Two of the warmest, sunniest weeks that anyone can remember on the Kenai have been followed by two rainy weekends in a row drenching typically busy events scheduled to accommodate family fun on Alaska’s Playground and draw pre-salmon run visitors. Out in Nikiski it was the annual “Family Fun in the Midnight Sun” event that had a lot of fun but no sun. “Maybe we should trade Saturday and Sunday this year for Tuesday/Wednesday,” laughed Rachel Para, director of the North Peninsula Recreational Service Area that hosts the annual family fun event. But the weather did not deter Nikiski families from turning out for their special weekend and having fun while sharing the liquid sun and games of chance with many prizes to be won. There was more of everything in Nikiski this year, more games, more booths, more vendors and more prizes, “Every year we’ve expanded a little more and have had more interest from vendors to come out here because the event continues to grow and become more popular over the years. The Nikiski Fire Dept. brought out their trucks again this year and played water games with the kids and had a chili cook off, so the Far North Derby girls were not the only ones getting wet in the dunk tank. But it was a hoot and everyone had fun even without the sun,” added Para.

Family Fun in the Midnight Sun is far from being the only activity at the North Peninsula Recreational Center, “We run year round activities at the recreation center we run a number of different leagues, youth leagues, sports leagues, adult leagues, we have exercise classes, arts and craft classes and of course the Nikiski pool where we run learn to swim programs and special events throughout the year so we stay busy and have fun all year long. And not just for Nikiski residents people are welcome to join our activities from as far away as Fairbanks if they wish,” added Para who has been involved with those activities for some 18 years. Nikiski Rep. Mike Chenault, the speaker of the house, was tied up in special session in Juneau for the event that he hasn’t missed in many a year, but still provided free watermelon for all who attended.