Indoor Arts & Entertainment

When it comes time to warm up inside, don’t worry, there is still plenty to keep you engaged. Exciting indoor activities take place throughout the winter months, including cultural programs, performance arts and sporting events. Browse local galleries and shops for authentic Alaska Native and made-in-Alaska gifts created by Fairbanks artisans. Museums tell fascinating stories of our pioneer past, antique automobiles and aviation history, the raucous pipeline days and thousands of years of cultural heritage and natural history.

Fairbanks loves food and variety is the spice of life. We’ve got the flair and flavor you crave with Mediterranean, Korean, award-winning BBQ, sourdough bakeries and so much more. Loads of restaurants, winterized food trucks and coffee huts can be found all around town, not to mention 20+ Thai food eateries! But fear not, if it’s classic Alaskan fair you’re looking for, salmon, king crab and reindeer sausage are easy to find. Local breweries craft great beer and distilleries here use produce harvested in Alaska to create their fine spirits. Sample these on-site or at many restaurants, bars and tap houses in the area.

Alaska Native Culture

Rich with indigenous culture, Fairbanks honors Alaska Native people and their heritage. The Athabascan Indians of Interior Alaska were traditionally nomadic, living a subsistence lifestyle of fishing, hunting and trapping. Likewise, the Inupiaq Inuit of the Arctic lived on the land and sea of northwest Alaska with its oft extreme climate. Many of these traditions live on today, supplemented by modern conveniences, offering us a link to the past and a bridge to the future.

Dancing, drumming and storytelling express the renowned legacy of Alaska’s indigenous cultures and handmade crafts exhibit the skill it took to survive in Alaska’s rugged wilderness. Expertly sewn and beaded moose hide clothing can be seen on display and for sale, as well as delicate ivory and bone carvings, dolls, masks, and spruce root and grass baskets.

In November, dance along to the music at the lively Athabascan Fiddlers Festival.

In March, the Festival of Native Arts showcases dance, music and dress from Alaska Native cultures around the state.