5 things to do in Anchorage this weekend

It’s been a rainy week, but the weekend is finally here. There are options for inside and outside activities. For those who want live music, the Women of Rock and Taylor Made are opportunities to celebrate local musicians and superstars. There’s a pet adoption gathering and the annual beluga count in Cook Inlet. And if you’re content to stay inside and sip on a cold one, an Oktoberfest celebration might be just the thing. Here’s a look at some of the weekend’s events.

Seasonal beers and ales from Midnight Sun Brewing Co. (Fran Durner / Anchorage Daily News file)

Oktoberfest

2-8 p.m. Saturday, Egan Convention Center, 555 W. Fifth Ave.

Get your fill of Bavarian culture with beer, German food, fun and entertainment. There will be a petting zoo farm from 2-5 p.m. Music will be provided by the Alaska Polka Chips featuring Alaska Button Box Gang and Alaska Main Squeeze. Tickets are $20 and kids 11 and under are free. Food and drinks are not included in ticket price.

Yu Cao, center, and Carly Dennis, right, react as Coleslaw, a puppy from Bethel available for adoption, approaches them at a treat station during national Bike to Work Day in Anchorage on Friday, May 19, 2023. Cao and Dennis work from home but wanted to check out the booth. Alaska SPCA, a nonprofit animal welfare organization, brought the puppies for people to pet during the event. (Emily Mesner / ADN)

Pet Adoption Day

Noon-2 p.m. Saturday, Raising Cane’s, 849 E. Dimond Blvd.

Raising Cane’s, the Alaska SPCA and PetZoo have partnered for a pet adoption day. The block party style event will allow prospective pet parents to visit with adoptable dogs and cats from the Alaska SPCA. New pet parents will receive a care package. Even those who aren’t quite ready for a new pet can win prizes, including a grand prize from PetZoo, and 15% of food sales benefit Alaska SPCA.

Volunteers watch for beluga whales at Beluga Point during NOAA’s Beluga Count on Turnagain Arm. (Bob Hallinen / ADN file)

5th Annual Beluga Count

10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, various locations along Cook Inlet

NOAA Fisheries partners with a number of groups to do a count of beluga whales along Cook Inlet. It’s both family-friendly and educational. NOAA has developed an interactive map to track the outdoor viewing stations. There are outdoor celebrations at Kincaid Outdoor Center from 1-5 p.m. and there’s also one at the Kenai Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Center. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own binoculars or spotting scopes.

Women of Rock

7 p.m. Sunday, Koot’s, 2435 Spenard Road

Prepare to rock along with some of Anchorage’s best. This show features Megan Killoran, Bekah Hilton, Denise Baez, Regina Catherine Welch, Schatzie Schaefers and Lisa Willis along with a stellar backing band and the music directed by Kathryn Strock. Tickets start at $25.

Taylor Swift performs during The Eras Tour on Aug. 7 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Taylor Made

9 p.m. Saturday, Bear Tooth Theatrepub, 1230 W. 27th Ave.

An evening of all things Taylor Swift with videos and music from every Taylor era being shown on the big screen. Plus there are Taylor-themed cocktails, a friendship bracelet station, a photo booth and a gift for the first 200 in the door. Tickets are $15.