Young Alaska Artists, This Button’s for You! Fur Rondy Launches 2027 Design Contest

A winning design with a whole lot of Alaska spirit! 🎨🐟 Rachel Retzinger, a seventh grader at Anchorage’s Mears Middle School, created this colorful fish design that earned her the honor of designing the 2026 Fur Rondy Booster Button. One young artist, one big idea and a place in Fur Rondy history!

Grab those crayons, sharpen those pencils, and let your imagination run wild! Fur Rondy is looking for its next young artist, and the winning design could become a little piece of Alaska history.

The Anchorage Fur Rendezvous is already looking ahead to 2027, when the beloved winter celebration marks its 92nd anniversary. But before the snow flies and the festivities begin, organizers have a creative challenge for Alaska students in kindergarten through eighth grade.

They’re inviting young artists from across the state to design the official 2027 Fur Rondy Booster Button!

And this isn’t just a chance to show off some artistic talent. The winning student gets some pretty exciting bragging rights, too.

From Classroom to the Grand Parade

From designing the winning button to riding in the Grand Parade! Rachel Retzinger, the 2026 Fur Rondy Booster Button contest winner, enjoys her well-earned moment in the spotlight alongside none other than Rondy Bear. A creative design, a parade ride and a memory to last a lifetime! *Photo courtesy of Fur Rondy.*

The winning artist will receive:

A pizza party for the entire class! That’s right, the whole classroom gets to celebrate.
A ride in the Fur Rondy Grand Parade on Saturday, February 27, 2027. Imagine waving to the crowds from the parade route while everyone gets a look at your artwork!
A little something for the school, too! Thirty percent of net Booster Button sales will be donated to the winning artist’s school. So one student’s creativity can benefit the entire school community!

There’s another reason this contest is worth getting excited about. Thirty percent of net Booster Button sales will go directly to the winning artist’s school. One student’s creativity could help support their school and classmates, too.

A Little Button With a Lot of History

A little Rondy history, one pin at a time! These collectible keepsakes from 2023, 2020, 2021 and 2016 prove that Fur Rondy fun never goes out of style. Which one would you proudly wear on your winter coat? Courtesy of the Alaska Mint.

If you’ve ever attended Fur Rondy, you’ve probably seen the colorful buttons worn by festival-goers. They’re more than just souvenirs. They’re part of the festival’s history and a tradition collectors look forward to every year.

Fur Rondy’s commemorative pins and buttons celebrate the people, events and traditions that make this annual Anchorage celebration special. Some vintage collectibles have even become valuable keepsakes for longtime Rondy fans.

The student Booster Button contest gives Alaska’s younger generation a chance to become part of that tradition. Who knows? Today’s classroom artist could someday have a design that longtime Rondy fans treasure!

Celebrating an Alaskan Tradition

A dragon worthy of legend, carved not from stone but from snow! This magnificent creation showcases the imagination, patience and incredible artistry that make Fur Rondy’s snow sculpture competition a winter wonder. Fur Rondy Snow Sculpture 2023, via Jas Karanjkar on Facebook.

There’s more than one way to wear a little piece of Fur Rondy history!

Fur Rendezvous has unveiled its official 2027 Fur Rondy Collector Pin, titled “Snow Sculpture Competition.” Designed by local artist and illustrator Taylor Olson, this year’s commemorative pin celebrates the creativity, determination and community spirit behind the Alaska State Snow Sculpture Championship.

A little piece of Alaska winter artistry you can wear! 🎨 The official 2027 Fur Rondy Collector Pin, “Snow Sculpture Competition,” designed by local artist and illustrator Taylor Olson, celebrates the teamwork, creativity and larger-than-life snow sculptures that make Fur Rondy special. A collectible worth adding to your Rondy memories! Pre-order yours here.

The design features sculptors working together to bring a towering bear carving to life against an Alaskan winter landscape. It’s a fitting tribute to the teamwork, imagination and outdoor artistry that make Fur Rondy such a beloved winter tradition.

The pin’s accompanying description captures the spirit of the competition, celebrating the fun, togetherness and beauty that emerge when artists brave often-frigid conditions to create something extraordinary.

And while Taylor Olson’s design celebrates the talented artists behind the snow sculptures, Fur Rondy’s student Booster Button contest is inviting the next generation of Alaska artists to leave their own creative mark on the festival.

From snow sculptures to collectible buttons, Fur Rondy has plenty of room for a little imagination!

From a Small Winter Carnival to an Alaska Tradition

When it comes to Fur Rondy competition, four legs are better than two! These furry athletes are ready to give it their all at the Fur Rendezvous Open World Championships in Anchorage. Photo Credit: Jodyo.photos

If you think Fur Rondy is just a few days of winter fun, there’s quite a history behind this Anchorage tradition.

The festival began in 1935 as a three-day winter sports carnival, bringing Anchorage residents together during the long winter months. Original activities included skiing, hockey, basketball and even a children’s sled dog race down Fourth Avenue.

The name changed to Fur Rendezvous in 1937, reflecting Alaska’s fur-trading heritage and the arrival of trappers bringing their winter harvests to town. The celebration took a break during World War II before returning in 1946.

What started as a small community gathering grew into one of Alaska’s best-known winter celebrations.

And today’s lineup offers something for just about everyone, including sled dog races, elaborate snow sculptures, carnival rides, fireworks, the Grand Parade, the Running of the Reindeer and those wonderfully wacky outhouse races.

The 2027 Fur Rondy festival runs February 25 through March 7, with the Grand Parade scheduled for Saturday, February 27.

And one young artist will get to experience the Grand Parade from a particularly special vantage point!

How to Enter the 2027 Booster Button Contest

Deadline approaching: Monday, November 16, 2026, at 5 p.m.

Here’s what Alaska students need to know:

Who can enter: Alaska students in grades K–8.
What to create: An original design for the official 2027 Fur Rondy Booster Button.
Entry form: Download the official application at FurRondy.net.
Email submissions: info@furrondy.net
Mail or hand-deliver: Fur Rondy Headquarters, 400 D Street, Suite 110, Anchorage, AK 99501.
Deadline: Monday, November 16, 2026, at 5 p.m.

Be sure to complete all required information on the official entry form and follow the submission instructions.

Questions? Contact Fur Rondy at info@furrondy.net.

Let Those Young Imaginations Run Wild!

Parents, teachers and grandparents, this is a good time to encourage the young artists in your lives to break out the crayons, markers and colored pencils.

Their artwork could end up on a button worn by thousands of Rondy fans, help raise money for their school and earn them a front-row ride in one of Anchorage’s biggest winter celebrations.

And even if your young artist doesn’t win, there’s something pretty special about seeing their creativity become part of an Alaska tradition.

So, Alaska’s young artists, what are you waiting for? Fur Rondy wants to see what you’ve got!

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