Bearfest opens Thursday and will run for four days. There will be workshops and symposiums and demonstrations to learn about bears — and also foods to enjoy.
The first edible event will be the “beary pie” contest at noon Thursday at the Nolan Center, when judges will select the best entries made from local berries. Bakers must get their pies to the Nolan Center by 11:30 a.m. Thursday.
Next up on the schedule for food fans is the Friday dinner and fundraising auction at the Stikine Inn, with Lauren Thompson, head chef at Seattle’s Cafe Lago restaurant. “The dinner will be a classic Tuscan menu, with a touch of the Pacific Northwest,” said Bearfest organizer Sylvia Ettefagh.
Doors open at 5 p.m. and dinner is at 6 p.m. Only four tickets, at $120 each, were available as of last Friday. Call 907-874-3006 for ticket information.
The community market from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the Nolan Center will feature baked goods and other homemade foods from Wrangell residents.
Also on Saturday, Chef Thompson will demonstrate and instruct how to make ricotta cavatelli at 11:30 a.m. at the Nolan Center. The session is limited to 10 people, at $50 per person. Call 907-874-3006 to sign up.
A contest to judge Wrangell’s best seafood dishes is planned for 3 p.m. Saturday afternoon, also at the Nolan Center.
The last food event of the four-day weekend will be a pasta feed at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Nolan Center for runners and walkers in Sunday morning’s marathon, half-marathon and 5K races to load up on carbohydrates.
The dinner is free for all runners, walkers and volunteers.
Registration for the runs starts at 7 a.m. Sunday, with runners taking the starting line at 8 a.m. for the marathon and half-marathon, and 8:30 a.m. for the 5K runners, walkers and bikers.
The full schedule of events is online at alaskabearfest.org
