No Snow No Money

If you hold a festival based on an event, and the event doesn't show, is it really a festival?

Of course, say organizers of Iditarod Days, Wasilla's annual two-weekend celebration of the Last Great Race. This year, the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is moving north in search of snow, but the party will go on in Wasilla as originally planned. And director Ed Brittingham said he doesn't foresee the restart move to significantly impact the economy of Wasilla.

"Maybe five years ago it would have been a big blow, but now, we're growing at such an incredible rate that losing the restart will be a small blip on the radar in the overall economy," Brittingham said. "Just a few segments of the economy will be affected, like restaurants and the accommodation folks."

Brittingham said there is a bigger concern for the chamber members this winter.

"I think of a greater concern is winter recreation as a whole, because there are a lot of tour operators and snowmachine rental groups out there who haven't done much this year," Brittingham said. "That's the biggest concern I see."

The Wasilla Chamber of Commerce has put on Iditarod Days for years. The Iditarod Days festival has survived restarts moved to Willow in the past, but business is always better when the restart is in Wasilla, according to some local owners.

Every year, businesses get ready for the Iditarod restart, because it annually brings in thousands of visitors to the Valley -- visitors who spend money on food, drink and a lot of other things.

Many stay the weekend, and plan tours around the race. But with the race start moved to Fairbanks at the last minute, many of those people who would be spending their money in the Valley are either going north and taking their wallets with them, or simply staying home this year.

"We usually come out to Wasilla and make a little vacation out of it and stay the night," said Anchorage resident Ron Thompson. "We didn't go to Willow when it [the Iditarod restart] was up there, though. This year, we'll fight the crowds and go down to the Anchorage start, but that's it."

Businesses most likely to suffer include those in the food and lodging sector, for obvious reasons. While larger businesses will be hit hard, they can withstand the loss better than the "little guys." For smaller businesses within that sector, the Iditarod always makes for good business in the middle of the winter, and money that is counted on.

"Sure, we'll feel it," said Sandy Bowers of the Agate Inn, a nine-unit bed and breakfast on the Palmer-Wasilla Highway. "Everybody who reserved a room for that weekend has canceled, and those who were thinking about making reservations for the Iditarod probably won't know."

Bowers said that while Iditarod isn't one of the busiest weekends of the year, it certainly will be missed because of the business it brings.

"It's probably the biggest thing for us in March at least," she said. "Maybe for some of the bigger bed and breakfasts it is the biggest weekend of the winter."

And you don't have to own a business to feel the squeeze of the Iditarod moving north. Even small-time operators will be losing out this winter. Recreational dog musher Frank Midiles said he, too, will be out some money, although he isn't that upset about it.

"I usually do sled dog rides that weekend," Midiles said. "It's a little extra pocket money for me. It's not like I count on it like some of the big businesses do, though."

Midiles said he would rather miss out on a few bucks than have a disaster in the Valley because of unsafe conditions for the mushers.

"I love my dogs, and I know the Iditarod mushers feel the same way about their dogs. I only have 10 dogs, and we haven't even gotten out because there hasn't been snow," Midiles said. "The Iditarod guys, they have to train no matter what, and you can't do that here. Even if it means a lot of people are losing money around here, you can't start the race where there's no snow."

Anybody asked about the move from Wasilla to Fairbanks has the same response.

"Can you believe we are even talking about this?" Midiles asked rhetorically. "It's February 20th, and there's no snow. And you know it'll snow at least a foot from now 'till when the race was supposed to start. That's just how it goes."

Organizers of the Iditarod are still scrambling trying to find snow to make the ceremonial Anchorage start happen on March 1. They have already ruled out going all the way to Eagle River, as is customary.

The ceremonial start is one reason why Brittingham doesn't see the restart switch to significantly hurt Wasilla's business.

"There is so much attention paid to the ceremonial start and Anchorage that a lot of people don't come out here for the restart anyway," Brittingham said. "The Valley folks support the restart. The people from Anchorage who come out may stop at a gas station or a restaurant, but usually aren't overnighting here."

The race will restart on Monday, March 3 at Pike's Landing.