Alaska Vacation Destinations

What do clowns and ice sculptors have in common with in Alaska? By Melody Schubert: Known as the Ice Capital of the World, Fairbanks has been the home for the World Ice Art Championships since its inception in 1988. This annual international ice sculpture competition sponsored by the non-profit organization, Ice Alaska, has about 100 sculptors from more than 30 countries participating annually.

Two events in Fairbanks, Alaska bring together clowns and ice sculptors from around the world. Held annually in Fairbanks, the World Ice Art Championships is held in late February through late March. The Annual World Clown Association Convention will be held in Mid-March at the Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge. In honor of the clown association convention, ice art organizers chose “Greatest Show in Ice” as this year’s theme while the clowns selected “Think Outside the Icebox” as the theme for their annual spring convention.

Spectators and competitors at this year’s World Ice Art Championships will enter through an 18-foot clown gate made of ice. The Flint Hills Resources Kids Park, an annual feature with interactive ice sculptures such as slides and mazes for the whole family, will also be clown and circus-inspired. Ice clowns guard the entrance to the ice maze and provide peek-though photo opportunities where visitors may put their head into the ice lion’s mouth, ride a clown car or train, lift weights with the circus strong man or glide down large elephant and gorilla slides.

The clowns are planning to attend the Ice Alaska festivities, as well as participate in a number of other winter activities in Alaska’s Interior. Convention-goers will have a chance to try ice fishing, fly across the Arctic Circle or visit Santa Claus at the North Pole during their free time in Fairbanks. The fully-loaded convention schedule includes courses such as “Bubble Class,” where participants learn to blow extremely large bubbles, and “The Joys of Blessing Those in Nursing Homes” to learn the do’s and don’ts of nursing home clowning.

The Alpine Lodge Welcomes Guest For The Spring

Guests staying at the new Alpine Lodge will find bear tracks inlaid on the floor and copper salmon swimming on a smooth pebble river that covers the front desk reception area, and a décor featuring an Interior Alaskan theme. Fairbanks’ newest luxury hotel, the Alpine Lodge is a 115-room three-story hotel with amenities such as complementary breakfasts, an outdoor spa, a fitness center and business center. They offer free shuttles from the airport, which is only minutes away. The majority of the rooms are identical but there are family suites and business suites available too. The conference room holds approximately 75 people.

 Above Photo Credits: © USA Travel Magazine, ATIA Photographers: Frank Flavin, Robin Hood, and Kemmerling, Brian Adams/Alaska Travel Industry Association, www.travelalaska.com