Events & What’s Happening
One of the largest open-air markets in Alaska, kicking off each May with hundreds of vendors selling local crafts, food, produce, and gifts. Runs weekends through early fall.
💡The market runs Saturdays and Sundays all summer — go Sunday morning for shorter lines at the food vendors.
Held in nearby Palmer, the Alaska State Fair features giant vegetables, carnival rides, live music, livestock shows, local food, and family entertainment over 12 days.
💡Wednesday is Kids Day with discounted admission for children; arrive at opening to beat the parking crunch.
A classic college basketball tournament held at the Alaska Airlines Center featuring top NCAA teams, drawing passionate fans for multiple games over Thanksgiving weekend.
💡Great for older kids who love basketball — grab a multi-game pass for the best value and arrive early for warmups.
A beloved free multi-day celebration of folk, acoustic, and roots music held at the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts, featuring local and visiting musicians across multiple stages.
💡Admission is free and the indoor venue is warm — a perfect mid-winter outing with kids when cabin fever sets in.
An Anchorage tradition featuring humorous and heartfelt performances by local community members, celebrating Alaska culture and storytelling at the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts.
💡Content is family-friendly and the show sells out fast — buy tickets early and enjoy a fun winter night out.
One of the largest winter festivals in Alaska, featuring the Running of the Reindeer, blanket toss, sled dog races, carnival rides, and the Miners and Trappers Ball.
💡Don't miss the Running of the Reindeer on 4th Avenue — kids go wild for it, and it's free to watch from the sidewalk.
The festive ceremonial start of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race runs through downtown Anchorage, with mushers and their teams parading through cheering crowds before the official restart in Willow.
💡Line up along 4th Avenue early for a front-row view; kids can often meet mushers and pet dogs at the starting chute.
Weekly outdoor market in downtown Anchorage at 3rd Avenue and E Street with local crafts, produce, prepared foods, and live entertainment from May through September.
💡Grab a reindeer sausage or fresh salmon and let the kids explore the craft booths — vendors love chatting with curious little ones.
Free weekly storytime for young children at the Anchorage Public Library's main branch, featuring picture books, songs, and simple crafts led by children's librarians.
💡Great for ages 2–5; arrive a few minutes early to snag a good spot on the rug and let kids pick out books after.
On the first Friday of each month, the Anchorage Museum offers free admission during evening hours, often paired with special programming, art openings, and family activities.
💡The Imaginarium Discovery Center inside the museum is a huge hit with kids — free First Friday is the best time to explore without the weekend crowds.
Semi-professional and youth hockey leagues play regularly at the Sullivan Arena and various Anchorage ice rinks throughout the fall and winter season.
💡Local youth and adult league games are often free or low-cost to watch — a great way to experience Alaska's hockey culture.
Kincaid Park offers groomed cross-country ski trails and weekend family ski programs through Anchorage Parks and Recreation, with rentals available on-site.
💡The beginner loops near the chalet are perfect for young kids — rent skis on-site and warm up with hot cocoa at the Kincaid Chalet afterward.
Planning Your Visit
Neighborhoods & Areas
Local Tips for Families
- 💡The Anchorage Museum offers free admission on the first Friday of every month from 6–9pm as part of First Friday events — it gets crowded with adults, but daytime visits the rest of the month are calm and the Imaginarium Discovery Center inside is excellent for kids under 10.
- 💡Ship Creek, a 10-minute walk from downtown behind the Railroad Depot, has free public salmon viewing platforms from late June through August where kids can watch king and silver salmon swim upstream — no fishing license needed just to watch, and the fish are close enough to see clearly without binoculars.
- 💡Rent bikes from Pablo's Bicycle Rentals near the coastal trail and ride the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail north to Earthquake Park — the 11-mile paved loop has virtually no car crossings and provides direct views of Mount Susitna and Cook Inlet, with real moose sightings in the adjacent wetlands common in early morning.
- 💡The drive to Portage Glacier (about 50 miles south on Seward Highway) along Turnagain Arm offers some of the most dramatic scenery in the state for free from the car, and the Begich Boggs Visitor Center at Portage is free to enter — the glacier boat tour run by Gray Line costs extra but is worth it since the glacier has receded too far to see well from the visitor center.
- 💡Moose's Tooth Pub and Pizzeria on Old Seward Highway is an Anchorage institution with a 2–3 hour wait on weekend evenings — call ahead or arrive by 5pm on weekdays. They do not take reservations but the pizza is genuinely exceptional and the space is casual and loud enough that kids fit right in.
- 💡The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center in Portage (mile 79 of the Seward Highway) charges $20/adult and $12/child but is dramatically better than a zoo for seeing Alaska-native animals like wood bison, brown bears, and elk in large natural enclosures — plan 2–3 hours and go early when animals are most active.
- 💡If you're visiting in August, the Kenai Peninsula Salmon Runs mean the Russian River Ferry crossing near Cooper Landing (2 hours south) is often packed with both bears and human fishermen at the same time — an extraordinary wildlife experience that requires no guide and costs only the $7 ferry fee.
- 💡Northern lights viewing within Anchorage city limits is possible on clear nights from late August through March — drive out to Point Woronzof at the end of Point Woronzof Road near the airport for unobstructed western horizon views without leaving the city. Check the Geophysical Institute UAF aurora forecast at gi.alaska.edu before going.