Summer in Alaska, one good reason at a time.
By Gina Hill | Alaska Headline Living | June 23, 2026
Summer has officially settled into Alaska, bringing with it the annual challenge of deciding what to do with all that extra daylight.
The good news? You have options.
Whether you’re looking to pick up a crochet hook in Juneau, watch airplanes roar overhead in Anchorage, celebrate Pride downtown, cheer on kilted athletes in Palmer, stroll through a glacier-carved valley near Portage, or get nose-to-snout with a muskox, Alaska’s community calendar is packed with opportunities to get out and enjoy the season.
Here’s what’s happening around the state.
June 26: Fiber Friday in Juneau
A colorful batch of handmade baby hats from a past hospital project. Small stitches, big community love.
📸 Alaska Headline Living ©️
Some people spend Friday evenings at happy hour. Others spend them untangling yarn and discussing knitting patterns.
Fiber Friday welcomes seasoned fiber artists and curious newcomers alike to a free community gathering in Juneau. Bring your current project, whether that’s knitting, crochet, spinning, weaving, sewing, felting, or something entirely different.
Don’t have a project? That’s okay too. Come for the conversation, inspiration, and creative company.
When: June 26, 5 to 7 p.m.
Where: Heads in the Clouds Collective Studio, Arcticorp Building, 418 Harris St., Room 403, Juneau
Source: https://www.ktoo.org/calendar/
June 27: Aviation Day Takes Flight in Anchorage
A floatplane skims in for a perfect water landing at the Fly By Festival.
Few places have a stronger connection to aviation than Alaska.
The Alaska Aviation Museum is celebrating that legacy with a full day of family-friendly activities, live music from Ken Peltier, local food trucks, a beer garden, kid-friendly fun, an Alaska Airlines raffle, and exciting fly-bys throughout the day.
For many Alaska communities, aviation isn’t just transportation. It’s a lifeline. This event celebrates the pilots, aircraft, and pioneering spirit that helped connect the Last Frontier.
When: June 27, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: Alaska Aviation Museum, Anchorage
June 27: Pride Marches Through Anchorage
The Pride Parade brings color, music, and full-on celebration to the heart of Anchorage.
One of Anchorage’s most colorful community celebrations returns to downtown this weekend.
The Anchorage Pride Parade brings together LGBTQ+ Alaskans, allies, families, businesses, organizations, and supporters for a vibrant celebration of visibility, inclusion, and community.
Expect colorful floats, creative costumes, music, plenty of rainbow spirit, and a joyful atmosphere as participants make their way through the heart of the city.
Whether you’re marching, cheering from the sidelines, or attending for the first time, Pride offers an opportunity to celebrate the diversity, resilience, and sense of belonging that help make Alaska’s communities stronger.
When: June 27, beginning at 11:30 a.m.
Where: Delaney Park Strip, Anchorage
Register, sponsor, or learn more:
Alaskans Together Pride Parade Info
Facebook Event
June 27-28: The Highland Games Return to Palmer
Scenes from the Alaska Scottish Highland Games.
If you’ve never seen someone toss a caber, this might be your year.
The 45th Annual Alaska Scottish Highland Games return to the Alaska State Fairgrounds for a weekend celebrating Scottish culture, athletics, food, music, and tradition.
Expect bagpipes, heavy athletics, Highland dancing, drumming, clan gatherings, birds of prey demonstrations, a kilted mile, tug-of-war competitions, Celtic vendors, food trucks, and enough tartan to make Scotland proud.
There will also be salmon tossing, a haggis eating contest, a shortbread baking competition, a Scottish strongman challenge, children’s activities, and plenty more.
Whether you’re Scottish by heritage or simply Scottish for the weekend, there’s something here for everyone.
When: June 27-28
Where: Alaska State Fairgrounds, Palmer
More information here: Alaskan Scottish Club
July 11 and July 25: Trail of Blue Ice Walk
A walk through Portage’s glacier country.
Sometimes the best Alaska adventures happen at a slower pace.
The Alaska Native Plant Society is inviting the public to join volunteers for a guided one-mile walk along the Williwaw Nature Trail near Portage.
The accessible gravel trail winds through a stunning glacial river valley and offers a chance to learn about the remarkable mix of boreal and coastal plant species that thrive in Southcentral Alaska.
Bring water, a snack, and your sense of curiosity.
When: July 11 and July 25
Where: Trail of Blue Ice near Portage
More information here: Alaska Native Plant Society
All Summer Long: Feed a Moose, Muskox, Porcupine, or Bear
Some Alaska wildlife encounters happen unexpectedly. Others come with a trained guide and a bucket of snacks.
The Alaska Zoo’s Animal Feeding Experiences give visitors the chance to get closer to some of the state’s most iconic animals while learning about their behavior and care.
Choose from morning feedings with moose and muskoxen, midday encounters with alpacas and porcupines, or afternoon black bear feedings. Each session includes time for questions, photos, and plenty of opportunities to learn from zoo staff.
It’s a uniquely Alaskan experience that visitors won’t soon forget and one locals may find themselves enjoying just as much.
Available: Daily through September 1
Where: Alaska Zoo, Anchorage
More information here: Alaska Zoo
Community Matters: Celebrating Alaska’s Family-Owned Businesses
Today, June 23, is National Family Owned & Operated Businesses Day, a fitting reminder that many of the communities hosting these events are supported by local businesses that have spent decades investing in their neighbors.
Across Alaska, family-owned businesses sponsor youth sports teams, contribute to school fundraisers, support nonprofits, create jobs, and help keep local economies moving. They become part of the story of a town, often serving generations of the same families.
Take Robinson Millwork in Wasilla. Family-owned since 1980, the company has helped generations of Alaskans build homes, cabins, and businesses throughout the Mat-Su and beyond.
Or consider Alaska Sausage & Seafood in Anchorage. Since 1963, the family-owned company has become an Alaska institution, known for products that have found their way into hunting camps, holiday gatherings, and care packages shipped all over the country.
📸 Alaska Sausage and Seafood, 2024
Farther north, Delta Meat & Sausage in Delta Junction was founded in 1974 by Doug and Cathie McCollum. What began as a family-run operation has grown into a multi-generational business serving Alaska farmers, ranchers, and hunters across the Interior and beyond. Built on decades of hands-on craft, rural grit, and community trust, it continues to carry forward a tradition that spans more than 50 years.
And while Alaska Mill & Feed began as a family-owned Anchorage business founded by Don Donatello in 1950, its story reflects another path. In 2016, the company transitioned from a family-founded business to an employee-owned company, preserving its commitment to local stewardship and customer service. In 2025, Alaska Mill & Feed entered a new chapter through a partnership with Skagit Farmers Supply, a member-owned cooperative, while continuing to operate under the same name, with the same local management, employees, and commitment to Alaska communities.
In 1965, Mr. Donatello and family receive the U.S. Small Businessman of the Year Award from President Lyndon B. Johnson, the opening chapter in a multi-generational Alaska business story still being written. | 📸 Alaska Mill & Feed
These businesses represent something larger than commerce. They represent continuity.
They’re the places that remember your name. The places that donate prizes for community raffles. The places that sponsor Little League teams, support local charities, and quietly show up when the community needs them.
A thriving community isn’t built by events alone. It’s built by the people, organizations, volunteers, and businesses that invest in their neighbors year after year.
So while you’re out enjoying Fiber Friday in Juneau, watching airplanes soar over Anchorage, celebrating Pride downtown, cheering on caber tossers in Palmer, exploring the Trail of Blue Ice, or feeding a bear at the zoo, consider stopping by a local business along the way.
