Vacationing in Alaska

Alaska is a winter wonderland in February and they have many events that will help you make the most of your Alaskan vacation or something fun to do on the weekend. Wrangell Alaska hosts the annual Tent City Festival every February. This event celebrates the gold and timber history of the city.

The Willow State Winter Festival features a 200-300 mile dog sled Iditarod qualifier race, fireworks, outhouse race, chain saw competition, fishing and arts and crafts. There are also radar runs with prizes for Stock, Improved, Modified, ATV and Motorcycle.

The Anchorage Fur Rendezvous is an annual event that is held every February in Anchorage. There are many events during this ten day winter extravaganza including a Fur Rondy Photo Contest, Snow Sculptures, World Championship Sled Dog Races, Carnivals, Fireworks, Melodrama, Rondy on Ice, Costume Fun Run, Frostbite Footrace, World Championship Dog Weight Pull, Snowshoe Softball, Outhouse Races, Auctions, Skijor Relay, Reindeer Races, ASTAC Native Arts & Crafts Show, Family Night Skate, Rondy SnoCross, Molson Coors/Canadian Club Alaska Hold’Em Tournament of Champions, and the Jim Beam Jam.

The Yukon Quest is a dog sled race known for its difficulty and runs are extremely cold during the short days of February. The run goes between Fairbanks and Whitehorse. On even numbered years, the race begins in Fairbanks and on odd number years it begins in Whitehorse.

North American Championship Dog Sled races are held two February weekends. These are sprint races that take place in Fairbanks.

The Junior Iditarod is for mushers under 18 years of age. This race covers part of the Iditarod Trail going from Wasilla to Yentna and back. This race is held prior to the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.

The Sitka Jazz Festival in Sitka, Alaska strives to bring professional jazz musicians from around the world to teach, inspire and perform in the small rural Alaskan community. Evening concerts feature special guest artists, various local talent and students from the Sitka High School.

The Heritage Museum in Anchorage houses thousands of artifacts. Some artifacts are more than 2000 years old. There are also several works of art by famous Alaskan artists such as Sydney Laurence, Fred Machetanz and Rusty Heurlin. The museum features one of the largest privately owned public displays of Alaskan history and Native culture. The cultures represented include the Tlingit of the Southeast, the Athabaskan of the Southcentral and Yup’ik of the Artctic.

Rob Vrabel is the co-owner of www.2havefun.com, the #1 source for things to do in the U.S.