Fans of Alaska's cold-weather outdoor activities are still licking their wounds from what was a disappointing winter for most. But there's no better way to put a subpar ski season in the rear-view mirror than with a look at some of the state's summer opportunities. Alaska's summer festival and fair season -- and all its audio, visual and edible offerings -- may just be enough to make outdoor enthusiasts forget that their snowshoes sat in the closet for practically the whole winter.
Trapper Creek Bluegrass
May 22-24, Trapper Creek
Trapper Creek Bluegrass is celebrating its 10th year and giving audiences more than its name would indicate. Unofficially kicking off Alaska's music festival season with more than two dozen bands and musical artists, this rustic festival at Boot's Bison Ranch in Trapper Creek will feature Animal Eyes, Blackwater Railroad Company, The Shoot Dangs and The Sweeteners. The site also hosts a festival in late August with a lineup that is yet to be unannounced. Tickets: $75 at the gate, $60 in advance at Rusty Revolver, PlanetX and Trapper Creek Trading Post.
www.facebook.com/bootsbisonranch
PrideFest
May 30-June 6, Anchorage
A weeklong celebration of Alaska's LGBT community, PrideFest sports more than a dozen events, stretching from late May through the first week of June. Festivities kick off with the Rainbow Run and conclude with the Equality Parade. In between there will be Drag Queen Bingo, a celebrity guest appearance from BenDeLaCreme ("RuPaul's Drag Race," season six), a festival on the Delaney Park Strip from 12-5 p.m. June 6, a "Cupcakes and Glitter" drag karaoke competition at Mad Myrna's and more. See website for full schedule and prices for ticketed events.
Sitka Summer Music Festival
June 2-28
This long-running celebration of world-class chamber music presents formal and informal concerts at various Sitka venues. Performers this year include pianists Navah Perlman and Yuliya Gorenman, the Arianna Quartet from St. Louis, violinist Kurt Nikkanen, the Matt Herskawitz Trio performing classical-jazz fusion and cellist Zuill Bailey, the festival director. The annual cruise and crab feed are among the popular non-musical highlights. Tickets to evening concerts $25, festival pass is $120 (special packages are also available).
3 Baron's Renaissance Fair
June 6-7 and 13-14, 2015
Grab your garb, polish off your best approximation of an old English accent and get ready for the live chess match, tomato show, wenches, pirates, royals and other merriments of this longstanding Renaissance fair. This year's event will be held at the Tozier Sled Dog Track (3400 E. Tudor Road). Day passes are $7-$8 for adults, $5 for children.
Chickenstock
?June 12-13, Chicken
This annual two-day bluegrass festival starts with a jam session on June 12 and a full day of bluegrass and folk music June 13. There's a lineup of 15 bands meeting under the giant chicken this year, including Soul Rebels, Anna Lynch and The Forest That Never Sleeps. Children under 12 are free with parents, but there is a cap on attendees so get your tickets in advance if you want to guarantee a spot. Adult passes are $20 for June 12; $30 for June 13. Two-day passes are $45.
www.facebook.com/ChickenstockMusicFestival
Kenai River Festival
June 12-14, Soldotna Creek Park
This free festival hosted by the Kenai Watershed Council will include kids activities, an artisan market, beer garden and live music in Centennial Park. This festival is kid-friendly, but leave the dog at home.
kenaiwatershed.org/krf/kenairiverfestival.html
Seriously Fun! Fest
June 13, Kincaid Park in Anchorage
The pre-party to the Mud Factor fun run will feature craft beer, a giant waterslide and music from Dirty Heads, Matisyahu, We the Kings, Watsky, DJ Soulman and Fairbanks' own Young Fangs. Tickets are $99 general admission, $69 for students.
Last Frontier Theatre Conference
June 14-20
Theater experts come from around the country to talk shop with local thespians. Evening performances this year include Bostin Christopher in "An Iliad" (June 18) and Cyrano's traveling production of "Macbeth" (June 18). Theater fans particularly love the daily staged readings of new work with feedback from the pros and the audience. Registration for the full event is $50, one day is $20. Single evening performances are $10.
The Road To Warped Tour
June 17, Sullivan Arena in Anchorage
Alt-metal band Helmet will headline the unofficial kickoff to the Warped Tour, considered the nation's largest traveling music fest. Founded 20 years ago primarily for skate punk audiences, the tour still attracts a younger crowd, with metalcore band Issues and pop punkers New Found Glory making the Anchorage stop. Tickets $40.
Downtown Summer Solstice
June 20, Anchorage
Solstice events will be taking place throughout the state, but downtown Anchorage offers one of the biggest and best. From live chain saw carving to a skateboarding demo and a breakdance competition, the six-hour event has something for all ages, including a puppet show for the kids. Festivalgoers tired of prowling downtown can rest their tired feet by watching the "Solstice Showdown" roller-derby battle. Free.
Moose Pass Summer Solstice Festival
June 21-22, Moose Pass
If heading out of Anchorage for solstice sounds more appealing, visiting Moose Pass Summer Solstice Festival in Seward is a sound option, in more ways than one. The free two-day event features swinging country Green Tara and her Handsome Gents and roadhouse country rockers The Strangs.
Midnight Sun Festival
June 21, downtown Fairbanks
Or head north, where winters are colder and summer days are brighter. Fairbanks' big Solstice celebration will stretch from noon to midnight downtown. The festival will showcase dozens of musicians and performers across three stages, and there will be a break-dancing competition and skate park.
downtownfairbanks.com/tag/midnight-sun-festival
Alaska Scottish Highland Games
June 27, state fairgrounds in Palmer
This family-friendly festival will feature drumming, piping, dancing and Highland games like the caber toss and stone put. There will be live music and vendors, scotch tastings and plenty of plaid to go around. Adults $13-$15, children $5.
Girdwood Forest Fair
July 3-5
The Girdwood Forest Fair will mark its 40th year with a three-day celebration over the Fourth of July weekend. A showcase for Alaska arts and crafts, there will be plenty of vendors selling hand-crafted items, food booths and entertainers. The Forest Fair's annual parade is a highlight for locals and visitors alike. The fair is free, but organizers sell T-shirts to cover the cost of the event and hold a contest each year to select the best submitted design for the shirts. This year's T-shirt theme is "The Cover Charge That Covers Your Back." No dogs, politics or religious orders -- or campfires. If you're planning on camping, best to reserve a space in advance.
Bear Paw Festival
July 8-12, Eagle River
The Chugiak and Eagle River communities will be hopping for the 30th anniversary of the Bear Paw Festival with a motorcycle show, a salmon cookoff, a talent show and a 5K run. Other events over the weekend-long festival include a play by the Alaska Fine Arts Academy and a dog and owner look-alike contest along with the usual battery of vendors.
Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival
July 12-26
The UAF campus turns into an all-ages arts camp with workshops, solo instruction and performances. Genres include opera, dance, comedy improv, steel pan drums, Celtic music, milonga and gospel singing. Off-campus performances happen in venues like the Blue Loon and Silver Gulch brewery as well as on campus. Attendees can take a single one-hour class or sign up for the full term. Tickets are $10-$100 depending on the event.
Spectrum Music and Arts
July 24-26, Chickaloon
In its third year, Spectrum Music and Arts Festival has established itself as the destination of choice for Alaskan fans of electronic dance music. Billed as "a transformative environment shaped by an ethos of creation, dedicated to the pursuit of music, art and the power of the human spirit," the fest will be headlined by Christian Martin and goes beyond standard raver fare, including live performances from Harm, Pretty Birds That Kill, Saucy Yoda and more. Passes are $90 at the gate, $70 in advance at Planet X and Mammoth Music in Anchorage.
Home Skillet Festival
July 31-Aug. 1, Sitka
As if a trip to picturesque Sitka in late summer isn't enticement enough, the operators of Home Skillet Records give music fans yet another reason. This year's lineup includes Astro King Phoenix (hip-hop), Vox Mod (electronic) and Strummin' Dog (blues) as well as Juneau's own The Wool Pullers. Now in its 10th year, the fest focuses on the music but promises some surprises. Tickets $10 per day, children 10 and under free.
Salmonfest
July 31-Aug. 2, Ninilchik
Salmonfest has new organizers and a new name, but still holds the mantle as the premier event of Alaska's festival season. Improv-funksters The Motet headline Friday, followed by Karl Denson's Tiny Universe on Saturday and Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell, who close out the fest on Sunday. Salmonfest also features performances by dozens of Alaskan musicians and droves of food, arts and crafts vendors. Tickets $65-$75; package deals are available.
Alyeska Blueberry Festival
Aug. 8-9, Girdwood
Blueberry picking is undoubtedly one of the late summer's tastiest undertakings. Alyeska Blueberry Festival is a free, family-friendly event that covers all levels of the state's blueberry season, from the picking to the consuming. There's also a pie-eating contest along with arts and craft booths and the standard Girdwood draws like hiking and biking.
Alaska State Fair
Aug. 27-Sept. 7, Palmer
Ah, the Alaska State Fair. Giant cabbage, baby animals, fast carnival rides and a lineup that includes country star Kacey Musgraves, radio host Garrison Keillor, rock icon Pat Benatar and home-grown indie darlings Portugal. The Man. Tickets $8-$15, concert tickets $20-$75 depending on the show.
Seward Music and Arts Festival
Sept. 25-27, Seward
The Alaska festival season closes with the Seward Music and Arts Festival. This year's theme is circus, which should provide plenty of fodder for both the musicians and artists featured at this year's fest. Check the website for more info as the dates near.