A&E

Photos: Midnight Sun Festival and baseball game in Fairbanks

Alaska Goldpanner Holt Williams hits a baseball. Photo by Vadim Bledsoe.

On June 22, 2024, the Midnight Sun Festival had more than 30,000 people attending, for 12 hours as Alaska’s largest single day event with food, shopping and musical performances according to the Downtown Association of Fairbanks. 

The musical performances included Cold Steel Drums, Sparo and the Fairbanks Community Jazz Band.

The baseball team Alaska Goldpanners hosted the annual Midnight Sun Game competing with the Seattle Studs. It was played entirely without artificial light, a tradition going back to 1906. Fairbanks experiences 24 hours of daylight between mid-May to mid-July with the summer solstice being the longest day of the year.

The festival had many stations and activities from local vendors. Photo by Vadim Bledsoe.
The Midnight Sun Festival is one of the largest annual day-long festivals in Alaska. Photo by Vadim Bledsoe.
Attendees browse local vendor stations in Golden Heart Plaza. Vadim Bledsoe.
Attendees dance to a performance at the Good Cannabis Stage. Vadim Bledsoe.
Attendees and tourists explore vendor options on the historical Second Avenue. Photo by Vadim Bledsoe.
Fairbanks band Sparo performs on the Good Cannabis Stage. Photo by Vadim Bledsoe.
Vocalist and guitarist Shane Liddel and bass player Theo Hilpert perform in the band Sparo for the festival. Photo by Vadim Bledsoe.
Alaska Goldpanners prepare for the midnight pitch. Photo by Vadim Bledsoe.
Alaska Goldpanner Holt Williams hits a baseball. Photo by Vadim Bledsoe.
Scoreboard for the game at midnight. Photo by Vadim Bledsoe.