5 Best Performing Arts Venues in Fairbanks, the Yukon, and the Interior, Alaska

Alaska's premier cultural gathering takes place over two weeks in mid- to late July throughout Fairbanks. The festivities, which began as a small jazz festival in 1980, now attract visitors worldwide for American roots and other music, dance, and literary, healing, visual, and culinary arts. Guests are encouraged to participate in one- or two-week classes and mini-workshops.

A street fair and parade through the city cap several days of events at this mid-July celebration of Fairbanks's gold rush past. Festivities include what is billed as the biggest parade in Alaska, a street fair, and a rubber duckie race along the Chena River.

This weeklong event in early August is Interior Alaska's largest annual gathering—it dates back more than a century and is one of Alaska's three state fairs. If you've ever wondered just what a 50-pound cabbage looks like, check out the Giant Cabbage Weigh-In. You can also peruse the handiwork of local artisans and hear live local music. 

An ice-sculpting extravaganza, these competitive events that unfold from late February to late March draw ice artists from around the world.

The early February Yukon Quest calls itself the "toughest sled dog race in the world," passing through historic early-gold-rush territory. In odd-numbered years the 1,000-mile race starts in Whitehorse, in even-numbered ones in Fairbanks. Both the start and finish are festive events, with huge crowds on hand even when the temperatures plunge.