Juneteenth celebration and Midnight Sun Festival held in Fairbanks
Alyssa Quintyne gives an opening speech recognizing the Dene people, on whose traditional lands Fairbanks is located, during the Greater Fairbanks NAACP's Juneteenth celebration.
Golden Heart Performance Arts performs an aerial arts routine during the Midnight Sun Festival.
Festivalgoers admire classic cars displayed across the Chena River during the Midnight Sun Festival in downtown Fairbanks.
By: Jonathan Wasilewski
Fairbanks residents celebrated nearly 22 hours of daylight on June 20 by attending the Greater Fairbanks NAACP's Juneteenth celebration at the Carlson Center and the 43rd Midnight Sun Festival downtown.
At 12 p.m., the NAACP’s Juneteenth celebration began. Fairbanks Mayor Mindy O'Neall welcomed attendees, saying everyone is welcome in Fairbanks. Alyssa Quintyne of the Greater Fairbanks NAACP and other speakers also addressed the crowd. Among the performers was Willie Blackburn Jr., a local school counselor, who sang songs by Stevie Wonder and Bill Withers.
Willie Blackburn Jr. performs at the Carlson Center for the Greater Fairbanks NAACP's Juneteenth celebration.
Vendors sold food and drinks, promoted local organizations and political groups, offered community services, and provided games and activities for children.
The Greater Fairbanks NAACP also served free burgers, hot dogs, corn, chips and beans. The celebration ended at 4 p.m.
The Midnight Sun Festival, an annual event hosted by Kinross Gold, operator of the Manh Choh Mine near Tok, also took place downtown Saturday.
Multiple streets were blocked from automobile traffic so festivalgoers could easily traverse the area.
The event featured hundreds of vendors selling food, drinks, clothing, collectibles and handmade goods. Those who wanted to be active also found games, basketball courts and a temporary skateboard park.
Entertainment included aerial arts performances, live music, ax throwing, a classic car show and opportunities to swim, boat or paddle on the Chena River.
The Midnight Sun Festival lasted for 12 hours until midnight; the sun in Fairbanks officially set at 12:47 a.m., although it never got completely dark.
The celebrations drew thousands of people throughout the day, highlighting Fairbanks' tradition of marking both Juneteenth and the Midnight Sun Festival on one of the longest days of the year.