On June 21 in Alaska, it's time to party, solstice style

Alaskans are proud of the overgrown nature of everything the state has to brag about -- after all, Alaska is the largest state, with giant cabbages, the longest dog sled race, the biggest fish. And, every June, one night of complete sun.

Living up to the moniker "Land of the Midnight Sun" is another source of pride for many Alaskans. How else to explain the holiday-like atmosphere that surrounds summer solstice, on June 21? On what is deemed the longest day of the year (even though there is no more time on June 21 than any other day), Alaskans like to celebrate.

"We've always had a solstice party, just because," said Palmer resident Anne Meadley last weekend while at Colony Days. "I don't know how it got started, but it just did. We celebrate at midnight like we do for New Year's Eve in the winter. Last summer, my parents were up here from Tennessee for solstice. They didn't see what the big deal was, because it was light all night for the whole month they were here. It's just an Alaska thing I guess."

Solstice is the day when the sun is at its highest path through the sky, and subsequently, the most daylight of the year takes place. It isn't, however, 24 hours of sunshine.

In the Valley, the sunrise on Saturday, June 21 is slated for 4:05 a.m., with the sunset at 12:01 a.m. the next day, for 19 hours and 57 minutes of daylight. During those four hours of "night," it never gets dark, however, meaning the sun doesn't necessarily have to set on solstice parties around the Valley.

"Solstice for us starts around the middle of May and goes through the Fourth of July holiday because it's always daylight," said Eideene Grust of Palmer. "You have to get out and enjoy the long days and all the daylight all summer, because it's gone so fast. Before you know it, it's time for the fair and the winter is here."

Grust said she won't be at a party or festival on Saturday for solstice, but "I'll probably be out at my garden a little later than normal. I'm a little too old to be out all night carousing."

While some people are "out all night carousing," others find June 21 a perfect day for a family picnic or barbecue.

"We get the grill going and just spend the day with the kids playing in the yard or doing some work around the house," Brian Jacobs, another Palmer resident, said. "It's nice because this year it's on a weekend."

Those hosting parties say a big difference between solstice parties and parties such as New Year's Eve is that fireworks aren't exactly the best thing to bring.

"One year we had some friends staying with us from out of state, and on their way back to the Valley from Fairbanks they stopped and bought a bunch of fireworks," Meadley said. "And we all just laughed that night, because it's light out and you can't see them anyway. It was money wasted."

Long days don't necessarily mean long dry days, though. Party organizers won't want to hear the forecast for Saturday.

Throughout this week, the National Weather Service is predicting partly cloudy conditions around Southcentral Alaska.

"I think they say that every year just to try to disappoint us," Meadley said. "Thank God they're always wrong, right?"