Annual free fair in Wasilla aims to connect Mat-Su residents with local resources

What you need to know:

• The annual LINKS Resource Fair will take place at Wonderland Park in Wasilla on June 27 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The event aims to connect Mat-Su residents with local nonprofit and for-profit resources and will feature about 100 booths.
• The fair will include games, inflatables, face painting, raffles and a vendor bingo card game for grand prize drawings. All activities are free of charge. Food will be available for purchase.
• LINKS is based in Wasilla and serves about 20,000 individuals annually. The organization works primarily with seniors, veterans, people experiencing homelessness and individuals with disabilities.

WASILLA – About 100 local organizations are scheduled to gather for a free fair in Wasilla on Friday as part of an effort to connect Mat-Su residents with local resources.

The third annual LINKS Resource Fair is set to take over Wonderland Park from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. June 27. The event will include free games, inflatables and face painting for kids, as well as raffle prizes for all ages throughout the day.

The fair features only organizations that directly serve the Mat-Su, with a focus on nonprofit resources for community members in need, said Aaron Wright, the organization’s executive director.

“We want to allow the community to know what’s available to our Mat-Su residents,” Wright said. “Everyone invited to this either lives in Mat-Su, or the organization is part of Mat-Su, or they serve the Mat-Su area. Every nonprofit, every for-profit is about us, so those that are underserved know what’s available.”

Friday’s event is open to any Mat-Su resident who is curious about available local resources and services or simply looking for a fun community event, Wright said. While all booth activities and kids’ games are free, about six vendors will have food for sale, and visitors can purchase throws at a dunk tank as part of a fundraiser for Mat-Su Special Olympics, he said.

Wright expects as many as 700 local residents to attend. All visitors can participate in a vendor bingo card game to register for grand prize drawings, including Alaska Railroad tickets to Fairbanks, he said. A series of raffles will also be held throughout the day, and participants must be present to win, he said.

LINKS Resource Center, which has operated in Mat-Su for more than a decade, provides services for seniors, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and those experiencing homelessness, according to its website. The organization serves about 20,000 individuals in Mat-Su each year, Wright said.

-- Contact Amy Bushatz at contact@matsusentinel.com