Weekly Roundup (Jan 20-25)
Hey Anchorage 👋
It’s officially that strange part of winter where 25°F feels like a heat wave and we all briefly consider unzipping our coats.
This week’s roundup is packed with things to do around town while we enjoy the warmer temps. There’s also a bonus section below —🍽️ New Openings + Local Bites — spotlighting a few business openings and seasonal specials worth checking out.
Bundle up (but maybe one layer less), and let’s get into it.
⭐ Top Picks of the Week
🎻 Anchorage Folk Festival — Multiple Venues (Jan 22–Feb 1)
The festival returns for its 37th year with two full weekends of music, workshops, and community events. Guest artists include Henhouse Prowlers, The Faux Paws, and the Roland Roberts Band. Events across Anchorage, Eagle River, Girdwood, and Palmer.
📚 Free Book Fair & Bake Sale — FashionPact, Lake Otis (Fri–Sat)
Browse thousands of free books for kids and adults across all genres, plus rotating bake sales and info booths supporting local nonprofits. A great chance to stock up on books while supporting good causes.
🪶 Yuuyaraq Cultural Gathering — The Nave (Sat, 11AM–3:30PM)
A free, family-friendly cultural gathering focused on learning, creating, and community connection. The day includes Elder knowledge sharing, hands-on cultural lessons like beading, men’s dance fans, and yuraq dance, plus regional artisan tables and a community potluck.
🎤 Comedy Up North — 49th State Brewing (Thu, 7PM)
A high-energy night of laughs supporting mental health awareness, featuring Natasha Pearl Hansen. The LA-based comic is known for sharp, irreverent sets and her self-produced special I Was Supposed to Get Married Today, filmed on the day she called off her wedding.
📍 Events Around Town (Non-music)
📆 Tue-Thu
Kid Biking Buddies — Kincaid Wax Bunker (Tue, 10:30AM)
Trivia Night — Koot’s / Humpy’s / Bear Tooth / Dave & Buster’s (Tue)
Skater Tots — Chanshtnu Park (Wed, 5:30PM)
Yoga + Beer — Williwaw Social (Wed, 6PM)
Family Sledding — Kincaid Chalet (Wed, 6PM)
Women's Fat Bike Ride — Abbott Loop Park (Wed, 6:30PM)
Trivia — The Rail / Williwaw Social (Wed)
🎉 This Weekend
Vitamin Come(D)y w/ Billy Wayne Davis — Bear Tooth (Fri, 7PM)
Comedy for Dirtbags — Bernie's Bungalow (Fri, 8PM)
Free Day of Play — Fresh Cup Playhouse (Fri)
Family Skate — Westchester Lagoon (Sat, 1PM)
Poetry Slam — Bernie's Bungalow (Sat, 8PM)
Brighter Winter Nights — Alaska Botanical Garden (Sat-Sun)
Poker Night — Broken Blender (Sun, 6:30PM)
🚗 Worth the Trip
Avalanche Safety Course — Alyeska Resort (Sat-Sun)
🍽 New Openings + Local Bites
🧋 Boba Bae Cafe — Grand Opening (Sat-Sun)
West Anchorage is getting a new boba spot near Carrs on Northern Lights Blvd. Expect milk teas, boba, Lotus and Red Bull energy drinks, plus soups, salads, and sandwiches. I stopped by the soft opening and the strawberry matcha milk tea is a standout.
Find them on Instagram.
✨ AK Live Well — Grand Opening (Thu, 3–7PM) · Instagram
AK Live Well is celebrating a redesigned space with a grand opening event featuring snacks, refreshments, giveaways, and new specials launching that day. A ribbon cutting with the Anchorage Chamber takes place at 3:30PM, with opening specials running through the end of January.
🎿 Arctic Valley — Opening Weekend Recap
Skiing and snowboarding are officially back at Arctic Valley after a long-awaited opening weekend. Early season conditions include fresh snow, lower mountain grooming, and operations now underway with Chair 1 and the T-bar spinning.
☕ Kaladi Brothers Coffee — New Winter Specials
Fresh snow, fresh drinks. Kaladi rolled out new winter specials across their cafés, including the Fruitcake Latte (almond, black currant, cinnamon), Love in Bloom Matcha (iced matcha with strawberry purée and coconut cold foam), and Toffee Cookie Latte with cookie butter, English toffee, and flaky sea salt.
🎶 Live Music + Dance
Island Vibe Wednesday — Williwaw Social (Wed, 7PM) · DJ
Country Dance Night — Koot's (Wed, 8PM) · DJ
Karaoke Night — Van's Dive Bar (Wed, 9PM)
Velvet Hours — Williwaw Social (Thu, 7PM) · Live Music
Karaoke Night — Flattop Pizza (Thu, 8PM)
DJ Lele Beats — Van's Dive Bar (Thu, 9PM) · DJ
Erik Howk — Williwaw Social (Fri, 7:30PM) · Live Music
Pit Viperz — Van's Dive Bar (Fri, 9PM) · Live Music
Good Company — Humpy's (Fri, 9:30PM) · Live Music
One Direction Night — Williwaw Social (Fri, 10PM) · DJ
Aloha Days — Dimond Center Mall (Sat) · Live Music
Henhouse Prowlers — Odd Man Rush Brewing (Sat, 7PM) · Live Music
Choice Bit of Calico — Humpy's (Sat, 9:30PM) · Live Music
Emo Night — Williwaw Social (Sat, 10PM) · DJ
The Stack — Koot's (Sat, 10:30PM) · Live Music
Candlelight Concert Series — 49th State Brewing (Sun) · Live Music
Open Mic — Van's Dive Bar (Sun, 8PM) · Live Music
That’s the week, Anchorage
Whether you’re getting outside to enjoy the milder temps or staying inside somewhere warm, I hope you find something that makes the week feel a little better.
If you spot a new business, event, or local bite worth sharing, hit reply. I read every message.
— The Anchorage Local