It’s back-to-school season, but summer isn’t slowing down.
This week, the Anchorage Weekender rounded up seven ways for you to soak up the start of August.
1. Pedal Party
Grab your wheels and head to Hive Mind Meadery in Midtown for a pedal party on Thursday. The ride to Onsite Brewing will start at 6 p.m. It’s recommended to wear helmets and dress in high-visibility clothing.
2. Back to School Jam
The school year is right around the corner, and on Friday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Begich Middle School, students can receive free backpacks filled with essential school supplies.
This year’s Helping Us Give School Supplies Back-to-School Jam, hosted by the Alaska Coalition of BIPOC Educators and the Anchorage School District, will also be serving up hot dogs, chips and drinks. The event is open to all ASD students and families.
3. Bookstore Camping Trip
Join Black Birch Books on a camping trip on Saturday starting at noon. The free, all ages, sober event will be held at South Rolly Lake at Nancy Lake State Recreation Area. Bring your tent, sleeping gear, food, chair and firewood. Carpooling is recommended.
4. First Friday
It’s not just any Friday, it’s First Friday. That means you can get in free to the Anchorage Museum from 6 to 9 p.m. This month’s event includes a gallery talk about Athabascan cultural belongings at 6:30 p.m., 7 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. There’s also a planetarium show, “Rapid Space Shorts,” that plays every half hour starting at 6:30 p.m.
Down 5th Avenue at Stephan Fine Arts, three new local artists will be introduced from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. There will also be live music by Grace Elliot and Pete Nolfi.
At Akela Space on 6th Avenue from 5:30 to 9 p.m., artist Tom Chung will be presenting his recent artwork titled “American Buddha.”
5. Ready to roadtrip? It's Salmonfest weekend
The first weekend in August always means Salmonfest. And this year, the music festival is celebrating its 15th anniversary. The three-day festival starting Friday is hosted at the Kenai Peninsula Fair Grounds in Ninilchik.
This year’s headliners include The Revivalists and Elle King, along with a weekend full of local and national performers.
Tickets range in price depending on the day, and multi-day passes are available. You can get them here. Children age 6 and under are free when accompanied by a ticket-holding adult, and those ages 6 to12 are $40.
Limited camping is available, but the festival has compiled a list of nearby options.
6. Shorty Forty Derby Mashup
A roller derby mashup game between the Stouts (Alaska’s shortest skaters) and the TallBoys (tallest skaters) is going down at Ravens Ring Brewing Company in South Anchorage this Saturday starting at 3 p.m.
This all-ages outdoor event will also have live music, a beer garden and food trucks. Tickets are $5 and will help fund the brewery's new 40 oz bottling machine. You can get them here.
7. Kids’ Safety Workshop
This free Kids’ Safety Workshop for elementary-aged students is hosted by the Integrated Resilience Office, the Red Cross and library on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.
There will be a presentation on how to stay safe during a disaster. Kids will also learn how to use coping skills to help manage stress and discuss the role science plays in emergency preparedness. Sign up here.
Have an event we should consider for The Anchorage Weekender? Email us at news@alaskapublic.org.
