The Bear Paw Festival is a Community Festival and not designed like your typical fenced in Fair. The Vendor Court and Carnival can be found on Business Blvd. We have events throughout the Eagle River area at various businesses and locations!  To find out specific locations of events and activities please reference the Festival's Daily Schedule. 

**Updated: June 2022. Subject to Change prior to July 11th

Take note of the following road closures & restricted access points for this year’s festival in the Eagle River Business District. Special note for businesses, don’t forget that the temporary closures and restricted access can impact your shift schedules!

July 14, 15, 16, 17 for Pedestrian Safety: Business Blvd will close between Mat-Valley Credit Union and Regency Drive on Thursday, July 14th at 10am until Sunday, July 17th at 6pm. Local access only to Timber Ridge & VCA Vet Clinic and the Storage Units will be maintained. Vetted access for members of Mat-Valley Credit Union will be available for Thursday & Friday only. Traffic will be rerouted onto Regency Drive. MOA Public Transportation - Bus Routes will be rerouted & posted at the Eagle River Transit Center prior to the Festival dates. 
Note: People Mover will have a temporary stop at Old Glenn and the South entrance to Business Blvd on Thursday & Friday only.

Saturday July 16(Only) for 5K Race & Grand Parade: Old Glenn Hwy between Eagle River Loop & Eagle River Rd will close entirely from 10:45-12:15pm. Centerfield Drive will close in its entirety from 8:00am-12:15pm. Business Blvd will close in its entirety 10:15-12:15pm. Monte Road and Old Eagle River Road will have restricted access between 8am-12:15pm. Traffic will be rerouted up Eagle River Loop Road or Eagle River Road. Farm Avenue closes temporarily in order to start the 5K between 9:30am and 10:40am.

Our recommendation - Plan a different route away from those roads on Saturday between 9:00am-1:00pm

The Chugiak-Eagle River Chamber of Commerce put on the Bear Paw Festival. The Chamber is a Non-Profit Organization with only two-fulltime staff. All of our Chamber Board of Directors are Volunteers. 

Without the help of our Board of Directors and Community Volunteers, the Festival would not be in its 37th Year in Eagle River! Please be patient with our Festival Volunteers. 

Attendance is always FREE at the Bear Paw Festival!
Note - some events & registrations have entry fees. 

The Chugiak-Eagle River Chamber of Commerce contracts out with Anchorage Markets for our Bear Paw Festival Vendor Court. Go to anchoragemarkets.com or call 272-5634 for more information. Please Note the 2022 Vendor Court is SOLD OUT. You can find a waitlist option at their website. 

In the Transit Center Parking Lot in Town Square on Business Blvd. If no one is at the booth and you have a question or concern please leave a message at 694-4702 or by email at [email protected] Please be patient, we have a high volume of calls and visitors during the Festival dates. 

The First Aid Tent will be ran through Team One. This will be located in the Bus Transit Center next to the Bear Paw Headquarters. 

Bear Paw Headquarters is the official Lost Child Location. It is also the official Lost & Found for the Festival. Both the Vendor Court and Golden Wheel Amusements will have their own lost & found during the festival days, however; following the completion of Bear Paw, the Chamber Office located at 12001 Business Blvd. Ste. 108 will have the entire Lost and Found Inventory for all 3 locations. 

Thanks for your interest! Our Non-Profit Organization cannot hold the Festival without our dedicated volunteers! Please contact Britney or Debbie at [email protected] to inquire about volunteer opportunities. 

You can also Click Here to find out more information or sign-up

Unfortunately, downtown Eagle River has limited parking for the Festival. Please do not park in private parking areas, coned off or restricted parking spots as you may be towed at your own expense. The Festival is spread out all over the town and our regular Businesses Members in the area still conduct business with their customers and clients during the 5-day Festival. 

New to 2022 - The Bear Paw Shuttle! Shuttle Service will be available Friday July 15th from 6:00pm-10:00pm, Saturday July 16th between 9:00am-10:00pm and Sunday July 17th between 10:00am-6:00pm. 

Click Here for Full Shuttle Schedule

Thanks to Eklutna Inc. for sponsoring the 2022 Bear Paw Festival Shuttle!

Contact Debbie Rinckey, Executive Director of the Chugiak-Eagle River Chamber of Commerce - [email protected] or 694-4702

Thanks for your interest. The Bear Paw Festival has a few different stages. The 2022 Bear Paw LIVE Music Festival's Line-Up Is FULL. You may contact anchoragemarkets.com to inquire if the vendor stage has openings. 

Service Animals Allowed. All others are highly discouraged. The Festival is family-friendly, but pets do best if left at home. Your pet may do fine until placed in a strange environment with other pets, people and unfamiliar noise. Over the years, we have had a number of inadvertent bites because animals are stressed. If you do bring your dog they MUST be on a leash. If the animal appears to be dangerous or disruptive Festival Staff will ask you to leave.

The Festival Organizers are no longer requiring individuals to wear masks for the Bear Paw Festival. We encourage all individuals who are either higher risk or would like to wear their masks to do so, but it is not required of everyone. 

The Festival has some changes to the regular layout in order to spread out the events and activities to encourage better social distancing. 

If you are sick, not feeling well, have COVID-19 or another infectious disease, or have been exposed to someone who is please do not come to the Festival grounds. 

You will notice throughout the Festival additional hand-washing stations and hand sanitizer. 

Throughout the Festival ground you will notice signs helping remind everyone to social distance, wash hands frequently and stay home if you're sick. 

During the Carnival Hours of Operation there will be a Hospitality/Baby Nursing and Changing Booth located in the carnival grounds. They will open at 11:00am on Friday July 15th to help support the Teddy Bear Picnic. Special thanks to the Chugiak-Eagle River Ministry Network for providing this much needed service.