Downtown Anchorage

by Channel 2 News staff Monday, June 21, 2010 ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Music in the Park has become a Downtown Anchorage summer tradition, one that continued Monday with "Music for Little Ones. " Performers Fiddle De Dee entertained children with a combination of interactive music and movements in Peratrovich Park Monday afternoon. The program is designed to get kids singing and dancing, and introduce music as a learning activity. "It also has been shown in studies that music and movement exercises help children with developing math skills, language skills and just simple coordination skills," said Fiddle De Dee member Rick Miller.

by Channel 2 News staff Monday, June 21, 2010 ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Downtown Anchorage saw a unique celebration of the summer solstice Monday night. The city hosted a guided tour through the Anchorage Memorial Park Cemetery. People visited the grave sites of 12 of Alaska's pioneers in aviation. Longtime Anchorage historian and Alaskan pioneer John Bagoy started the tours in 1995. According to tour guide Audrey Kelly, Anchorage has a rich history that people should learn more about.

Just like this summer's tourists, the market forces of competition are clearly at play in Downtown Anchorage. Four bicycle rental businesses are now located in the area -- three of them on the same block. "This is a happening corner, there's a lot of activity here," said Carl Woodside of Lifetime Adventures Downtown, which operates a bike-rental shop outside the Copper Whale Inn on 5th Avenue and L Street. Lifetime Adventures also has a bike and kayak-rental business at Eklutna Lake.

Dog sledding and mushing are a part of Alaska's history and way of life. At the Wildride Sled Dog Rodeo in downtown Anchorage, you can learn more about the sport while Day Trippin'. The brothers and sisters of the Seavey family -- plus some of their four-legged friends -- put on a show for spectators about mushing and the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race "Basically we took all the great information and all the great things about sled dogs -- the fun stuff to watch -- and condensed it and put it into something you don't have to be out there for a thousand miles and 50 below to experience," Dallas Seavey said.