What to do this weekend in Mat-Su (Sept. 4-7): Giant cabbages, livestock auctions and the final state fair hurrah
It's big veg
What you need to know:
- The Alaska State Fair heads into its final weekend with the 30th Annual Cabbage Weigh-off, Homesteader Games, Alaska’s Got Talent, the livestock auction and more waterskiing squirrel performances.
- Weekend entertainment includes the Demolition Derby, monster trucks, Alaska Native cultural demonstrations and concerts featuring Twisted Sister, deadmau5, Jesse McCartney and Lyle Lovett.
- Beyond the fair, Valley Performing Arts opens its 2026-27 season with “The Phantom Tollbooth,” running weekends through Sept. 20.
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The weight is finally over. Giant cabbages will take center stage at 6 p.m. Friday as one of the Alaska State Fair’s signature events helps open the final weekend.
But while the 30th Annual Cabbage Weigh-off in the Craig Taylor Farm Exhibits Center is the centerpiece of a Labor Day holiday feast of fair events, there are plenty more tasty events to keep fairgoers full of fun. A few highlights:
The rough life
Got what it takes to be a true homesteader? The Mat-Su Sentinel is hosting the 2026 Homesteader Games Sunday at 4 p.m. in the SBS Woodlot. Contestants will compete in events such as axe throwing, wood cutting, water hauling and more to determine who is truly the Valley’s most capable colonist. Sign-ups for this free event are at 3:30 p.m., and contestants must be 18 or older.
Talented bunch
Twenty Alaska performers will compete for a $1,500 grand prize starting Saturday with the preliminary round of the Alaska’s Got Talent competition at 2:30 p.m. on the Alyeska Pipeline Colony Stage. The 20 competitors will vie to be among 10 finalists. The final round will be held Monday at 2:45 p.m. at the Colony Stage.
Truck it
Farmers aren’t the only ones who get to play in the dirt. Mud will be flying all weekend long at the MTA Grandstand, where a pair of crowd-pleasing automotive spectacles are planned. First up, it’s the annual Demolition Derby at 5 p.m. Friday, where cars and trucks will compete in a duel of destruction. Tickets are $19 for ages 13 and older, $14 for ages 6-12 and free for ages 5 and younger. All-Star Monster Trucks take over the track Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. Tickets are $19 for ages 13 and older, $14 for ages 6-12 and $9 for ages 2-5.
Culture club
Traditional seal skinning is a matriarchal practice that’s been passed down through countless generations. Alaska Native Chelsea Dischner (Eyak) will give a seal-skinning demonstration each day at 1 p.m. at the Gathering Place, an area of the fairgrounds set aside for demonstrations of traditional Alaska Native practices. The demonstrations are free to attend and are among numerous cultural events held at the space, located just off the fair’s Yellow Trail.
Where’s the beef?
Take home some choice cuts Saturday afternoon during the 4-H and FFA Junior Market Livestock Auction starting at 12:30 p.m., with an animal preview starting at 10 a.m. inside the farm exhibits building. Bid on cows, pigs, sheep and other animals raised by local youth through 4 p.m. The event is free to attend.
For your service
Military members and first responders will be honored on the final two days of the fair. On Sunday, military members get $5 fair admission courtesy of Chin’An Gaming Hall. Then, on Labor Day, all police, fire, EMS and other first responders get $5 admission thanks to the Mat-Su Health Foundation.
Listen up
The fair will wrap its Borealis Theatre concert series with a diverse mix of acts. On Friday, ’80s rockers Twisted Sister (with Sebastian Bach) will rock the house; on Saturday, electronic music icon deadmau5 will perform; Sunday, it’s singer-songwriter Jesse McCartney; and on Monday, crooner Lyle Lovett takes the stage to complete the series. Twisted Sister and deadmau5 start at 7 p.m., while the Sunday and Monday shows start at 6 p.m. Tickets range from $59 to $99 and, as of Tuesday, were still available for all four shows at alaskastatefair.org.
Best of the rest …
The fair is always a good choice for entertainment, but it’s not the only option. Valley Performing Arts will open its 2026-27 theater season this weekend with its production of The Phantom Tollbooth Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m., with a 2 p.m. matinee Sunday. The show will run each weekend through Sept. 20 at the theater, located at 251 W. Swanson Ave. in Wasilla. Tickets are $25 for adults or $22 for military members, seniors and children. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit vpaalaska.com.
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