Alaska Celebrates Independence Day!
Photos & Story by Cheryl and Janine
Anchorage
Anchorage celebrated July 4th at the Park Strip in downtown. It was a glorious day and I don't think I've ever seen so many people celebrate this holiday in Anchorage .The festivities started at 8 a. m. with a pancake breakfast. Everyone was lined up along Delaney Park strip by 11am when the Fourth of July Parade started. The parade had several floats, restored old vehicles, drummers, bag pipe players and motorcycles with POW/MIA flags. My favorite was the Friends of Pets organization that had several dogs with bright scarves that were in need of a home.
Readings of the Declaration of Independence with the speakers in costume reminded us why we were celebrating. It was the first I had heard of the Japanese Taiko drumming and I was quite impressed with how great the sound was. It's an old tradition that has taken on modern flare and interpretation in recent years. In Anchorage, the Taiko group has a club that offers classes to both adults and kids.
You've heard of bull riding? Alaska has salmon riding! This boy is trying to stay on as long as he can. There was a lot of fun things for kids to do - slides, rock climbing and eating fair food. - Cheryl
Seward
The small town of Seward comes alive with thousands of runners and campers every 4th of July. Seward is home to the Mount Marathon race, the third oldest foot race in the country.
Runners usually count on the cool breezes coming off Resurrection Bay to help them along as they reach the mountain’s 3,022 foot summit. But, this year the unusually hot temperatures gave many of the most seasoned racers a hard time. By the time the men’s race began at 3pm, temperatures were reaching the low 80’s. Brent Knight, the competitor that was leading the men’s race to the summit and on the descend, collapsed mere yards from the finish line. He was rushed to the hospital where he awoke 4 hours later with no memory of the day's events. Matias Saari, a 38 year old runner from Fairbanks, ended up taking home the crown, finishing the race in 48 minutes flat.
This year’s 82nd running of the Mount Marathon race saw the hottest temperatures since the mid ’90’s. - Samantha
The crowd gathers on 4th street for the start of the Mount Marathon race. The town of Seward grows from a population of 3,000 to over 20,000 every Fourth of July weekend.
Matias Saari runs the home stretch to the finish line on Seward's Fourth Avenue. Saari took the lead after runner Brent Knight collapsed a little over a block away from the finish line.
Juneau
A little before midnight on July 3rd, fireworks lit up the sky above Gastineau Channel. A large crowd gathered along the docks where, just hours earlier, the community was treated to live music and a free barbeque.The celebration continued the next day with a grand parade in the heart of downtown Juneau, right in front of Once in a Blue Moose. The 50th Anniversary of Statehood was the theme of many of the floats in the parade. After the parade, many crossed the bridge over to Douglas (including Alces Browser), for an encore of the parade and to soak up the sun on Sandy Beach. There was also live music, great food and fun family activies to enjoy on such a beautiful Independence Day. - Janine
Fireworks shoot out over the Gastineau Channel just after midnight on July 4th. Since most of Alaska experiences extreme periods of daylight in the summer, fireworks are held at the stroke of midnight on the 4th instead of in the evening.
One artistic group celebrates Alaska's 50th birthday with a festive float in the downtown Juneau Fourth of July parade. The parade route goes right down South Franklin street where our Juneau store is located.