Dogs and dinos join families at Mush For Kids | Kris Capps

There was plenty to do both inside and outside and sunny skies made the outside activities especially appealing. Kids bundled up in snowsuits waddled around wearing warm winter boots. Others peeked out from warm hats and scarves as their parents pushed them in buggies.

Everything was free at Saturday’s event, including 50 tickets every 30 minutes for a free dog sled ride. Adjacent to the Civic Center, an estimated five mushers and their teams, loaded children between the ages of 4 and 12, into their sleds for a quick loop along the dog trail. It was a fun introduction to mushing and many kids leaped off the sled, asking if they could go a second time.

Kids also pet puppies in an outdoor puppy pen, met PAWS Rescue dogs, learned and practiced hockey skills with members of the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ Nanook Hockey Team, and more.

Inside, they played pin the tail on the husky, fished for prizes at the Imagination Library booth, and tried their hand at music at the Let’s Play Music booth. They met puppies available for adoption and learn about pet dogs at the Fairbanks Animal Shelter booth.

Onstage performers throughout the day included Bill the Balloon Guy, Fairbanks School of Talent Education, Paava Inupiaq Dancers and Danceworks, as well as DJ ATM.

Mush For Kids is a special day every year for families to enjoy time together. Spearheaded by The Alaska Children’s Trust, the day offered free activities for kids and important information for parents and ways they can focus on parent resilience, social connections, knowledge of parenting and child development, concrete support in times of need and learn about social and emotional competence of children.

“This is our first time coming to this,” said one mother, as her daughter fed a snack to a PAWS Rescue dog. “We love it.”