Bear Paw Festival
Bear Paw Festival is an annual event presented by the Chugiak-Eagle River Chamber of Commerce every July. This four-day festival offers fun events like races, live music, dancing, food, drinks, carnival rides, and all kinds of fun vendors in downtown Eagle River. Bear Paw Festival’s signature and popular event is the Slippery Salmon Olympics.
This event is typically held in July’s second week, with events spanning over five days at a time. Bear Paw Festival features a big community parade, carnival rides, fantastic hometown entertainment, vendors, games, and fun contests. The festival is coordinated with the Chugiak-Eagle River Parks & Rec and many other non-profit organizations, members, and business support.
The whole Anchorage community turns out for five days filled with fun for everyone, no matter their age. Sometimes unexpected but always a great time, events run the games. The Slippery Salmon Olympics are the best-known event. Teams of 2 race against each other -and the clock- with real salmon as the critical item to take along while trying to tackle all obstacles.
The Running of the Bear is a 300-yard fun race with a costumed animal mascot alongside local businesses and community organizations. Human Foosball takes the well-known rec room game and replaces the men made out of plastic with real-life players.
The Bear Paw Festival features other popular events, including the I-Did-A-Duck Race (a rubber duck regatta) and the Teddy Bear Picnic (a parade, a classic car show, and carnival rides).