Golden Days is the only time when saloon girls, miners, dinosaurs, airmen, motorcyclists and thousands of Fairbanksans come together in downtown Fairbanks to celebrate the discovery of gold.
Hosted by the Greater Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce, Golden Days honors Italian immigrant Felix Pedro’s 1902 discovery of gold in the hills north of Fairbanks and the beginning of the Fairbanks gold rush. This year’s theme was “Worth Your Weight in Gold,” with the celebration bringing together businesses and organizations in the Grande Parade to showcase who and what they believe is worth their weight in gold.
The Filipino-American Society of Fairbanks took home first place for best non-commercial float, which shared their immigration story.
“When we immigrate we can only carry so much. We can only carry what we need and what we value,” Mary Jo Skaggs said. “The values we carry from the Philippines to Alaska are worth their weight in gold.”
The float featured a pile of gold labeled with the values of honor, family, love, generosity, faith, and bahaniyan — a term that embodies coming together to support one’s community — on one side of a scale, with two kids sitting on the other.
While some participants wore traditional clothing, others wore scrubs and workwear to show their contributions to Fairbanks, Skaggs said.
The float also invited community members to take part in the Filipino-American Society of Fairbanks’ 20th anniversary celebration in October.
Two dozen cars from the Vernon L. Nash Antique Auto Club revved their engines and kicked off the parade, followed by the grand marshals and a joint honor guard.
It’s not Golden Days without the Clayton family’s 1925 Ford Model T, the oldest entry in the parade.
Kinross Fort Knox and Black Gold Transport rolled through Fairbanks with heavy equipment, swag bags and candy. Other vehicles included an “Optimus Grime” transformer-themed truck from Golden Heart Waste Management, antique tractors from the Vintage Power Club, Army National Guard and Air National Guard vehicles, a Durham School Services bus and a Carlile Transportation truck. Northern Star Resources won gold for best commercial float.
HooDoo Brewing Company won best overall float for its moving biergarten.
The disability pride float brought together organizations that serve people with disabilities in one of the parade’s largest group entries. Fairbanks Resource Agency, Aurora Disability Services and Morning Star Alaska collaborated, with Tanana Chiefs Conference donating funding for swag and Cold Spot Feeds providing hay bales.
“We are worth our weight in gold,” Wendy Cloyd of FRA said. “The movement of disability pride is trying to show that these people are an integral part of our community. We all have a role here.”
Cloyd said that people with disabilities often feel invisible, so this was a chance to show Fairbanks who their neighbors are and give them a chance to be in the spotlight.
North Star Ballet took home best youth organization float for their Nutcracker-themed entry. A Nutcracker, Mouse King, Sugar Plum Fairy, Marzipan Fairies and Clara waved from the float as they cruised through downtown.
- “The Nutcracker ballet is worth its weight in gold to the Fairbanks community. It’s a very special holiday tradition that would not exist without us,” said Elizabeth Parr.
Every child who auditions gets a spot in the ballet.
The Alaska Sleep Clinic’s float promoted the idea that it’s the “golden age of sleep,” executive director Faith Allard said.
The float contrasted the sleep of a miner on a cot in 1902 with the comforts of 2025 — a plush bed and modern technologies like a CPAP machine with a bedazzled mask.
They handed out stress balls shaped like gold rocks along the route.
Parade entrants also included two dozen residents from the Denali Center, dinosaurs, scientists and explorers from the Fairbanks Symphony Orchestra promoting its upcoming live concert of “Jurassic Park” music, and adoptable pets from animal control.
Mascots Happy Boy and his Goldpanners teammates, Smokey Bear with the Division of Forestry and Fire Protection, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Bobber the Water Safety Dog all appeared to enjoy the parade.
Firefighters from Chena-Goldstream Fire and Rescue, North Star Volunteer Fire Department, University Fire Department, North Pole Fire Department, Steese Volunteer Fire Department, Eielson Air Force Base Fire Department and Fort Wainwright Fire Department turned on their sirens along the route.
Bunny Anderson designed this year’s PFLAG float, which focused on education by labeling books with words like transgender, Indigenous, disabled, woman, BIPOC, immigrant and LGBTQIA. The books were balanced on a scale with three gold nuggets. The float also featured PFLAG’s garden party and six posters of historical figures.
University of Alaska Fairbanks staff and supporters wore blue and gold and cheered “U-A-F” as they marched through town, handing out jerseys and stickers.
The Red Hackle Pipe Band, American Legion Post 9 from Wiseman, the Fairbanks Community Band and the Rebel Freeman Band provided live music along the parade route.
The Midnight Sun Martial Arts Academy gave a demonstration on Second Avenue before heading out to the national championships late Saturday night.
Seven political candidates campaigned during the parade, including Fairbanks City mayoral candidates David Pruhs and Mindy O’Neall; Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly candidates Barbara Haney, Brett Rottermund and Garrett Armstrong; Board of Education candidates Audra Hull and Melissa Burnett; and City Council candidate Crystal Tidwell. Burnett won best political float.
Litter patrol volunteers collected trash along the route following the parade.
At 3:20 p.m., 8,000 ducks were dumped into the Chena River and raced nearly half a mile to the Cushman Street Bridge in just under 10 minutes. People on the pedestrian bridge cheered and hummed the classic “Sesame Street” “Rubber Duckie” song on kazoos.
