Mat-Su 2024 Arctic Winter Games starts March 10

The Mat-Su Borough will make history during the next week, as the home of the 2024 Arctic Winter Games March 10 to March 16.

This is the first time the Arctic Winter Games have been hosted by the Matanuska-Susitna Borough and the seventh time they’ve taken place in Alaska. Thousands of visitors from around the world will make their way to the Mat-Su and surrounding areas for the Games.

AWG volunteer Debby Retherford was born and raised in the Mat-Su. She said that she's really excited that her community has this unique opportunity.

"It's great; it really is, especially if you are from here," Retherford said.

Hosting AWG is a massive undertaking. According to the Mat-Su Arctic Winter Games website, an estimated 2,000 volunteers are needed to put on the large-scale event featuring athletic activities that spread across the Valley and beyond over the course of six days.

Retherford marveled at the sheer amount of dedication community members from all walks of life have exhibited while preparing for this monumental milestone.

"It is so impressive the amount of work that has gone into this," Retherford said.

The Borough has funded a variety of projects of all shapes and sizes to prepare for the 2024 games such as paving a new parking lot at the Government Peak Recreation Area and helping local schools prepare to lodge participating athletes.

A majority of the athletic events will take place in the Mat-Su with some events occurring in Eagle River and Anchorage.

Outdoor events such as skiing and snowshoeing will take place at venues like the Skeetawk Ski Area and Kellogg Field School. Indoor events such as figure skating and gymnastics will take place at facilities like the Menard Sports Center and Denali Gymnastics.

Mat-Su Arctic Winter Games Director of Care and Comfort Anjanette Steer said having the 2024 games hosted in her community is a very exciting opportunity.

"We're super honored to have it here in the Mat-Su Valley," Steer said. "It's fun to show them our part of the world for sure."

According to the Arctic Winter Games International Committee website, Yukon Commissioner James Smith, Northwest Territories Commissioner Stuart Hodgson Alaska Governor Walter Hickel established the Arctic Winter Games in 1969 to address the lack of competition northern athletes had access to.

The first Arctic Winter Games were held in Yellowknife, Canada in 1970. The unique athletic event has since been held in northern communities across the world.

The Arctic Winter Games is a biennial multi-sport and cultural event hosted by communities in the Arctic region, particularly circumpolar areas such as Alaska, Canada, Kalaallit Nunaat, and Northern Scandinavia.

These games draw athletes of all ages from across the world to compete in a variety of winter sports. Some examples of AWG events include traditional Arctic sports such as snowshoeing and Dene games as well as modern events like skiing and ice hockey.

In addition to testing the athletic prowess of contestants, the games also serve as a cultural exchange and chance to further understanding of the diverse Arctic Indigenous populations.

AWG athletes exemplify the spirit of their Arctic communities by persevering through tough winter conditions through a platform that celebrates their rich heritage and sportsmanship.

"It's amazing to watch," Mat-Su Arctic Winter Games General Manager Karen Lane said.

There are numerous cultural events outside sporting activities scheduled during the week of the 2024 Games.

There will be an opening ceremony for the 2024 Arctic Winter Games held at the Menard Sports Center Sunday, March 10.

The ceremony will feature a parade of nations, the final leg of the torch relay, an artistic program, an athlete oath, and the lighting of the Arctic Winter Games cauldron. After the cauldron lighting, Alaska’s Lieutenant Governor Nancy Dahlstrom will declare the Games open. This is a ticketed event.

The Arctic Winter Games Cultural Gala will be held at the Glenn Massay Theater Friday, March 15.

The event is designed to showcase diverse youth talent from across the circumpolar north. Each of the eight participating contingents will represent their region through performances such as dance, vocals, drumming, acrobatics, and theater. A collaborative performance featuring all the participating youth will take place afterwards. The Gala takes place at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.

The Pamyua Concert and Indigenous Fashion Show takes place at the Glenn Massay Theater Friday, March 15 at 6 p.m.

Pamyua is an Alaskan Inuit group that showcases their culture through music and dance performances that celebrates and shares Indigenous knowledge and history through traditional melodies reinterpreted with contemporary vocalization and instrumentation.

There will be an Indigenous Fashion Show prior to the concert that will feature traditional and contemporary fashion, winter wear, jewelry, and more.

The Arctic Winter Games Winter Carnival and Makers Market takes place at the Alaska State Fairgrounds Friday, March 15 from 3 to 9 p.m. and Saturday, March 16 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

This event will feature food trucks, carnival rides, sports demonstrations, dog sled rides, caribou petting zoo, and an Indigenous/Northern Makers’ Market. Fireworks will close out both days of the event. This event is free and open to the public.

The Arctic Winter Games closing ceremony takes place at the Menard Sports Center Saturday, March 16 at 3 p.m.

"There's some cool, big things that people can see. I hope a lot of the community comes out to see what they show us," Retherford said.

For a full list of activities, event tickets, and general information about the Mat-Su 2024 Arctic Winter Games, visit awg2024.org.

For background information such as the overall history of the Arctic Winter Games, visit arcticwintergames.org.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com