A Very Moosey Morning
March 19, 2009 | Tags: Moose, Winter
How many other places on earth can you see moose regularly from your downtown office window? In a ten minute period this morning we saw two moose wandering across the Chena River just outside the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center. Here are a few of the photos we captured:
Other exciting things happening around the office this morning include sending e-mails, making phone calls, doing research and other work on all things Fairbanks-marketing-related. (We didn’t take pictures of that!)
Experience Fairbanks in the Winter
January 15, 2009 | Tags: Video, Winter
Our friends at Alaska HDTV have posted another great video on Fairbanks.
Get more information on anything mentioned at ExploreFairbanks.com.
Christmas in North Pole, Alaska
December 23, 2008 | Tags: Christmas in Ice, North Pole, Video
The guys from Alaska HDTV recently spent some time in the Fairbanks area and have posted a video featuring the Santa Claus House and Christmas in Ice.
North Pole has attracted some other attention recently as well, with this report filed by NBC News. Be sure to check out the official North Pole website for more information on the community, which is just 20 minutes south of Fairbanks.
North Pole Christmas in Ice
December 3, 2008 | Tags: Christmas in Ice, Events, North Pole
Interior Alaska is known for some of the best ice art competition and viewing in the world. For the second year in a row, North Pole is making ice sculpture a centerpiece of their Christmas Festivities with Christmas in Ice 2008.
The Christmas in Ice website announces the following schedule:
Thursday, December 4
- 8:00am – Ice Carving Competition (gates open at 11:00am)
Friday, December 5
- 7:00pm to 9:00pm – Competition Judging
Saturday, December 6
- 10:00am-2:00pm – Kids Carving Challenge
- 12:00pm-2:00pm – Interior Freight Dogs Practice Pull – Free to the Public!
- 3:00pm – Ice Carving Competition Awards Ceremony
- 4:00pm – Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony
- 5:00pm – Winter Carnival Fireworks Display at the North Pole Mall
Sunday, December 7
- 2:00pm – Candle Lighting Ceremony at North Pole High School
Saturday, December 13
- 12:00pm-5:00pm – Sponsored by BP! Winter Picnic! FREE Admission to the Ice Park!
Saturday, December 20
- 12:00-4:00 – Interior Freight Dogs Association Competition
Thursday, December 25
- 2:00pm – Family Christmas Celebration with Santa Claus
We interviewed North Pole Mayor Doug Isaacson last year around this time about Christmas in Ice, and are happy to see a bigger and better competition this year!
New Fairbanks Interactive Winter Guide
August 15, 2008 | Tags: New Features
The 2008-2009 Fairbanks Winter Guide has been released. This is the definitive manual for Fairbanks and Interior Alaska activities, accommodations, attractions and events during the upcoming winter season. Visitors should be sure to both browse our interactive version and request a paper copy.
After you’re finished leafing through the guide, be sure to leave a comment below and let us know what you think!
World Ice Art Championships
March 10, 2008 | Tags: Ice Alaska
Over 70 international teams have completed their sculptures and put them on display at one of the largest annual ice art competitions and exhibitions in the world. Fairbanks is host to the annual World Ice Art Championships running from February 26th to March 23rd. Artists compete in single block and multi block events, sculpting both realistic and abstract pieces made completely of ice. Awards for this year have already been handed out, and all the final works are now on display either at the Ice Park or online.
The Amateur Open and Junior Championships are underway through the 23rd, and the park is open from 10am to 10pm daily; check the schedule of events for more information. You may also want to browse the photo archives for competition winners all the way back to 1999. The photos above were taken at the beginning of the single block competition.
Four in a Row for Mackey
February 20, 2008 | Tags: Dog Mushing, Lance Mackey, Yukon Quest
Lance Mackey cruised across the finish line in Whitehorse to win his fourth Yukon Quest in a row this morning. The Fairbanks musher was trailed by only fifteen minutes, as his nearest competitor, and next-door neighbor Ken Anderson made a remarkable finish to his rookie Quest in second place. The Fairbanks duo left much of the competition hours behind, making it a two-man race through the last few checkpoints. Both men will go on to race in the Iditarod, which begins in just nine days. Mackey was last year’s Iditarod winner, while Anderson finished seventh.
Read the official Quest site for more finish line details. You may also want to catch the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner story or the CBC piece on the Quest.
Keeping up with the Quest
February 13, 2008 | Tags: Dog Mushing, Yukon Quest
The 2008 Yukon Quest is underway now, and mushers are at this very moment traversing the 1,000 mile trail from Fairbanks to Whitehorse, Yukon. You can keep up with the action by checking the current standings at the official Yukon Quest site. News from the trail is also regularly appearing on both the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner and the Yukon News.
Some other great stories have been published on the race in the past few days including this update from APRN, and a story about photography on the trail by Patrick Endres.
25th Annual Yukon Quest
January 25, 2008 | Tags: Dog Mushing, Yukon Quest
The 1,000 mile Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race is being run for the 25th time this year. The race begins on February 9th, and will take 29 mushers from their Fairbanks starting point through 15 checkpoints on their way to the finish line in Whitehorse, Yukon. One of the major story lines for this year is the return of Fairbanks musher Lance Mackey. He is a three-time Quest winner, and the only musher ever to win both the Yukon Quest and Iditarod in the same year.
The 2008 Yukon Quest festivities begin with their Start & Draw Banquet on February 7th. The race begins on the Chena River in downtown Fairbanks, just two days later. Come early to find a good spot, and dress warm!
Winter’s Unsurpassed Display of Northern Lights
January 11, 2008 | Tags: Northern Lights, Video
The residents of Fairbanks, Alaska are accustomed to spectacular views of the aurora borealis or northern lights. Most people view from their homes, but many travel out of town, away from the city lights for the most spectacular views. A dynamic aurora covers the entire sky, dancing wildly while flashing brilliant colors of green, whitish-blue, or even red.
The above aurora video was taken in Fairbanks last February. As well as a magnificent (mostly green) display, it shows chemical trails in the ionosphere; a result of test rocket fire from Poker Flat Research Range. Thank you Paul Jensen!
When is the best time of the year to view the aurora?
In Fairbanks, observations of the aurora may be made from middle to late August to middle April. The spring months of January, February, March and April are often the best time to view the aurora because of better weather, however, Fall can be just as cooperative weather-wise. The truth of the matter is, the northern lights can occur almost anytime.
What time of the day is the best time to see the aurora?
The time for viewing is between evening and morning civil twilights on clear or partly cloudy nights. Major storms can occur anytime, and local intensification is most common between 10 pm and 2 am.
Why Fairbanks?
Fairbanks sits under what is called the auroral oval, a ring shaped region around the North Pole where auroras occur. Statistically, Fairbanks averages 243 nights per year when it is possible to see the aurora.
More information?
Download additional aurora information, get answers to some frequently asked northern lights questions, or check the aurora forecast when planning your visit.
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