🧡Alaska in October: From Flood Recovery to Fall Revelry

Storms, Storytimes, and Spooky Nights Ahead

By Gina Hill | Alaska Headline Living | October 20, 2025

October has been a month of extremes across the Great Land. Storm surge on the west coast, pumpkin spice in the Mat-Su. While Typhoon Halong’s remnants battered Alaska’s western shores, leveling homes and scattering families, Anchorage and the Valley are channeling their own kind of energy: one of creativity, community, and a touch of Halloween mischief.

Weather: Cloudy, Cold, and Character-Building

🍂 Crisp and cloudy morning in the Mat-Su Valley, currently at 35 degrees.

Across much of the state today, skies remain cloudy and the air crisp, hovering between 26 °F and 30 °F. There’s snow teasing the mountain ridges, and a bite in the air that says: “Layer up! It’s only October.”

Early this morning, a magnitude 1.8 quake near Mount Redoubt reminded Alaskans how quickly the landscape can stir. Meanwhile, recovery continues in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, where Halong’s floodwaters left behind catastrophic damage. Some displaced residents may not return home for more than a year.

Yet, as usual, Alaskans respond not with despair but with grit, and a knack for keeping life going, no matter the forecast.

Community Resilience & Culture

*The proceedings of the convention are broadcast live on television and radio and are webcast to an international audience, potentially reaching up to 70 countries./AFN Convention 2025*

This year’s Alaska Federation of Natives convention in Anchorage centered on rebuilding, Indigenous resilience, and the future of subsistence life after Halong’s destruction. Tribal leaders spoke of strength born from challenge, a familiar refrain in these latitudes.

*Democratic candidate Matt Schultz is an Anchorage pastor who is challenging U.S. Representative Nick Begich, a Republican who comes from a family of prominent Alaska Democrats.*

In politics, Anchorage pastor Matt Schultz announced a campaign to challenge incumbent Nick Begich III for Alaska’s lone U.S. House seat, adding another colorful contest to an already dynamic 2026 political season.

The Orionid meteor shower is peaking on October 21–22, 2025, and can be viewed best after midnight in a dark location away from city lights. It is caused by debris from Halley’s Comet, and viewers can expect up to 20–25 fast meteors per hour, with some leaving long-lasting streaks. To get the best view, find a dark spot, allow your eyes to adjust to the dark for about 20 minutes, and look for meteors in any part of the sky. /PC: NASA/JPL

Above it all, the skies offer their own show: the Orionid meteor shower peaks tonight, with Northern Lights likely visible in northern and interior Alaska. Two comets, Lemmon and SWAN, are streaking by as well, nature’s reminder that cold nights can glow.

🏈 Sports: Grit and Glory

*Katahdin Staples became the first East High boys’ runner to win the state cross country championship in 50 years./PC: Stephanie Burgoon, Alaska Sports Report*

In high-school football, South Anchorage pulled off a stunning upset over rival West Anchorage, while cross-country standout Katahdin Staples clocked a 15:36 5K at the Nike Hole in the Wall Invitational, the fastest time by an Alaskan runner this season.

*The Alaska Anchorage Seawolves women’s volleyball team dominated the Northwest Nazarene Nighthawks, defeating them 3-1 on October 18, 2025.*

🏐 At the collegiate level, the UAA Seawolves women’s volleyball team dropped a tight four-set match on the road, and the UAF Nanooks rifle squad is sighting in for its opener against Ohio State.

The 2025-26 UAF rifle team’s roster includes athletes from three different countries and seven different states
. Additionally, the team recently broke two program records: the air rifle score and the aggregate score at the 2025 PRC Championship. /*Alaska Nanooks Rifle Squad*

Entertainment & Events: Alaska’s Autumn Pulse

If you prefer culture over competition, there’s no shortage of October happenings from Anchorage to the Valley.

Anchorage Highlights

Anchorage Restaurant Week runs through October 26, with prix-fixe menus and local dining deals.
The ATIA Annual Convention & Trade Show (Oct 21–23) draws the state’s tourism professionals, often with evening receptions and performances.
At 49th State Brewing, “Garden Grooves” keeps live music flowing most evenings through the end of the month.
On Halloween Night (Oct 31), the city lets loose with The Official Halloween Bar Crawl costumes, cocktails, and plenty of late-night laughter.

Mat-Su & Wasilla Highlights

🎮 Mat-Su Game Night

Date & Time: Wednesday, October 29, 5:00–7:30 PM AKDT
Location: Access Alaska Mat-Su, 777 N Crusey Street, Wasilla, AK 99654
Details: Enjoy board games, card games, video games, puzzles, and trivia in a relaxed, social setting.
Registration: Contact Access Alaska at 907-357-2588 or email info@accessalaska.org.
Link: Stone Soup Group

🧠 ADHD Support Group

Date & Time: Thursday, October 30, 12:00–1:00 PM AKDT
Location: Access Alaska Mat-Su, 777 N Crusey Street, Wasilla, AK 99654
Details: A supportive environment for individuals with ADHD and their families to share experiences and strategies.
Link: Connect Mat-Su

🎨 Kreative Korner

Date & Time: Friday, October 31, 1:00–2:30 PM AKDT
Location: Access Alaska Mat-Su, 777 N Crusey Street, Wasilla, AK 99654
Details: A creative space for individuals to engage in various crafts and artistic activities.
Link: Connect Mat-Su

🍬 Follow the Yellow Brick Road: City Hall Trick-or-Treat

Date & Time: Friday, October 31, 2:00–5:00 PM AKDT
Location: Wasilla City Hall, 290 E Herning Ave, Wasilla, AK 99654
Details: A family-friendly event where children can trick-or-treat through a themed path at City Hall.
Link: Facebook

👻 The Matsuvian Monster Bash

Date & Time: Friday, October 31, 3:00–9:00 PM AKDT
Location: Everett’s Fine Dining, Bar & Bistro, 1850 E Bogard Rd, Wasilla, AK 99654
Details: A free, family-friendly event featuring trunk-or-treating, a costume contest, a spooky dance club, and a hot chocolate bar.
Link:

From story circles to full-blown costume bashes, the Mat-Su proves that you don’t need city lights to shine.

🧡 Warm Hearts, Cold Nights

Northern Lights in Talkeetna, Alaska/PC: Paxson Woelber

As Alaska heads toward Halloween, the mood is both somber and celebratory: a mix of cleanup and costume, resilience and revelry. The west coast rebuilds. The cities and valleys make merry. And above it all, the aurora flickers green against the first true dark of winter.

Alaska never forgets its challenges. But it also never forgets to gather; to sing, to dance, to tell stories, and to laugh in the face of the long night.

Because here, the cold is inevitable. Community? That’s the choice.