Families enjoy Nikiski community event

The sounds of laughter and of music were equally loud as hundreds filled the playground and field space behind the Nikiski Community Recreation Center on Saturday for the annual Family Fun in the Midnight Sun put on by the North Peninsula Recreation Service Area.

Jackie Cason, recreation supervisor for NPRSA, said Saturday that Family Fun in the Midnight Sun is the organization’s largest event each year, an opportunity to give back, to give folks a place to visit and be present.

During the event, a warm sun shone down and the space was filled with smiling faces. A variety of carnival games were available for kids, as well as scheduled competitive field games. A corn hole tournament was held early during the event and other organizations were present to get face-to-face with attendees.

The Nikiski Fire Department hosted its Fire Prevention House to educate children, and Cason said that Marathon Alaska had participated to share information about the importance of calling before digging.

“We are busy and everyone is really happy and enjoying themselves,” Cason said. “I’m very happy with the turnout.”

She said the group is encouraged by the support they receive in kind from the community, pointing to the direct involvement of folks like Rep. Ben Carpenter, who was handing out free watermelon to passersby, and Sen. Jesse Bjorkman, who similarly distributed free ice cream.

For more information about the North Peninsula Recreation Service Area, visit facebook.com/NorthPeninsulaRecreation.

Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.

Kids take off running as they participate in field games during Family Fun in the Midnight Sun on Saturday, June 17, 2023, at the Nikiski Community Recreation Center in Nikiski, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

Sarah Chesser works a Nikiski Fire Department hose during Family Fun in the Midnight Sun on Saturday, June 17, 2023, at the Nikiski Community Recreation Center in Nikiski, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

An attendee receives cotton candy during Family Fun in the Midnight Sun on Saturday, June 17, 2023, at the Nikiski Community Recreation Center in Nikiski, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

Participants compete in corn hole during Family Fun in the Midnight Sun on Saturday, June 17, 2023, at the Nikiski Community Recreation Center in Nikiski, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

Virgil Lee Gattenby performs during Family Fun in the Midnight Sun on Saturday, June 17, 2023, at the Nikiski Community Recreation Center in Nikiski, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)