Ester Events

Ester Community Association events as well as general community events are listed in the calendar below.

Private reservations for the park or hall are indicated by the initials of the person holding the reservation. Please use our reservations page for more information. E-mail [email protected] with any questions.

Hartung Hall is the Ester Community Association’s community meeting hall. It is located at 501 Ester Loop, at the intersection of Main Street and Ester Loop Road. 

Ester Community Park is located next to the Ester Volunteer Fire Department, at the intersection of the Old Nenana Highway with the Parks Highway.

ESTER ANNUAL EVENTS

In all cases, actual events depend on volunteers available to organize them! Look for information posted on the bulletin board at the Ester Post Office about when and where activities take place. Or send email to [email protected].

Chili Feed — Enjoy springtime in Alaska then join your neighbors for homemade chili, cornbread, and dessert after a day of play. Donations support the ECA.

Ester Egg Hunt — On Easter Sunday every year volunteers with the Ester Community Association organize an Easter egg hunt for the kiddos.

Clean-Up Day — Every year, usually in May, a day is identified to work on cleaning up the Ester Community Park and get it ready for the summer’s activities. Clean-Up Day comes when the snow banks disappear to reveal the appalling amount of trash left on our roadsides. In typical Ester fashion, we turn the problem into a party. Then, on the chosen day, bags are issued and volunteers get busy. It’s good exercise with fun added in the form of contests for unusual finds. Later everyone dines on grilled hot dogs and soda at the Park. Thanks to Gold Hill for their generous comestible donations over the years!

Fourth of July — The Ester Community Association’s midsummer jewel, and justifiably famous. In 1990, a celebration was being planned for ECA’s 50th anniversary the following year. The planners became so enthused that they decided to start a year early—for practice—and the 4th of July Parade was born. During the first few years people had to trade off being “Designated Spectators” or everyone would have been in the parade! Growing larger each year, the parade has been a roaring success replete with a Grand Marshall, a drill team, a political float or two, marching bands, Smokey the Bear, fire engines, and a variety of distinctly local talent. An ingenious bribe for the judges may result in winning fantastic trophies! The parade route flows from the Community Hall to the Park where everyone gathers for festivities, food, and fun. Besides the traditional hamburgers and hot dogs, our Potluck Picnic usually features an amazing array of contributed dishes, a pig, and sundry additional treats. The picnic is an important fundraiser for the community association. There are games, races, contests and sporting events for young and old, and the awarding of the parade trophies provides amusement for all.

Ester Fest!— A music festival fundraiser held in late July or early August for the Ester Community Association featuring live music, food and family fun. Music starts at 2 p.m. and ends at 11 p.m. Local food trucks join on site. Ester Fest t-shirt sales also benefit the community park. Admission is $20 adults, $10 youth/seniors and children under 10 are free. For a complete line-up of music and food vendors please visit https://estercommunityassociation.org/ester-fest/

LiBerry Music Festival & Berry Pie Throwdown
Sponsored by the John Trigg Ester Library and traditionally hosted by the Golden Eagle Saloon, this music festival and pie baking contest is a fundraiser to support the operations of the library. Held in August during peak berry season, the festival celebrates both the prowess of local bakers (berries required in every pie!) and the variety and excellence of local music.

Halloween — If there is sufficient interest and there are organizers ready to lend a hand, ghouls and goblins gather at the community hall to celebrate the season in style.

Thanksgiving Potluck — While not truly ECA-sponsored, the Thanksgiving potluck hosted each year by the Golden Eagle Saloon is definitely a community event.

Caroling and Stone Soup — Every year at Christmastime, people of Ester come together to join in harmonies of the musical kind. Sometimes we wonder if we’ll have anyone to sing to, since everyone loves to join in this gathering of neighbors. After tossing contributions into the simmering pot of “Stone Soup” at the Golden Eagle, everyone grabs one of Maggie Billington’s excellent song books (with special large print editions for babyboomers), and carols ring out to the residents of East and West Ester. Hot soup and socializing await the return of the wassailers.

Christmas Cookie Exchange — Imagine…Cookie bakers of all shapes and sizes bringing cookies with the same wonderful variations to gather at the community hall. It goes like this: You bring a couple dozen of your favorite holiday treats, then take turns with your neighbors choosing an equal number from among their special recipes to take back home.

New Year’s Eve Fireworks — Another wonderful event sponsored by the Golden Eagle Saloon.