Explore Fairbanks Releases Redesigned Visitors Guide for 2024

The 2024 Official Fairbanks Visitors Guide is now available for free from Explore Fairbanks. Completely redesigned for this year, the 72-page, full-color booklet provides helpful information for planning a trip to Fairbanks, Alaska, throughout the year.

Prominently depicted in the vibrant guide are Fairbanks’ three seasons – Midnight Sun, Aurora and Winter – that pave the way for year-round visitation. The annual publication illustrates features and attractions specific to life in the region as well as ways to journey to Denali National Park and Preserve, the Arctic and Interior Alaska. Additionally, the guide focuses on Fairbanks’ delightful downtown, the contemporary arts and food scene, and local outdoor hotspots.

The guide highlights activities available throughout the year in the frontier community including fishing, wildlife viewing, birdwatching, hiking, visiting museums and activities on the Chena River. Other pursuits take place during the winter months, including dog mushing, mingling with reindeer, ice sculpting, snowmobiling and skiing. The guide also features exhibitions, attractions and performances focused on inspirational Alaska Native peoples, spirited pioneers and nature-inspired artists.

Arts, entertainment and events are featured prominently including blockbuster events such as the World Eskimo-Indian Olympics, Golden Days, Midnight Sun Festival and the World Ice Art Championships. The guide also lists a wide variety of seasonal and year-round accommodations, services, restaurants, shopping and attractions.

This year’s redesigned guide features a new cover design, an updated interior layout that allows more space for photos as well as refreshed text throughout. Accommodations business information has also been streamlined by merging the narrative listings and the “At-A-Glance” grid details into one easy-to-use resource.

For a free copy of the 2024 Fairbanks Visitors Guide and the companion piece, the 2023-24 Fairbanks Winter Guide, contact Explore Fairbanks at 1-800-327-5774 or (907) 456-5774. The guide can also be ordered or viewed interactively at www.explorefairbanks.com/guide.

About Explore Fairbanks

Explore Fairbanks is a non-profit marketing and management organization whose mission is to be an economic driver in the Fairbanks region by marketing to potential visitors, optimizing the visitor experience, and advocating for a thriving year-round visitor industry. Explore Fairbanks markets Fairbanks as a year-round destination by promoting local events, attractions and activities to independent travelers, group tour operators, travel agents, meeting planners and the media as well as by developing public policy and infrastructure to achieve marketing objectives. Find out more at explorefairbanks.com.

Grand Geneva Resort & Spa Sets the Scene for a Grand Holiday Season

The Midwest is the setting for some of the most iconic holiday movies of all time, such as A Christmas Story, Home Alone, and even National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, and when it comes to the holidays, there is a resort in Lake Geneva, WI that offers one of the grandest celebrations in the Midwest. Grand enough for any holiday movie buff.

Grand Geneva Resort & Spa in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin is one of the Midwest’s top vacation destinations for holiday fun with its annual Christmas in the Country experience. A six week celebration, this cherished holiday resort tradition features over-the-top holiday décor, private igloo dining, breakfasts with Santa, a heated Trolley Tour of Lights, the option to have a decorated Christmas tree in your hotel room, and new this year, a jumbo gingerbread display of its beautiful ski hill. In addition, the city of Lake Geneva is full of holiday charm and programming, with wonderful Midwest holiday hospitality.

Family together Christmas celebration concept. Festive place setting for holiday dinner with natural decorations from fir tree branches.

Here is a rundown of what is on Santa’s list at Grand Geneva this year (and yes, you can catch him swimming and skiing if you’re lucky):

Family together Christmas celebration concept. Festive place setting for holiday dinner with natural decorations from fir tree branches.
  • Grand Geneva officially kicks off the season with its annual Illumination Ceremony taking place on November 19, 2023, where the resort literally flips the switch to start the season, with over-the-top holiday displays, lights, animated designs, grand Christmas trees, and plenty of photo opportunities to capture the holiday cheer. Now in its 29th year, the Illumination Ceremony will feature activities for kids, holiday cookies, hot apple cider, a dazzling fireworks display, and an appearance from the big guy himself, Santa Claus! Guests are asked to bring an unwrapped, new toy for local children. The event will support Walworth County Deputy Sheriff Department and its Toys for Kids program.
  • There’s a tree in the grand hotel, and one in your room as well. For a modest extra charge, guests can have the resort’s holiday elves add a little magic to their stay at Grand Geneva or its on-site sister property, Timber Ridge Lodge & Waterpark, by adding a holiday tree to their room. Travelers will enjoy a fully decorated tree in their guestroom upon arrival, complete with ornaments, ribbon topper and an ornament to cherish at home (take-home ornament available at Grand Geneva only). It’s all the Christmas cheer with none of the cleanup! 
  • Trolley Tour of LightsFor some traditional holiday fun, visitors can hop aboard the heated and enclosed Grand Geneva trolley for a tour around the resort’s dazzling light displays and decorations, including the beloved 12 Days of Christmas animated display. For those who miss the trolley, visitors can take their own car down Grand Geneva Way, starting at Hwy 50. 
  • An Igloo Experience. Baby, it’s cold outside but cozy inside one of Grand Geneva’s igloos. Offered at the resort’s Embers Terrace, visitors can reserve a private igloo for festive dining, holiday drinks, and gathering with friends and family. This fun winter experience is available for up to 6 guests for a 90-min reservation. 
  • Brunch with the Big Guy. Grand Geneva’s Brunch with Santa will take place on select dates in November and December. Designed for children, families enjoy brunch served tableside.
  • Santa Mail: Speaking of the big guy, guests and visitors may take advantage of Grand Geneva’s magical mailbox and drop off letters to Santa Claus. Located in the resort’s main lobby, Santa’s helpers collect the mail daily at 3pm to mail it to the North Pole. The best part? Santa takes time out of his busy schedule to send a message back.
  • Gingerbread House WalkArea residents, in amateur, professional, adult and child categories, display their sugary masterpieces beginning November 19 through the holidays, creating a Gingerbread House Walk on the upper level in the resort’s Ristorante Brissago foyer. Judges from United Way of Walworth County and Grand Geneva will award cash prizes for the top three overall winners in five different age groups. New this year: The resort will feature its very own over-the-top Gingerbread display of its Ski Chalet on a 3×3 ft board. The sugary sweet ski display is made with 50+ lbs. of flour, 3 gallons of molasses, 6 dozen eggs, 12 lbs. of butter, 20 lbs. of brown sugar, and lots of colorful candy.

Where Santa Goes to Splash & Swim: Grand Geneva’s resort campus is also home to sister-property Timber Ridge Lodge & Waterpark. This all-suite resort features rooms with kitchens and extra space, plus its very own indoor waterpark where it is always a warm 86 degrees. A perfect holiday escape for families, the resort also offers Breakfast with Santa, plus holiday hotel package deals. Santa has previously been spotted taking a swim at Timber Ridge, and on December 22 and 23, he will be taking a relaxing break and greeting guests in his very own Santa cabana in Timber Ridge’s Moose Mountain Falls. 

  • Grand Geneva’s The Mountain Top is one of the country’s top family-friendly ski hills. The perfect ski and snowboard hill for beginners, The Mountain Top is slated to open for the season on December 16. It is also one of Santa’s favorite slopes, and he is slated to make an appearance at the ski chalet a few times this holiday season!
  • In case the weather outside is frightful, there are plenty of other delightful family-friendly activities to enjoy, including holiday movie nights, ornament painting, gingerbread house decorating, and other fun holiday crafting and games.
  • Grand Geneva’s Midwest Holiday Hospitality by the Numbers
  • 2 million twinkling lights
  • 6 weeks of celebration
  • 50lbs of flour for an oversized ski chalet gingerbread display
  • 1 set of skis for Santa
  • 7 igloos
  • 32ft outdoor Christmas tree with 24,500+ lights
  • 1 Santa cabana
  • 50+ gingerbread houses on display
  • 70 holiday light displays, including 14 animated
  • 66 indoor holiday trees

For additional information on holidays at Grand Geneva Resort & Spa, please visit grandgeneva.com