Lalanya Downs and Rod Pfleiger of the Alaska Cruise Association explain the functionality of the Bulb Eater® to two participants of the Marine Treasure Hunt at the Alaska Ocean Festival.
Good weather and 8,500 people helped make the Seventh Annual Alaska Ocean Festival in Anchorage the most successful to date.
Organized by the Alaska Center for the Environment, and sponsored in part by the Alaska Cruise Association, the goal of the festival is to educate the public and raise awareness of the importance of healthy oceans. Attendees enjoyed live music throughout the day and heard from various presenters. They also participated in kayak demonstrations and sampled a variety of cuisine.
More than 30 hands-on educational booths were set up along the Delaney Park Strip as part of the Marine Treasure Hunt, an educational activity geared toward children and their families. Once participants completed the treasure hunt, they were eligible for small prizes and also entered into several larger drawings of gift packs from participating sponsors.
For the first time this year, organizers provided a bike valet in an effort to ease parking congestion and encourage bike travel. Judging by the number of checked bikes in the valet, it was a great success. Many attendees also participated in a 5K race called “Run for the waves,” and others went to the film tent to view short documentaries that were screened throughout the day.
The majority of the festival attendees stayed until the very last band finished and the event wound down, signaling the end of another successful festival.