Not every great Alaskan winter tradition involves a sled dog race or a fishing derby. Some of them started with a toboggan slide. In 1927, University of Alaska Fairbanks students built the very first toboggan slide on campus, sparking what would become an annual celebration of winter that's now nearly a century old. The UAF Winter Carnival runs each February as a three-day outdoor festival that throws just about every cold-weather activity imaginable into one spirited weekend.
Activities at the 2026 event included sled dog rides, ice climbing, sledding, cross-country skiing, ice skating, a polar plunge, s'mores around a fire pit, crafts, and hot food — all set to a live DJ. The sled dog rides are a perennial highlight: they're provided by Trail Breaker Kennel, which was founded by four-time Iditarod champion Susan Butcher in 1976 and is now operated by her daughter, Tekla. Getting a sled dog ride from that kennel is, in a quiet way, a brush with Alaska mushing royalty.
The carnival runs Thursday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. each day, and admission is free and open to the public — not just UAF students. It's a genuinely local, low-key event that doesn't cater to tourists, which is exactly what makes it worth seeking out. February in Fairbanks means temperatures well below zero, so dress in serious layers. The payoff is a rare look at how Interior Alaskans actually embrace their winters — with a polar plunge and a hot cocoa chaser.
