In January, Alaska celebrated its 65th anniversary of becoming the 49th state. Such a milestone sets the stage for high expectations, and with good reason: Following a record-setting tourism season in 2023 led by more than 1.6 million cruise visitors, predictions are for another banner year in 2024, according to the Alaska Travel Industry Association (ATIA).
To meet the expected demand, many of the state’s travel operators and destinations are pulling out all the stops to make this the biggest and best Alaska season ever. Some are even commemorating significant anniversaries of their own.
Here’s a preview of the key observances awaiting travelers this upcoming spring, summer and fall.
Operators
Holland America Line has been sailing to Alaska for more than 75 years and returns with one of the most extensive Alaska programs in its long history. New is a 28-day Alaska Arctic Circle Solstice cruise that calls at 12 Alaska ports including Anchorage, Dutch Harbor, Haines, Homer, Juneau, Ketchikan, Kodiak, Nome, Seward, Sitka, Valdez and Wrangell. Two 14-day Great Alaska Explorer cruises visit eight Alaska ports, and 117 seven-day cruises sail from Vancouver, Seattle or Whittier. Holland America has more sailings to Glacier Bay National Park than any other cruise line, the company notes.
Princess Cruises celebrates its own milestone anniversary this year as it marks 55 years of cruising in Alaska. The line offers two new cruise-tours to bring passengers deep into the wilderness: The 15-night National Parks Cruise-Tour visits five parks featuring Glacier Bay, Denali, Wrangell-St. Elias, Kenai Fjords national parks and Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park in Skagway. Highlights include scenic rail travel aboard Princess Cruises’ exclusive Midnight Sun Express private domed railcars and overnight stays at four Princess-owned wilderness lodges. A nine-night Katmai National Park Cruise-Tour includes the chance to experience bear-viewing at the famed Brooks Falls in Katmai National Park.
The state-owned Alaska Railroad, which marked its 100th-anniversary last year, has two new kayaking tours to pair with a rail excursion to Seward this summer aboard the Coastal Classic Train. A one-day outing roundtrip from Anchorage includes a day on the waters of Resurrection Bay searching for wildlife. A two-day option adds an overnight stay in Seward. The railroad also continues to offer its Limited Edition: Centennial Package. This 12-day trip covers the full length of the railroad’s mainline tracks. Included in the fare are train travel; hotel accommodations in Anchorage, Seward, Talkeetna, Denali National Park and Fairbanks plus wildlife, sightseeing and adventure tours in Denali and Kenai Fjords national parks and at Spencer Glacier.
Wings Airways and Taku Glacier Lodge recently celebrated their 100th anniversary and continue to be one of the state’s premier fly-in wilderness experiences for “the best flightseeing tours in Juneau.” The company offers two tours: The 5-Glacier Seaplane Exploration soars over five massive glaciers flowing out of the sprawling Juneau Icefield during 40 minutes of airtime, while the Taku Lodge Feast & 5-Glacier Seaplane Discovery adds two full hours at Taku Glacier Lodge with Juneau’s only glacier-view dining, according to the operator.
Kenai River, Alaska. (Photo by Lauren Breedlove)
Destinations
Alaska Day marks the transfer 157 years ago of the Alaska territory from Russia to the United States, which eventually led to statehood. A legal holiday statewide, nowhere is the day more significant than in Sitka. Celebrations here go big with a host of festivities including a parade, the Alaska Day Ball and more. It all leads up to a re-enactment ceremony that is performed every October 18 atop Baranof Castle Hill, where the actual handover took place in 1867.
The Alaska Folk Festival comes to Juneau in April for its 49th year, making it “the oldest and largest festival of its kind in Alaska.” Over 450 performers from across the country and beyond convene in the state capital every spring for a week of main-stage performances, open mikes, jams, workshops and other events. Traditional dancing is a big part of the festival, especially contra and square dancing. Admission is free for all events.
Golden Days returns in mid-July for its 73rd year in Fairbanks. An annual celebration of gold-rush and pioneer history, this weeklong festival has been held every year since 1952. Festivities include the biggest parade in Alaska, a street fair and a rubber-duckie race along the Chena River. Other events encompass all types of fun for the whole family.
The Tanana Valley State Fair, also in Fairbanks, turns 100 this year, making it the oldest state fair in Alaska. Founded on July 7, 1924, the fair—held annually for 10 days from late July through early August—features traditional fair highlights such as fair food, carnival rides, exhibits and entertainment. The fair is especially known for its Alaska-specific aspects including demonstrations from the World Eskimo-Indian Olympics, a freight sled-dog pull and gold-mining activities.
Looking ahead, 2025 will mark the 100th anniversary of the legendary Seward to Nome Serum Run, when a relay of sled-dog teams traveled 673 miles in under 130 hours to deliver life-saving antitoxin during a diphtheria outbreak in Nome. Seward is one of the main cruise ports for Anchorage and serves as a turnaround point for Gulf of Alaska cruises. The Alaska Railroad, which owns the cruise pier and terminal, has proposed an $80 million redevelopment project for both.
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