Fur Rendezvous Winter Festival
The Fur Rendezvous began as a winter sports tournament ( skiing, boxing, hockey and basketball ). Some history books state that Fur Rondy began in 1936, other sources place it beginning as late as 1939. The year in which the idea was conceived is now accepted as the beginning date of the festival: 1935. It was during that time that Vern Johnson, Clyde Conover, Thomas Bevers and Dale Bowen came up with the idea of a party that would encompass all of Anchorage.
The main focus of the carnival was to bring people together, to show community support and celebrate the beginning of the end of winter. In those days revelers purchased a $2 ticket that gained them admission to all of the activities. Because fur trading was the second leading industry in Alaska at the time, fur trading became an important part of the festival. It provided a golden opportunity for trappers and buyers to meet in Anchorage to ply their trade and cut out the middle-man. Trapping contests were held, and prizes were awarded for the longest fox, the best fox and the finest ermine pelts.
The festival continued to grow and in 1956 Greater Anchorage, Inc. was formed to take over the management and operation of the festival. GAI is governed by a board of directors and has a full-time year round staff. Today Anchorage Fur Rendezvous is one of the largest winter festivals in North America with estimates of over 67% of the population participating in Rondy
During the festival, the streets of downtown Anchorage become a winter spectacle for all to enjoy. There are numerous activities and events such as Ice Sculpture displays, sled dog weight pulling, Eskimo Blanket Toss, Snowshoe Softball, carnival rides, Grand Prix, and the World Championship Sled Dog Race
The World Championship Sled Dog Race (not to be confused with the Iditarod ) consists of three 25-mile heats over the course of three days), fireworks, a blanket toss, and more.
Below, a dog shows its strength by hauling a weight-filled sled a measured distance in the World Championship Dog Weight Pulling Contest.
Collectible Pins
Fur Rondy has created a frenzy among collectors. If you’re a pin collector, you definitely know what we’re talking about. Fur Rondy Pins are extremely popular with collectors, and remain very much in demand. Below we have listed as much as know regarding the year of the events and what pins were released for each one. If the date is in yellow, we have the pin here for sale. If the pin is listed in white, it is informational only.
| Date | Pin | Lapel, Ceramic, Silver, Pewter. Booster |
| 1935 | Idea Conceived | |
| 1936 | ||
| 1937 | Ist Annual | |
| 1938 | ||
| 1939 | ||
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| 1943 | Canceled War | |
| 1944 | Canceled War | |
| 1945 | Canceled War | |
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| 1993 |  |   Pewter pins 1st Introduced |
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