Thanksgiving will be anything but typical for many Alaskan families in 2020. Most health experts recommend drastically changing up the normal turkey-day routine by not traveling out-of-state, socially distancing, and ideally having only shared household members participate in a Thanksgiving dinner, with other family members participating virtually.
Many folks will choose not to follow the recommendations of modern science, but some of their family members may opt to put safety over traditional Thanksgiving travel. Either way, Thanksgiving this year will likely be different.
To help make Thanksgiving 2020 more pleasant than it could be, Alaska State Parks are waiving all parking fees at park facilities on Friday, November 27. Their aim is to encourage Alaskans to get out and enjoy the fresh air during the holiday weekend.
Ricky Gease, director of the Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation, says this gesture is less a tradition this year, and more about nudging Alaskans towards a healthy direction: “While free parking is a holiday tradition with Alaska State Parks, I think helping Alaskans get a little more fresh air and sunshine might be more welcome this year than ever.”
Being outdoors and socially distanced allows for a safer gathering, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Perhaps this will allow families to buck tradition by going on a cold scavenger hunt, a bike race, or a simple game of horseshoes in lieu of gathering around a television over the weekend.
If your Alaskan family is handling Thanksgiving a little differently than normal, message your photos to KSRM’s Facebook page! You may see your family shared online in a future story featuring Alaskans enjoying the Thanksgiving weekend despite adapting to health recommendations.
Who knows: 2020’s fun and outdoorsy new family traditions may be carried on for decades to come.