AK on the GO

Fur Rendezvous carnival rides are a popular way to celebrate!

Oh boy, only a few more weeks until we get to Rondy! This holds great significance for Alaskans. For one thing, it means Winter is rapidly moving towards “Un-Winter”, with more daylight and warmer temperatures on the way. For another, it means a solid week-plus of fun, fun, fun Alaskan-style. And we dig it.

Today, Fur Rendezvous  organizers have scheduled a solid week of events and activities to tempt and tantalize young, old, and everybody in between. Carefully planned, masterfully implemented, “Fur Rondy” has arrived with superstar status and shows no signs of slowing down, with ten days of sports, Native culture, and Alaskan traditions. If you’re looking for a synopsis of life in the 49^th state, you won’t be disappointed.

The fun begins on Friday, February 26^th and continues through Saturday, March 7^th. Rondy has added new events in the past few years, and created still more for 2010, like the indoor soccer tournament and Sprints at Sundown sled dog race taking place under the lights post-Iditarod start.

AKontheGO has enjoyed Fur Rondy with toddlers, ‘tweens, and teens, and thankfully each year finds enough to amuse and engage the family without too much strife amongst any of the above. In the spirit of such, we’ve come up with a list of our “Top Five Fur Rondy Funnest” to get your family off and running for Rendezvous 2010. Every bit of information regarding Rondy can also be found at the organization’s web site where one can sign up for events, print out a schedule, and read up on this one-of-a-kind winter festival.

AKontheGO Rondy Top Five “Funnest” (In no particular order of importance)

1. Great Train Show: See unique model trains set up in interesting configurations at the Alaskan Railroad Depot (ongoing).

2. Frostbite Footrace and Costumed Fun Run: A family-friendly race where costumes are encouraged, and fun is the watchword. Sign up via the Rondy web site (Sat. Feb 27, 9:30 a.m.)

3. Fur Rondy Grand Parade: Post fun run, cozy up curbside on 5^th or 6^th Avenues (or join us in the window booths of the Glacier Brewhouse) to watch the wacky, wild, and talented members of Alaskan towns participate in this annual parade (Sat. Feb. 27, 10 a.m.).

4. Multi-Tribal Gathering: Nowhere else can one be immersed in the culture of Alaska’s many indigenous peoples as at this gathering, where drumming, dancing, arts and crafts, and fellowship dominate the landscape. (ongoing)

5. Rondy Carnival and Fireworks. Like, duh. A ride on a ferris wheel in the middle of winter? You betcha, that and a whole lot more. AK Kids have whooped it up at the Carnival for years, and a family fun day spinning on the Gravitron or overlooking Anchorage from that ferris wheel can’t be beat. (Carnival is ongoing; fireworks are Sat. Feb. 27 at 6:45 p.m. at the Ship Creek Small Boat Harbor).

We’ll be updating as we receive new information, in the meantime, get ready to Rondy!