Nome celebrates the Midnight Sun

By Julia Lerner
After a long year of quarantines, shutdowns and masking, Nomeites were excited to celebrate the Summer Solstice with each other during the 2021 Midnight Sun Festival.
The festival, organized by the Nome Visitor Center, featured several days of dancing, games, delicious food and cultural events. This year, the theme was “wild flowers and camp-outs.”
The festival began on Wednesday, June 16, with face painting, a craft fair and a blanket toss in the Golden Goose lot across from the Nome State Office Building. Dozens of local children gathered and waited for their turn on the blanket toss, a traditional Inupiaq event where adults stand in a circle holding the edges of a large walrus or seal skin hide and throw someone high into the air. Historically, this method was used so hunters could see far across the surface of the ocean to spot prey. Wednesday’s event used a regular blanket and several adult volunteers to toss children in the air.
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday also brought a chicken barbecue to Front Street. The Nome Lions Club set up in front of Breakers Bar with grills and coolers full of cold beverages and to serve big platters of barbecue.
On Thursday evening, students and local youth gathered to compete in the Native Youth Olympic Games and competition at Golden Goose lot. The students showed onlookers how to compete in traditional games before competing against each other.
On Friday, Nomeites had the opportunity to watch Native dance groups and drummers while sampling potluck dishes at the Golden Goose lot. Several dance groups showcased their skills while dancing late into the evening.
Saturday was the busiest day of the festival, with a parade, the Gold Dust Dash run, a bank robbery, a quick dip in the ocean, live music and dancing. The annual Midnight Sun parade kicked off at 11 a.m., with several themed floats and brightly-costumed Nomeites passing out candy to onlookers. Trucks carrying Nome-Beltz High School alumni, children, balloons and popsicles traversed up and down Front Street.
Following the parade, several ne’er-do-wells traipsed down Front Street while the mayor demanded Wyatt Earp’s help to avoid criminal activity at the local Wells Fargo bank. The miscreants broke into the bank while onlookers screamed “they’re robbing the bank! Where is the law?” Earp, played by Nome’s Arlo Hannigan, attempted to stall the robbers with a thumb war, but eventually guns were drawn. The robbers’ loot, large white bags filled to the brim with candy, was divvyed up among onlookers.
Festival goers made their way to Nome’s East End Beach to partake in the annual Polar Bear Swim following the morning’s excitement. Dozens of brave Nomeites dove into the frigid Bering Sea before returning to the comfort of a large bonfire and grilled hotdogs on the beach. Participants received certificates commending their bravery.
Later in the day, locals gathered at the Golden Goose lot to enjoy an open mic, street dancing and the Louie Green Band.
Festivalgoers closed out the week with a raft race on Sunday afternoon. About seven or eight rafts, some more official than others, began at mile 13 of the Kougarok River putting their homemade rafts into the water . Several teams were creative this year, bringing along water hoses, comfy chairs, coolers and even an on-raft bar filled with beverages. Onlookers could watch the race’s progress from the nearby bridge, where participants were pelted with water balloons. The race ended in Dexter, where rafters gathered by a bonfire and listened to music.
The Howling Dawgs, captained by Bubba McDaniel and crewed by Taylor McDaniel, Dawn Wehde and Ada Harvey, arrived at the finish line first at 2:34 p.m., 1 hour and 34 minutes after the start of the race.
The Green Machine, captained by Stacey Green and crewed by Louie Green, Kohren Green, Miles Green, Briday Green, Nick Green and Brenda Green, was a close second, finishing at 2:37 p.m.