Fur Rendezvous, Saturday

Here in Anchorage, there is a winter carnival and festival the weekend and week before the Iditarod (#24 on the list). Wikipedia says that Fur Rondy (for short) is celebrating the end of a long winter and the beginning of spring. Although spring is on it's way, it is not here yet! Fur Rondy gets its origins from the time when fur trappers would meet in Anchorage to hold their annual swap meets with their harvests. They began to hold sports tournaments around this swapping. That was 75 years ago, before Alaska was even a state! Today, there are events all over town, including dog sled races, hockey, a parade, fire works, a snow sculpture competition, Frostbite Footrace 5k, Outhouse Races (I will show you), carnival with rides, Trappers and Miners Charity Ball, Ms. Fur Rondy Pageant, Running of the Reindeer, Ice Bowling and more. Needless to say, we were busy and we didn't even go to everything that there was going on!

First, we walked around at the carnival to see what was there. We saw the Fur Auction and the creative headwear that people were sporting. In the background, you can see the fur auction. Those furs are NOT cheap. A coyote skin was auctioned for $400!! But, 6 squirrels went unsold...go figure.


Next was the Outhouse Races sponsored by the Architecture and Engineering Club at UAA. Apparently these are the World's Largest Outhouse Races. Wow, I didn't know that this happened anywhere else but Anchorage, Alaska. Basically, different teams built structures that resemble outhouses, put them on skiis and race them down the snow-covered street. The teams go two-by-two so as not to cause a traffic jam. Some of them have funny names and themes...


Just something entertaining to get us out of the house during the long, cold winter!! Stay tuned for more Fur Rondy, the Iditarod starts in Anchorage and Willow and our dog mushing adventure!!!



Rebekah