Termination dust shows itself on the Chugach mountains sometime in September, and once it’s visible the season moves quickly. Anchorage loses close to five minutes of daylight per day through October, so Alaskans don’t take their time for granted. The weeks before the sun retreats are packed with things to do. Here’s a rundown of top events to attend, plus a map to help you plan.
Alyeska Oktoberfest
Alyeska Resort, Girdwood – Sept. 25-26
Girdwood is about 40 miles down the Seward Highway from downtown Anchorage, which makes this one of the rare Alaskan events you can find on a nice scenic drive rather than via flight.
The resort runs two days of beer, food, and activities aimed at all ages. There will be live music with traditional German bands. Plus it’s free.
If you choose to stay at the resort during Oktoberfest, a room booking comes with two beer steins, two food vouchers, and two aerial tram tickets.
Boyer’s Harvest Festival
Boyer’s Orchard & Greenhouse, Anchorage – Sept. 26
At Bob Boyer’s one-acre orchard you can watch fruit grow from bud to fruit. The harvest festival is one of the few times a year when the gates open, and you can get cider and food from vendors.
Boyer’s Harvest Festival is run by the nonprofit Friends of Boyer’s Orchard. Tickets are available for $10 here.
Oxtoberfest
Musk Ox Farm, Palmer – Oct. 3
The Musk Ox Farm throws its biggest fundraiser of the year outdoors in the pasture, with the Talkeenta Mountains on one side and the Chugach on the other, plus 77 musk oxen watching it all from their side of the fence.
Oxtoberfest’s Bavarian food offerings are largely Alaskan grown, raised, and brewed. They include bratwurst and veggie brats, potato salad, sauerkraut, giant pretzels, and more.
An $80 general admission ticket gets you access to beer tents plus the dinner, and a $200 VIP ticket gets you the same plus access to a private bar and guided tour of the farm with an enrichment activity with the musk oxen.
Zombie Half Marathon
Anchorage – packet pickup Oct. 7, race Oct. 10
Costumes are encouraged at the Zombie Half Marathon, and the race takes place regardless of the weather. The Anchorage course runs on the Coastal and Chester Creek trails. A ticket is $50 or $80 for the two-person half marathon relay.
The packet pickup is its own small event at Anchorage Brewing Company from 4-7 p.m. with a social run. Learn more here.
Alaska Day Festival
Sitka – week of Oct. 18
Alaska Day marks the 1867 transfer of the territory from Russia to the United States. Sitka, the place where it actually happened, throws an annual celebration for the occasion that’s worth checking out.
The festival has a reenactment ceremony, a period costume ball, dances, dinners, contests, and a parade.
Statewide Elders & Youth Conference
Dena’ina Center, Anchorage – Oct. 18-21
First Alaskan Institute’s 43rd annual gathering brings elders and young people together for four days of language, culture, and leadership work in late October.
It’s scheduled to run right up against the Alaskan Federation of Natives Convention in the same building, so the two function as one longer week for many attendees. General admission for the conference is $75 for adults and $65 for people 13-24.
This year’s theme is k’ets’e kk’ūdaa neehūghleł, or “We are approaching change.”
Jams for Fams Halloween
Bear Tooth Theatre Pub, Anchorage – Oct. 18
Jams for Fams Halloween is an all-ages family dance party in Anchorage that runs from 10 a.m. to noon and 1-3 p.m.
General admission tickets are $20.
Alaska Federation of Natives Convention
Dena’ina Center, Anchorage – Oct. 22-24
AFN is the largest yearly gathering of Native peoples in the United States, and 2026 is the organization’s 60th year.
This year’s theme is “Rooted in Land and Tradition, Rising in our Voices,” and the keynote speaker is Dr. Rosita Worl, a Tlingit anthropologist, educator, author, and Alaska Native rights advocate.
Alaska Native Customary Art Fair
Dena’ina Center, Anchorage – Oct. 22-24
This runs along with the Alaska Federation of Natives Convention, and the art fair brings together over 100 Alaska Native artists plus Native American artists from the Lower 48 selling their work directly.
It’s open and free to everyone.
Nordic Ski Association of Alaska Ski Swap
Anchorage – Oct. 23-24
Over 100 consignors turn out for the state’s biggest used-gear sale. You can grab Nordic, skate, backcountry, and alpine setups, along with skates, snowshoes, outerwear, and fat bikes.
Thirty percent of sales go back into Anchorage trail maintenance, so part of the money you spend heads directly into the trails you’ll be skiing.
Go Winter! Expo
Carlson Center, Fairbanks – Oct. 24-25
The Go Winter! Expo is Fairbanks’ annual look-ahead to the cold season, with gear, outfitters, and winter recreation outfits under one roof at the Carlton Center.
It’s useful if you’re trying to figure out what kind of gear you’ll need to get through the season. The 2025 event had over 3,700 attendees across two days.
Halloween Bar Crawl
Anchorage – Oct. 30
This Halloween bar crawl in Anchorage starts at 4 p.m., costs $15, and takes you to eight bars over eight hours.
It starts at Avenue Bar and ends at Pioneer Bar, with a mid-crawl party at The Broken Blender in between. You can also hit Club Seven 21, The Aurora Room, Tent City Taphouse, Humpy’s Great Alaskan Ale House, and Blarney Stone Pub.
Bald eagle gathering at the Chilkat Preserve
Haines – October through January
This isn’t a specific event, but it’s worth making time for in the coming months. Between 3,000 and 4,000 bald eagles converge on the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve from October through January, to feed on late salmon runs at a stretch of the river that stays open as everything around it freezes.
It’is the largest gathering of bald eagles in the world, and October is when those numbers start to climb.
