So -- you're thinking about traveling to Fairbanks, Alaska, to take part in the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival this year -- GREAT!
We believe this could be a most exciting and inspirational thing for you to do! You'll be studying and performing with talented, friendly and interesting people from literally all over the world and the camaraderie is amazing! Many people call their experiences here life-changing!
We hope the following information will answer some of your questions:
HOW IN THE WORLD DO I GET TO FAIRBANKS, ALASKA?
It's easier than you may think! When you look at a map of Alaska, you'll see that Fairbanks is about in the center. There are only about 90,000 people -- within a radius of about 30 miles -- in our community, but Fairbanks isn't as isolated as it may appear to be! There are excellent connections from all over the world into the Fairbanks International Airport with more than 20 flights in and out a day on Alaska Airlines year round, with summer filghts on Northwest Airlines and Delta Airlines. And there is even a non-stop flight over the North Pole each Thursday from Frankfurt, Germany on Condor Airlines!
Another way to arrive in Fairbanks is to take the Alaska Ferry System up the Inside Passage. This is a glorious trip. You could connect on into Anchorage and then take the modern Alaska Railroad on to Fairbanks. It's a 12-hour trip and a wonderful way to experience Alaska for the first time.
If you would like some professional friendly help from a local travel agent who knows all the best travel and sight seeing opportunities available, please contact Sue Selzer at USTravel: 1.800.622.6449, or if that line is busy, call her directly at 1.907.374.5336. Fax: 1.907.452.3839 Sue is eager to help all Festival registrants and families with their travel.
Fairbanks is about a 365 mile drive north of Anchorage, and what a beautiful drive that is as you go through Denali National Park. If you're lucky, the clouds will move out and you'll see Mt. McKinley towering in its boldest glory! Breathtaking!
If you have the time and you're interested in driving up the Alaska Highway, check your bookstore for a helpful guidebook such as The Milepost. Then start planning for a most adventuresome trip through some of the most rugged and beautiful country in the world -- leaving from either Canada on the Alaska Highway or from Seattle on the Fraser Highway, connecting on to the Alaska Highway. Plan for at least a week en-route -- you don't want to rush through beautiful scenery like this! You may remember the history of the Alaska Highway -- originally called the Alcan Highway. It was forged out of the wilderness and 'completed' in the war years -- 1942. It's now a modern highway with convenience stops so it isn't the road of the "old" days.
July averages:
High: 72 F, Low: 53 F
WHAT'S THE WEATHER LIKE IN SUMMERTIME FAIRBANKS AND DOES ANYTHING GROW THERE? We make no promises about the weather except to say that the only thing absolutely predictable is that it will still be daylight at 11pm! Daytime temperatures could be as high as the high 80s -- low humidity so it doesn't feel hot -- and evenings as low as the 50s. We usually have little wind in Fairbanks. We're known for our beautiful summers, but the last few years have been rainy, so bring your raincoat and your umbrella and a sweater for cool evenings. Dress at the Festival is casual. But you may wish to bring some dressy clothes for concerts--but that's not necessary. Registrants in choirs and orchestra will be asked to bring dark suits or tuxes and black dresses.
And yes---plants do grow in Fairbanks! In fact, they grow abundantly with the long summer days, and the colors of the flowers are vibrant. You'll enjoy exploring the wooded areas around Fairbanks, looking for wild blueberries and low bush cranberries -- called lingenberries in the Scandanavian countries. And it's fun exploring in the woods in Fairbanks because there are no snakes and no poison ivy! Yes, we do have mosquitoes, but the birds need them to survive! You'll enjoy the beautiful flower gardens on campus, and a visit to the UAF Georgeson Botanical Garden is a must. There are many inspirational opportunities for photographers and artists!
WHEN SHOULD I ARRIVE?
Our Festival dates this (
2008) summer are
Sunday, July 13 through Sunday, July 27 2008 . We suggest that you arrive on Saturday, July 12th so you'll have time to get settled in before our orientation session, "Meet the Artists" on Sunday afternoon, 2:30pm, July 13th.
IS THERE CAMPUS HOUSING AVAILABLE AND HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
The Festival is produced in partnership with the University of Alaska Fairbanks where all the classes are held. (One exception: DANCE classes are held at the Artisan's Courtyard near the campus.) Out-of-town registrants have the opportunity to stay on campus in the very nice two-bedroom -- twin beds -- Cutler Apartments at only $75/night. So, it doesn't take much math to figure out that four people sharing an apartment would pay under $20 each per night! Family members are welcome join registrants, too. What a great way to have a family vacation! Or some registrants have looked up their old college friends and have had a reunion at the Festival--staying at the Cutler Apartments!
If you're interested in reserving a Cutler Apartment, please contact them soon: UAF Conference Services
PO Box 756860
Fairbanks, AK 99775
Phone 907-474-6769
Fax 907-474-6423
Email: conference.services@uaf.edu You may reserve your apartment by giving your credit card number, and then pay in full at the time of arrival. The Campus is about 6 miles from the Fairbanks International Airport. The cab cost would be about $15.
You may contact UAF Housing at: http://www.uaf.edu/reslife/guest
DOES FAIRBANKS HAVE ANY BED AND BREAKFAST HOMES?Yes! And many registrants and their families have enjoyed being in these homes for two weeks. Remember that you would probably need to rent a car if you stay off-campus. For information on Bed and Breakfasts, check-out the Fairbanks Convention and Visitors Bureau's website: http://www.explorefairbanks.com You'll find a wealth of other information on their site, too! There's a lot to see and do in our community -- especially in the summer time.
I'VE HEARD ABOUT HIGH PRICES IN ALASKA. WHAT WILL IT COST TO EAT WHILE I'M THERE AT THE FESTIVAL? Actually, it won't cost that much -- unless you want to go out to lobster dinner every night! Seriously though, there are various places to eat on campus. Prices for hamburgers, fries and other sandwiches are $6 to $8. There's a very nice salad bar and you can fix up your own salad at about $2.50/lb. Campus dining services: http://www.uaf.edu/food/. There are several restaurants nearby down the hill from the campus. If you stay in Cutler Apartments, there is a nice kitchen with dishes and pots and pans. You can purchase groceries at near-by grocery stores and save money by fixing your own breakfast, sandwiches, etc. We say it's wise to budget about $15 - $20/day for meals -- depending on your appetite!
HOW DO I GET AROUND ONCE I'M THERE? The UAF Campus is about 4 miles from the downtown center. Though we Americans are spoiled about having our own cars, you don't really need a car if you live on Campus. There are excellent bus connections into town and your new friends locally will be happy to help the you.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO REGISTER FOR FESTIVAL CLASSES AND IS UNIVERSITY CREDIT AVAILABLE? The Festival has generous contributors so our registration fees can be kept low: The maximum registration fee -- regardless of how many classes you select -- is only $550. See the 2008 registration form for discounts available. Your full registration fee entitles you to sign up for any classes you choose -- based on space available and level of experience in some cases. Regarding UAF credit:Please check out our UAF Credit web page.
DO I HAVE TO BE AN 'EXPERT' AT SOMETHING IN ORDER TO REGISTER? Not at all! In fact, we encourage registrants to seek out areas of study that they wish they had tried out when they were younger. One of our favorite stories is about a theatre registrant from the East Coast who came to the Festival and because we assured him he didn't have to be a great watercolor artist in order to take the class. His dreams of learning how to paint blossomed that summer and he's even set up a painting studio in his home for relaxation after a busy day in his day job and he's sold some of his work!
If you don't have any particular area of study in which you are interested, you might enjoy registering under "Smorgasbord" which means that you can observe or take part in any classes offered. Several of our senior citizens enjoy registering this way.
I'M AN ADVANCED PERFORMER. IS THERE SOMETHING FOR ME AT YOUR FESTIVAL? YES! And probably one of the most valuable aspects of our Festival is the networking with your colleagues and the guest artists. We can't make any promises, but some of our registrants have been hired by guests to teach in their Universities! And for sure you'll be able to make valuable contacts during the Festival to further your career, besides the quality training you'll experience!
IN READING ABOUT YOUR GUEST ARTISTS, I SEE THEY ARE REALLY 'FAMOUS' PEOPLE. WILL THEY REALLY WORK WITH PEOPLE LIKE ME WHEN I WANT TO TRY A NEW AREA OF STUDY?You bet they will! Our guests are carefully selected on the basis of their professional ethics and their teaching and performance (where applicable) abilities. They enjoy our Festival because the students are so eager to learn. You won't find any ego problems with our guest artists and as mentioned before, the camaraderie is amazing amongst the guests and the registrants. Our Festival gets better each year because we listen to everyone's ideas and suggestions.
WHEN WILL THE CATALOG BE OUT? The catalog with registration form is out eacy year by about the end of March. We leave the previous year's catalog and registration form on line for your reference. So -- keep watching our web site for our newsletter updates thourhgout the year.
MAY I CONTACT YOU IF I HAVE FURTHER QUESTIONS? Of course -- please do. We enjoy helping everyone! You may call the Festival Office at 1.907.474.8869 -- even week-ends! Remember that Alaska Standard Time is 4 hours behind East Coast time, so, for example, please don't call before 12 noon, Eastern Standard Time.
WE HOPE TO SEE YOU THIS SUMMER!
All good wishes, Jo Ryman Scott, Founder and Executive Director Judy Robertson Divinyi, Business Manager Adela Batin Jackson, Public Relations Erin Poland, Administrative Assistant
We hope this information will inspire newcomers to look into all the Festival has to offer.
Questions????
Remember our dates for
2008:
Sunday, July 13 through Sunday, July 27 2008 .
