Take a deep breath and explore Fairbanks! With the summer sun shining nearly 24 hours a day,we are simply bursting with energy. Strike it rich panning for gold, float the Chena River, mingle with reindeer and musk oxen, cool off in an ice museum, take a refreshing hike, or be inspired by brilliant art galleries, museums, and historic sites.Late August to April you have a great chance to see the shimmering light of the aurora borealis. A host of other fascinating activities and events are unveiled during the winter.Once a gold rush boom town, Fairbanks is now Alaska’s second largest metropolis known as the“Golden Heart City,” a testimony to the warmth of the people.The Alaska Highway, trans-Alaska oil pipeline, military bases, mining and the University of Alaska are all integral to Fairbanks’ past and future. The city population hovers around 32,000,but nearly 98,000 live in the Fairbanks North Star Borough.Visitors find Fairbanks, the Last Frontier, inviting, invigorating and awe-inspiring.Fairbanks is the heart of Alaska, being on a crossroad for both the Alaska Highway and flights into Alaska’s North. Just up the road and key access to the Denali National Park.Fairbanks is one of the best places on earth for experiencing the beautiful and mysterious northern lights. Bright, energetic curtains of yellow, green, red or even purple light brighten our night skies regularly. Fairbanks is situated within a ring-shaped region around the North Pole called the auroral oval. This location provides a terrific balance of occurrence, frequency and activity. Plus, the continental climate offers many more clear nights than you would find in a coastal area. While intensity varies, the most common yellow-green glow occurs heavily between late August and April. Prime viewing time is late evening through the wee hours of the morning.