Downtown Fairbanks will host the 36th Midnight Sun Festival celebration on Father’s Day, June 18, from noon-midnight! As Alaska’s largest single-day event, the Festival attracts more than 30,000 people to downtown Fairbanks.
The event highlights several new features this year including carnival rides provided by A1 Midway, as well as a WWE-style wrestling event by the Fairbanks Ladies of Wrestling.
“This will be the first year that the Festival has featured either event,” said Jeremia Schrock, communications director at the Downtown Association of Fairbanks. “It’s going to be an awesome year.”
The Festival will feature nearly 200 vendors offering a variety of shopping and eating opportunities including Shave Ice Sisters, The Hungry Robot, The Pretzel Chef, Charms by CJ, Alaskan Soda Jerk, Alaska Village Arts and Zorba on the Run. The Odom Beer and Wine Garden, the official drink lounge of the Festival, will be near Lacey Street and the MAC Federal Credit Union 1st Avenue stage. There will also be beer tents at Lavelle’s Taphouse and Soapy Smith’s Pioneer Restaurant on 2nd Avenue.
Attendees will experience 35 live performances across three stages including talent sponsors DJ Double X, Dance Theatre Fairbanks, Mokupuni Moana Aku, CrimZen, John Shewfelt Jr., New Creations Dance and UAF Dance REVolution Crew. The Festival will also include the musical stylings of Burnt Orange, Emily Anderson, Mike Bork, Cold Steel, Awaken Antagonist and Great Land Sounds.
This year’s Festival will also include a raffle with four mega prizes including a Honda 4-Wheeler, two roundtrip tickets on Alaska Airlines and RAVN Alaska, as well as a chainsaw package. Tickets are $10 each or 6 for $50 and you need not be present to win! To purchase tickets, please call 907-452-8671 or email Jeremia. Tickets will also be available day-of at the Design Alaska Headquarters Booth on 2nd Avenue.
The official 2017 logo, designed by Hannah Foss, will be available on maroon and neon orange t-shirts, as well as men’s and women’s charcoal-colored tank tops. All shirts will be available for $20 each at the Design Alaska Headquarters Booth on 2nd Avenue.
Other events within the event include aerial silks by Golden Heart Performing Arts, a kid’s activity park, a skate park, pony rides, a petting zoo and goldpanning. The Festival will provide handicapped-accessible restrooms. There will also be $5 all-day parking in the Parking Garage.
This year’s sponsors include: Alaska Airlines; Alaska Universal Productions; Alaska Waste; Big Ray’s; Castle Megastore; Co-Op Market; Delta Power Sports; Design Alaska; Doyon, LTD; Fairbanks North Star Borough; Fairbanks North Star Borough Recycling Commission; Festival Fairbanks; GEICO; Golden Heart Parking Services; If Only… a fine store; JL Properties; Kendall Subaru of Fairbanks; Kinross Ft. Knox; Kohler, Schmitt & Hutchison, P.C.; Lavelle’s Taphouse; MAC Federal Credit Union; Mecca Bar; Mt. McKinley Bank; Nomadic Stars; Odom Corporation; RAVN Alaska; Sani-Can; Sourdough Fuel; SpringHill Suites by Marriott; Sunrise Cares; Usibelli Coal Mine; Verizon Wireless; and Walsh Kelliher & Sharp.
