Anchorage Fur Rendezvous

What is the Anchorage Fur Rendezvous?

Known locally as ‘Rondy’ – the Anchorage Fur Rendezvous has been a fixture on the Alaskan Winter calendar since 1935. When the festival started, Anchorage was a very small town of just 3,000 people and there was virtually nothing to do all winter, except try and stay warm. The three-day festival was created to give the locals something to celebrate at the peak of the cold, dark winter months.

Today the festival stretches to 12 days and people come from around the world to see some of the weird and wonderful activities that take place. A staple of the festival is the Open World Championship Sled Dog Races – where mushers and their dogs perform 3 days of 25 miles sprints through Anchorage. Perhaps the most notorious event is the Outhouse Races – where contestants construct a toilet that can be attached to skis – and then race the other teams! There are also native crafts markets, fireworks, snowshoe softball and family ice skating.

Need to Know

February in Anchorage is cold and dark, so you’ll need your warmest gear. You may be hoping to spot the Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights on your trip – for the best chance of seeing them you’ll want to head north to Fairbanks and beyond for the best spotting opportunities.

Did You Know?

Rondy includes many native Alaskan traditions – including a blanket toss. A blanket toss or nalukataq is a native practice where two dozen or so people hold a seal or walrus hide tight, while someone stands in the center – the person is then tossed into the air as high as they can go! While today this tradition is mostly performed at celebrations, it originated as a hunting tool – where a hunter would be tossed high into the air so they could search for a game.

For more information on this fantastic event, click on the official website link we have provided on the left. If you do attend, don't forget to come back to this page to rate and review it.