Stories from Alaska Folk Fest 2026

[Folk Fest] is not an intellectual experience, it’s an emotional experience. Bob Banghart Visiting Alaska gives me the feeling that people are chasing after when they travel: a little taste of what it’s like to be a part of another world. To live another version of life. Not just looking at it or fantasizing about it (which are fun too), but getting to live it for a little while. I’m lucky enough to have visited Juneau a number of times. My friend Justin Shoman lives there. President of the radio. His deep connection with the community makes the trip more fun than it might be otherwise, as I get to sidecar all that community goodness. Last year, I came up for the 50th annual Folk Fest, and it was a no-brainer to come back for the 51st. The 50th was such a milestone that documentarian Paige Sparks took the opportunity to make a literal movie about it, “50 Years of Folk Fest”. On YouTube… I caught a screening of it at KTOO and got to briefly meet Paige, who did a wonderful job. The…