In this guide · 4 sections
Fairbanks is Alaska's second city. It's a subarctic university town, 360 miles north of Anchorage, deep in the state's interior. The LGBTQ+ scene here is small, but the University of Alaska Fairbanks keeps things more progressive than you might expect from the surrounding area.
Community & Spaces
You won't find dedicated gay bars in Fairbanks. But the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) campus has an active LGBTQ+ student organization and puts on Pride events. Downtown, The Marlin bar is known for being welcoming. Historically, the One World Bookstore has been a community meeting spot.
Interior Alaska Pride
Fairbanks has Pride events in summer, usually a parade and a community get-together. Because Fairbanks is small, these are intimate events with a real community feel, not big commercial spectacles.
Anchorage
Alaska's biggest city and the regional hub is 360 miles south. You can drive there in 6-7 hours or take a short flight. Anchorage has a proper gay bar scene, including Mad Myrna's (drag shows, dance floor, consistently the main LGBTQ+ venue in Alaska) and a few other welcoming bars nearby. Anchorage Pride happens in June.
What to Know
Most people visit Fairbanks for the Aurora Borealis (September–March, which is when you'll see it best), the Midnight Sun (June–July, with over 22 hours of daylight), access to Denali, and the Chena Hot Springs (60 miles east). The wilderness around here is incredible. LGBTQ+ travelers generally say they're treated with respect; Fairbanks has that frontier-town tolerance for how people choose to live.
