Anchorage, Alaska hosts the infamous Fur Rendezvous each year as Alaska’s winter festival. This festival, run from February 24th until March 5th in 2023, is a great opportunity for Alaskans to get out of the house during these cold, dark winter days. It is also a great way to celebrate the increase in daily sunlight and sled dog races.
Fur Rondy has many events throughout all 10 days, but here is what we recommend not missing.
Snow Sculpture Competition
Daily during the festival from 10am – 10pm located across from the Comfort Inn on Ship Creek Ave.
Checking out the snow sculpture competition is fun for the whole family! Massive compact blocks of snow are carved into creating larger than life masterpieces. Teams or solo sculptors are competing against each other in different divisions for bragging rights. Division 1, team of 3, winners move onto nationals to compete for the national title as the Alaskan representative.
Walking through the rows of sculptures takes about 30 minutes if you stop to enjoy each piece of work. You also get an opportunity to vote for your favorite sculpture, no matter the division, up through the last day of Fur Rondy! Judging for the divisional competitions is held on Sunday, February 26th at 10am.
If you would like to see snow sculpting in action, we recommend going by on Friday, February 24th and Saturday, February 25th as competitors finish working in preparation for division judging on Sunday. We love checking out the unique creations each year and highly recommend you do too!
Rondy Carnival
Daily during the festival, times vary, located at 3rd Avenue & E Street
Going to the Fur Rondy Carnival is certainly a great way for the whole family to have fun together and get outside. There are plenty of rides and games no matter your age. There is typical carnival goodies to munch on as well, like funnel cakes and the classic cotton candy.
Buy tickets or wristbands at the ticket stand and enjoy the day or evening with fun activities. Times vary daily, so check the site for more details.
There are 2 ticket deal days! Thursday, March 2nd is Military Appreciation Day if you show a military ID you receive special savings. Rondy Kids Day on Friday, March 3rd, students in Kindergarten through 12th grades pay one $50 cost for a wristband that is good all day.
The Rondy Grand Parade
Saturday, February 25, 2023 at 10:30am and will run on 5th & 6th Avenues in downtown Anchorage
Just like any other big community event, there is a parade to start off the festivities. The Rondy Grand Parade is a tradition that has been run for decades (check out the last handful of photos in the Fur Rondy photo gallery).
There are floats of all sorts, with the military, fire, and police forces all coming out in grand fashion showing off their equipment, lights, and sirens for the community.The Fur Rondy royalty sport their winter fur attire and crowns in stylish cars along with Rondy Bear, always the children’s favorite.
Remember to dress warmly since you’ll be standing still for a period of time. The parade is always a great way to see the community and enjoy the sights and sounds of Anchorage.
Fireworks Extravaganza by AT&T
Saturday, February 25th, 2023 at 7:30pm and can be seen in downtown Anchorage facing Ship Creek & the small boat harbor
What festivity doesn’t have an opening night of mesmerizing lights in the sky? At least all the great festivities do! AT&T sponsors the Fireworks Extraveganza for the first night of Fur Rondy. It is one of the best display of fireworks in Alaska that are easily seen.
4th of July fireworks cannot compare due to the midnight sun during Alaskan summers. This time of year brings the right amount of daylight and lack of light at night to easily see this great fireworks display.
You can view the fireworks from almost anywhere in Anchorage, but we find the best viewing spot is in downtown Anchorage near the carnival location at Quyana Park. Don’t miss out on a fun show, you can even stay in your car to stay warm while watching the display!
Outhouse Races
Saturday, February 25, 2023 at 4pm located at 4th Avenue & E Street
You might be wondering what in the world is an outhouse race? As the picture above shows, it is quite literally how it sounds, a team creates an outhouse that is on skis, and they race to get to the finish line first.
There are some basic rules, such as there must be a team member riding on the commode during the race. Competitors are not only trying to win their division but also any of these top trophies: Grand Champion, Best Theme, Most Colorful, People’s Choice, Cleanest, Most Realistic, Best Engineered, Best Architecture and Red Lantern.
It is an entertaining race and great to see so many interesting outhouse designs. Definitely check out this lively event!
Fur Auction
Saturday, February 25th & Sunday, February 26th & Saturday, March 4, 2023 from 11am to 3:30pm located at 3rd Avenue & E Street
One of the main events of Fur Rondy is, could you guess it, the fur auction! When Fur Rondy was first started in the mid-1930’s, it purposely coincided over the same time the miners and trappers came to Anchorage to sell their yield. Fur trade back during those times was the 3rd most valuable industry in Alaska. This makes for a tried and true tradition for Fur Rondy attendees.
Day 1 of the auction takes place on Saturday, February 25th with day 2 taking place on Sunday, February 26th, with the final day being Sunday, March 4th.
Alaska Trappers Association‘s South Central Chapter brings Alaskan fur to auction off to attendees. This auction is held outside at the far end of the carnival location.
Since this is outside, we highly suggest dressing warmly while standing still for a period of time. If you look closely at the picture above, you can see several attendees wearing their fur attire, such as hats and coats potentially made of furs they bought at the auction! It is a great way to see beautiful fur of native Alaskan animals and also a way to take home a piece too.
Open World Championship Sled Dog Race
February 24th – February 26th, 2023, race starts at noon each day and located at 4th Avenue & D Street
Dog sled racing is such an exhilarating event to watch. The Open World Championship Dog Sled race is no exception and especially fun for viewing because of the fast speed, short distance, and multi-day race.
The route for the race is only in Anchorage and starts & ends in the same location. There are many places along the route to watch mushers sprint past. Check out these locations for the best viewing opportunities.
Always be aware of the trail, making sure to stay behind the trail edge. Teams are spaced a few minutes apart, so be on the lookout, there may be several teams in a row and some may be trying to pass other teams.
If you’re interested in seeing who is in the lead and where certain competitors are located, check out their checkpoint times. This spring race is top-notch and brings mushers from around the world; don’t miss out on the action.
Iditarod Ceremonial Start
Saturday, March 4th, 2023 starts at 10am and located at 4th Avenue & D Street in downtown Anchorage
Photo by Travel the Last Frontier LLC
Yes, there is another sled dog race during the same time as the Fur Rondy! Though, this race is not put on by Fur Rondy itself, it is still a great event that occurs in Anchorage.
The Iditarod is known as the “last great race on earth” and it certainly lives up to this exclamation. This over 1,000 mile race will be run by just over 30 teams in 2023.
They will run a route in Anchorage for the ceremonial start, but will head to Willow, north of Anchorage, the following day to run the long stretch to Nome. Hope you plan on making it out to see these sled teams before their big race!
Running of the Reindeer
Saturday, March 7th, 2023 at 4pm located on 4th Avenue between H and D Streets
Running of the Reindeer is a wacky rendition of the Running of the Bulls in Spain. It is a funny Rondy tradition where all kinds of people dress up in costumes and run ahead of the reindeer without being run into.
This event raises funds for Toys for Tots by charging for bibs. There are 4 “herds” of runners: guys, gals, couples/groups, and tourists.
You’ll have a great experience seeing these beautiful creatures run by. Definitely check out this event by either watching or running along!
There are many activities at Fur Rondy but we recommend at least checking out our short list of events. If you need any help navigating Fur Rondy, contact us today!