grizzly Alaskan Contest - Come see Alaskans strut their stuff, in a very Alaskan way. On Friday night, during the intermission of comedy night, you can watch contests for the hairiest chest, hairiest legs, best mustache, and even the ugliest “frontier feet.” Since Alaska is known for bushy residents, this contest contributes to a hilarious evening. Three local celebrities judge the contest, which draws some of Alaska’s finest sourdoughs.

Felix Pedro Look-alike Contest - This costume contest doesn’t happen every year, but when it does you’ll find men sporting dark mustaches, flannel shirts, and flat-brimmed caps trying their best to look like the man who started this city’s Gold Rush.

Source:
Alaska.org