Festivals and celebrations are the focus of our July ECHO.
I don’t have many deep thoughts about festivals myself, as I am not generally able to tolerate the amount of noise and chaos associated with them.
I’m a festival outsider. I’m the planner; I do logistics. You will find me behind the scenes doing my best to make sure everything runs smoothly.
I look at our “Festie Expert” Dru with a bit of jealousy; her ability to truly enjoy a moment is beautiful. To be surrounded by strangers all of a collective mind, joined together to celebrate in such a grand way must be liberating. We are republishing the Festival Hacks Dru shared last summer along with her latest festival experience, it’s still great advice!
Kaylene Johnson-Sullivan shares a story about the Palmer Friday Fling, a weekly event that seems worth the trip. We’ve compiled a list of festivals and events happening in July around the state. Get out and enjoy!
Frank Baker fills us in on the festival atmosphere that abounds in Seward on the 4th of July. Stephanie Blake shares how everyone celebrates differently, “Carpe Diem,” she says. Don’t get hung up on how it’s done.
Summer parenting is hard, and sometimes it takes a while to come to terms with having to give up your spontaneity for a schedule. Jake Lamphier had an Aha! Moment at an unlikely event last summer; the Bear Paw Parade.
Daniel Shepard visited with Jon Nauman, owner of the Horse Drawn Carriage Company, and heard about a multitude of festivals and celebrations. This man has a story, and it’s pretty impressive. Don’t forget to go online for the photo story, also by Daniel Shepard.
Speaking of photos, the Bear Paw Photography Contest is going on right now.
Like, right this minute – and you’re missing it!! What? You didn’t even know there was such a thing? Tragic.
The Bear Paw Photography Contest is sponsored by the Eagle River Photography Club, Gutierrez Photography, and Jitters. The photos you will see starting on page 14 are the winners of the different divisions of Adult, Teen and Youth; and categories Creative, Cultural, Eagle River, People, Flora, Fauna, and Scenic. These photos are on display at Jitters, and one will be the winner of the “Festival Favorite” award. Who chooses the Festival Favorite? We do! Visit Jitters and vote for your favorite before July 14th; the winner will be announced on July 15th.
Wish you had entered? There’s always next year! See http://gutierrezphotography.com/bear-paw-2019 for more information. The contest is super easy to enter, and it’s a great way to get kids and teens into using their phones for something other than texting and Facebook. Whether you live for the day, or the months of planning, go enjoy the summer festival chaos that is “July in Alaska.”
As always, thank you for reading.
Kaleigh Wotring
Publishing Editor, ECHO Magazine
