Sitka is where Alaska became part of the United States. The transfer from Russia took place on Castle Hill on October 18, 1867, and Sitka marks the anniversary each October with the Alaska Day Festival, which wraps up on Alaska Day itself.
Look for a reenactment of the transfer ceremony on Castle Hill, a downtown parade, a period costume ball, dances, dinners and contests. Times for 2026 are posted closer to the date.
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1 Review on “Alaska Day Festival”
Beautiful Sitka and a wonderful parade, but a very disappointing costume ball
We visited Sitka for the Alaska Day Festival in October 2026, and I want to share both the wonderful and disappointing parts of our experience.
First, Sitka is absolutely beautiful! We truly enjoyed the town, the atmosphere, and the activities. The parade was fantastic, and we also took a boat tour, which we absolutely loved.
The historical flag transfer ceremony was interesting and meaningful, although I felt that the organization and presentation could have been better. Nevertheless, we left with positive impressions of this part of the celebration.
One practical issue worth mentioning is transportation. Getting a taxi from the airport during busy arrival periods was extremely difficult.
However, the biggest disappointment of our entire trip was the Alaska Day Costume Ball on October 17.
We purchased tickets for approximately $36 per person and carefully prepared our outfits to meet the advertised historical costume dress code. We were genuinely excited to attend what was presented as a historical costume ball.
Unfortunately, the reality was completely different from what we expected.
There were no waltzes, no traditional ballroom dancing, no slow dances, and no real atmosphere of a historical ball. Instead, it felt like a casual community party with a few appetizers and music that seemed completely out of place for the occasion. Watching people in elaborate historical gowns jumping around to disco-style and Scottish music was certainly not what we had traveled and dressed up for.
I have absolutely nothing against informal parties or modern music. But if an event is essentially a costume party with snacks and casual dancing, it should be advertised that way rather than creating expectations of a historical ball.
We spent considerable time, effort, and money preparing for this evening, and I sincerely regret attending. I would strongly discourage anyone expecting a genuine historical ballroom experience from purchasing tickets without first checking exactly what the program includes.
My conclusion: Visit Sitka! Enjoy the beautiful town, the parade, the boat tours, and the historical celebrations. There is so much to appreciate.
But as for the Alaska Day Costume Ball, based on our experience, I absolutely cannot recommend it. I hope the organizers will take this feedback seriously and provide a much more accurate description of the event in the future.