Summer is the major tourist season in Alaska, and rightfully so. The midnight sun is a mind-blowing experience for people who aren't from here and there are so many outdoor activities to partake in while the temperatures are enjoyable and everything is green and lush. The seasonal salmon runs and wildlife viewing are also a huge draw. Tourist season in Alaska starts winding down in August and with things closing around Labor Day, September is probably considered part of the shoulder season. But there’s still so much to do during this month in Fairbanks and that makes it a great time to visit! Contrary to other parts of the world, Fairbanks is experiencing is fall season during this month, but it’s still light enough, and warm enough, to enjoy some of the activities that are lingering from summer! So here’s our list of 12 things to do in Fairbanks in September: 1 - Visit a Farmer's MarketFairbanks is home to the longest running Farmers Market in Alaska. The Tanana Valley Farmers Market brings growers and artists throughout the Tanana Valley - an area larger than the state of Indiana - to Fairbanks throughout the season. It’s truly the best places to get local produce and handicrafts. We love going to the Farmers Market for the kettle corn and shawarma among other favorites. The Farmers Market lasts from May to the end of September and is a great place to check out when visiting Fairbanks. 2 - Pan for GoldIf you know anything about Alaska, you know that gold quite literally put Fairbanks on the map (as well as most other places in this giant state). When the ground thaws and the rivers are flowing again, gold panning is a favorite past time still and is fun for all ages. There are a few different tourist locations to try your hand and learn the special techniques of gold panning in Faibanks, our favorite being Gold Daughters. The entrance fee includes a choose-your-own adventure if you will, where you'll choose the bag of pay dirt that is guaranteed to have gold inside, priced depending on the size of nuggets in each bag, as well as an unlimited amount of pay dirt from their pile for guests to practice (from which we have found our own gold flecks). Your group gets a personal guide who instructs, answers questions and offers help for the best success. Afterwards, they clean your gold for you to take home and you'll be catching gold fever in no time. Pro tip: if you feel you are ready to go out on your own, the knowledgeable guide can answer questions on where you can pan without a claim. Gold panning runs from Memorial Day to the middle of September. 3 - Rent some KayaksMinnesota may be "the land of 10,000 lakes" but Alaska is the land of over 3 million lakes! Only a little over 3,000 of these lakes are actually named due to the size of the state and the remote wilderness covering the majority of it. But because of all these bodies of water, there is an enormous opportunity for water sports - our favorite being kayaking, canoeing, paddle boarding, etc. Some of the larger, more popular lakes around Fairbanks are Tanana Lakes Recreation Area and the Chena Lakes Recreation area. Both lakes offer rentals into September and are easy access for anyone looking to get onto the water. 4 - Take a River CruiseWe are big fans of the Riverboat Discovery river cruise in Fairbanks. This is an activity we've talked about before as well and you can read all about our experience here. This tour is a great experience for locals and tourists alike as you cruise down the Chena river on a historic sternwheeler learning about the history of the locals and what put Fairbanks on the map. The cruise even includes a stopover at a living museum native fishing village and you might even get to sample some good old Alaskan smoked salmon on your way back :) Besides the amazing tour experience, the gift shop at the Riverboat Discovery is the best one in the area, in our opinion. Plus it’s home to the 40 below chamber, where visitors can get of taste of what locals experience every winter. 5 - Visit Santa ClausIf you are in Fairbanks, you can’t miss a little excursion out to North Pole - where the spirit of Christmas lives year round! Not only is this quaint little town bedecked with candy cane striped light posts, and not only can you find the famous “North Pole Pole” (on 5th Ave), you can also visit Santa Claus at his year round home. The Santa Claus House is open year round and you can even chat with Santa himself Wednesday-Sunday. After putting in a good word with Mr. Claus, get yourself a unique souvenir (and some delicious fudge) and then go visit with his reindeer, Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen...(Cupid is our favorite). 6 - visit a DistilleryAlso in North Pole, you can visit a true farm-to-bottle distillery located on Arctic Harvest Farm. The distillery is a pretty cool place to get a drink if the tasting room is open, but it's the setting that keeps us coming back. In September, there's a fun corn maze with food trucks and sometimes a little petting zoo on the weekends, but as the weather turns snowy, they keep trails groomed for walking, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, and even kick-sledding! They also host local artist shows every once in awhile so we recommend checking out their social media for upcoming events. 7 - Dip into some Hot SpringsChena Hot Springs Resort is about an hour outside of Fairbanks and is a beautiful drive on an equally beautiful property, especially in the Fall! In all honesty, having spent some time here, we can't recommend the resort's accommodations or their restaurant, but the grounds, hot springs and extra activities are definitely worth the visit. Chena Hot Springs Resort hosts a great sled dog kennel where you can take a tour - or a ride! - and learn all about sled dog training. The resort is also home to the world's largest year-round ice environment, the Aurora Ice Museum. This museum stays a cool 25 degrees Fahrenheit while you roam around different ice carved rooms and even enjoy an appletini served in their famous ice glass. In our experience, it is also this time of year that is the best time to see wildlife. While you’re in the area, Angel Rocks is a great hiking trail too! 8 - Visit the University of Alaska CampusThe Museum of the North at the University of Alaska - Fairbanks is a great museum if you're interested in learning even more of the history of Alaska. Beyond learning about the gold rush days, they also have a variety of exhibits showing Native history and local animals, including The Blue Babe, a 36,000 year old mummified Steppe Bison found in the area. If that doesn't entice you enough, the University also sits on one of the few hills in town, offering stunning views of Fairbanks and maybe in Denali on a clear day! UAF also is home to the LARS - the Large Animal Research Station. Here you can learn all about muskoxen, reindeer, and other large animals periodically. Open year round, currently winter hours are TBA so keep an eye on their website for more info. 9 - Visit a museumOkay, I know I already listed a museum above, but the Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum is home to 95 pre-WWII automobiles and is one of the premier vintage car museums in the world. They also have a vintage fashion collection that is considered to be the most extensive in the Pacific Northwest. Visiting this museum is literally like stepping back in time and it was so fascinating to learn about the unique challenges that were overcome with bringing automobiles to Alaska. It was truly fun for the whole family and we highly recommend a visit to this spot when visiting Fairbanks. Speaking of cars in Fairbanks, here's a completely random fun fact: Many car companies bring new car models to Fairbanks to test out how they will perform in the extreme cold weather! 10 - Visit Denali National ParkOnly about a 2 hour drive outside of Fairbanks, Denali National Park is home to the highest peak in North America. During the summer season, the road into the park is only open to Mile 15 to private vehicles. Unless you're lucky enough to snag one of the limited number of passes they release, visitors have to book a bus tour to go past that mile marker. But once the crowds leave and the visitor's center closes for the season in mid-September, the road is open (while road conditions allow) to mile 30. We love visiting the park in the off-season. Hiking trails are still open and obviously, wildlife is still roaming. But there's just something about being surrounded by the beauty of this national park while it's seemingly deserted. 11 - Explore a piece of historyExploring Pioneer Park is always an activity we recommend to visitors. Part of the park, known as Gold Rush Town, has been built into a living museum, bringing visitors back in time to the early days that put Fairbanks on the map. This little street includes original cabins and homes from the first settlers, as well as larger buildings that served the community as a variety of businesses. The park and some of the museums are open year round. All of the buildings have outdoor plaques that give a little history but we've found the businesses hit-or-miss whether they're open or not. We do know, however, that the train usually does it's last run of the year around Halloween. This is a fun visit to add to any itinerary. 12 - View the Northern LightsSaving the best for last, we often get asked when's the best time to visit for Northern Lights viewing. While the lights can be seen anytime the sky is dark enough, in our experience the September/October is a great time to view them. Clear skies are a little more common during this time of year and it's finally getting dark enough that sometimes there are great shows as early as 11:00pm! While there are a variety of tour companies you can book, we simply like watching them at Chena Lakes Recreation Area because it's close to our home. There are also a lot of places to see them outside of Fairbanks away from light pollution - we've even heard the Hot Springs Resort is a great viewing place as well! Keep an eye out for an upcoming post of the best places to eat in Fairbanks! If you've been to Fairbanks, is there anything we missed? Or let us know if you have any questions in the comments! If you’re interested in a one-on-one chat to help plan a custom trip to Alaska, check out our options here! Make sure to pin so you can come back to this post! Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram or TikTok for some of our day-to-day adventures and until next time, get out and explore where you live!
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AuthorWe're just a military family enjoying where we live, one PCS at a time. Follow us as we explore our current home, South Carolina, and beyond. The world is our backyard. Archives
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