It’s a fertile weekend for festivals in Anchorage. The Alaska Greek Festival takes place over three days starting Friday, as does the Alaska Latin Dance Fest. The Anchorage Run Fest is only two days but features plenty of race options in a wide variety of distances.
If those fests don’t fit the bill, check out the opening weekend of the Alaska State Fair and “Hamilton” playing in Anchorage — two events drumming up excitement this week.
[Your guide to the smash musical ‘Hamilton,’ visiting Anchorage for the next month]
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Alaska Greek Festival
3-9 p.m. Friday; 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, 2800 O’Malley Road
From sirtaki, a traditional dance. to spanakopita, a spinach-and-feta pastry snack, get your fill of Greek culture this weekend at the annual Alaska Greek Festival. Attendees can enjoy live Greek music, cooking demonstrations, church tours and traditional dances, plus traditional foods ranging from lamb dishes to vegan options. There’s even a sale on favorites like moussaka and baklava.
Free parking is available in the Holy Transfiguration Church parking lot. While the festival is free, organizers have partnered with the Food Bank of Alaska and are asking each attendee to bring a nonperishable food item. Yamas!
Alaska Latin Dance Fest
Times vary, Friday-Saturday-Sunday, Alaska Dance Studio, 300 E. Dimond Blvd.
Want to learn to salsa? Or maybe give bachata a try? Perhaps you just want to show off your moves. The Alaska Latin Dance Fest is a spot where you do any or all of those things. The festival includes boot camps for both salsa and bachata, a dance style favored in the Dominican Republic. There are also dance parties at 10 p.m. Barbie is the theme of the Friday party theme, and VIP Night is the Saturday theme.
Kizomba and cha-cha workshops are also available. Sunday’s schedule includes a picnic at 3 p.m. The workshop pass is $60, and the full pass for workshops and the parties is $75. The parties are $15 to attend individually.
Anchorage Run Fest
Times vary, Saturday-Sunday, various downtown locations
Planning to run off some calories after crushing gyros at the Greek Fest? Maybe you’re just looking for a race to challenge yourself or stay fit. The Anchorage Run Fest has options for runners of almost all levels and preferred distances. For the hardcore, there’s the United Physical Therapy 49K Ultra and the Humpy’s Marathon. Some slightly more chill options include the Skinny Raven Half Marathon and the Anchorage Runfest 5K.
But that’s not all — there’s also a kids 2K and a military mile, plus a marathon relay. Participants can even sign up for a Shakeout Run with marathon champion and former UAA runner Marko Cheseto and a pasta feed. The Run Fest is a fundraiser for the Anchorage Running Club, so check their website for times, cost and race details.
Check our online calendar for more event listings at adn.com/calendar.