Planning to visit Fairbanks in the off-season, or
"shoulder season," as it is sometimes called?
While many visitor attractions close on Labor Day (September 2 in 2001), many do not. Here we list those things we believe
are still available most of September.
Pioneer Park (formerly "Alaskaland")
Alaskaland Civic Center and
Theatre, "The largest building in Pioneer Park, the
Civic Center houses a 384 seat theater, art gallery and exhibition
room. New art exhibits are offered monthly. Downstairs for 2000 (at least until October 31) was a photo display (Albert Johnson,
1905-1917) of old time Fairbanks. It may still be there. Viewing
hours M-Sat 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Sun noon-8 p.m. There may well be plays
in the theatre. It serves as a community center year 'round.
"Service
with a Smile" (refers to Robert Service) at the Malamute
Saloon in Ester, but that one ends in early September normally.
Right now it appears to be closed for repairs.
The Farmers' Market is still open
Wednesdays and Saturdays, also.
Other Museums
The Community Museum downtown (Cushman Street) may be
open.
The Ice Museum (2nd Avenue and Lacey) may still be
open.
Music and the Arts
Northern Lights Council of Dancers
represents square, round
and folk dancers in the interior. Our link leads to their very active dance calendar. Many
of their member clubs dance at the Alaskaland Dance Center, also known as the Farthest
North Square and Round Dance Center, located in Alaskaland.
Contra
Borealis Dancers Check their website for complete dance schedule.
Dances are $6 non-members / $5 members - $3 student non-members and $2
student members. Special events TBA, kids under 13 are free, if they behave
themselves. (907) 457-8957.
Ballroom Dance
Club of Fairbanks has recently moved to their own domain. Check out
their website for the latest on ballroom dancing in Fairbanks.
Golden
Heart Revue at Palace Theatre & Saloon,
Alaskaland. Shows daily at 8:15 p.m. from May 19 through 9/11, 2002. Reservations: (907) 456-5960.
(We may add more here when dates are released)
Miscellaneous
View the Aurora
Borealis! By September, it is getting dark enough to
enable us to view the Northern Lights, when it is not cloudy, though
it is not the best month.
Public
Lands Information Center has lots of information and shows free
films year round. See our Events Calendar for which ones when (though only updated when they get around to giving
out the info!).
Fairbanks' premier attraction, The Riverboat Discovery, runs till mid September (river conditions determine
actual ending of the season).
There should be some dog mushing experiences or
dog yard tours available.
The Great Alaskan Bowl Company may still be open with tours.
They usually are not cutting bowls from December to April, but with
16,000 sq feet for floor space, there is still lots to see: equipment,
s video, etc. Winter hours (until around Mothers' Day) are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
weekdays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays. See our page on them (link
above) for a map and directions.
KJNP (King Jesus North Pole) radio/TV station in North Pole
probably still offers 9 a.m. tours in September.
In 1999, the talks given at the Pipeline Turnout continued to
September 10, so expect they will still be open. (see our page
"On a Shoestring" for more information.)
Pump
Station 9 on the Richardson Highway may also still have tours.
Silver Gulch Brewing & Bottling Company says they offer Free
tours and tasting every Friday (year round), from 5p.m. to 7 p.m.
The locally-owned brewery was opened in 1998, and is located in the
Historic Mining District of Fox, Alaska, 10 miles north of Fairbanks
on the Steese Highway.
Probably some of the tour operators are still open (like tours to
Prudhoe Bay or to outlying native villages or the Arctic Circle.)
University of Alaska
Museum - In the
Southcentral Gallery is
"Remembering Claire Fejes." This memorial exhibit shows
works by Claire Fejes (1920-1998) from the Museum collections. Fejes’
paintings captured the everyday work and life of Alaska.
Burned into Memory: Images of
Alaska through Historic Pyrography. Runs 2 February - 24 March, 2002.
Alaskans adapted pyrography by burning images onto moose hide and
birch bark. These nostalgic Alaskan scenes decorate full-size moose
hides, pennants, and birchbark postcards.
Keeper of the Seal: The Art of
Henry Wood Elliott runs 6 April - 31 May, 2002. Henry Wood Elliott
(1846-1930) created watercolor sketches, paintings, maps, and cartoons
in his crusade to save the Pribilof Island fur seals from probable
extinction. His works document this rich and remote region of Alaska
during the late 19th Century.
You have an excellent chance of seeing the Aurora Borealis
(Northern Lights). But if you miss it, they have a video
presentation.
All UAF tours are finished in late August, but
it might be worth it to go to the Georgeson Botanical Gardens at the
UAF as they may still be harvesting or winding up crop and garden
experiments.
Museum - Northern Inua is closed, sorry.
When you arrive, check in at the Visitor's Center. We believe
they will still be open and they may know more places that are still
operating.