Fur Rendezvous

     This year marked the 77th celebration of the Fur Rendezvous.  It is a festival to commemorate the annual trading of furs at market and a joyful time for Alaskans to come together and beat the winter blues.  Folks dig to the back of their closets and pull out their fur.  Seal skin hats, fur lined kuspuks, fox hats, wolf jackets, ermine, qiviut, and the list goes on.  Furs in Alaska were born out of necessity and have retained their usefulness and popularity.

     We bought our Rondy pins ahead of time and headed out to the Grand Parade.  Rondy pins are your entry into festival events throughout the week and must be displayed on a coat or hat while attending.  Some folks have been collecting pins for years.

     And if you don't have your pin on, the Keystone Kops will nab you and throw you in their jail until you can buy a pin and your freedom.  As kids, we would always try to outrun them.   

     As we drove away, we saw this guy selling whale baleen on the street corner!  Again, not something you see every day.  I love explaining this kind of thing to the kids and their curiosity is definitely piqued regarding the native population and their lifestlye!  

     After the parade, we headed to the trails for the World Championships Sprint Sled Dog races.  25 teams ran a 25 mile course starting downtown and winding out to the foothills east of town and then back.  And they fly!  These dogs are true athletes and are amazing to watch!

     We met an old friend from high school while watching the races and spent the rest of the afternoon with his family reconnecting.  Hard to believe that was 23 years ago.
     That night, we went to check out the snow sculptures down by the docks.  Large blocks of snow are compressed and then place out for the artists.

     The fire works and the wish lanterns were a great end to a full day of Rondy!