Fairbanks Golden Days

My grandmother is doing a lot better today, although we did need to take her back to the walk-in clinic to deal with some nausea problems. As I write this, she's sleeping just across the room. Stresses are running high here and I think it's a good thing I'm around to try to keep folks a bit calm and allow my parents to still go about their normal lives a bit.

On the way to the clinic, I dropped my dad off at the local convention center where he was committed to playing on the Fairbanks Community Band float in the Golden Days Parade. When he saw there were three other trombone players, he tried to back out of it and go with me to the clinic, but they kind of insisted, as apparently he's the only one of them that knew the second trombone piece. I think it's better he did it, as my mom and I were more than enough at the clinic. He enjoyed it and got to relax, which he needed. While I'm jumping ahead a bit, here's a great shot I took of him on the float (I had to get pretty close!) He's in the floppy hat.



After the clinic, my mom took my grandmother and headed toward home, so I walked up the street to where the parade would go by, which was all of a block from the clinic.

The parade grandstand was much further, probably a half-mile, but it was interesting that taking pictures seems to let you just walk in the street, cross back and forth, and generally get in the way without consequence. I got down to the grandstand and continued taking pictures there. I took about ninety of them, and I'm including some of the best ones that give the feel of the parade here.

The Golden Days event is a big deal for Fairbanks, as it commemorates the discovery of gold in the area by Felix Pedro on July 22, 1901, which was followed by the incorporation of Fairbanks as a town about a year later. This city wouldn't exist without Pedro's find.

For the week of the celebration, many people dress in early 1900s clothing, such as the woman pictured here with the long dress and fishnet stockings. Some of the men wear old-style garb as well, but they are more rare and are usually in journalism or politics. In the parade, though, the notable exceptions come out.

One float was set up to look like an early saloon, complete with gamblers. I got a good picture of them, and they were only too happy to pose and wave for me.



If you look closely, you might even notice the guy had a full house, fours and fives. Not a bad hand. I hope he wasn't cheating, as there were some floats with guns and even cannons on them.

I've actually realized I like the horses that you see in parades, and especially when there are Clydesdales. I think my fascination with adventure means that I really wish I had a horse that I could ride from place to place. Somehow that just seems like it would be much more satisfying. Better gas mileage, too.



Not everyone had the big horses, though. There was a little miniature horse pulling a cart with some kids in it, although I can't remember what that breed is called. There was also this fellow shown below, dressed up as a classic northern prospector and leading a mule. His gold pan is visible strapped onto the mule's back.



Incidentally, this picture reminds me that blue jeans have been around a long time and that they were originally designed for coal miners, who were very tough on their clothes. The sturdy, utilitarian clothing of the most downtrodden blue-collar working class has become the defacto standard for all of America.

With that, I have one last picture to share. Apparently, even in Alaska celebrating the 103rd anniversary of the discovery of gold, there's always some guy dressed up as Elvis. That he's a native Alaskan just makes this picture absolutely priceless.