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There’s always something happening around Fairbanks—and we’re here to help you keep up with a little more of it.
Each week, we bring together local events, community updates, useful things to know, and stories from the people and businesses that make Fairbanks what it is. Whether you’ve lived here for decades or are still getting to know the area, we hope you find something useful, interesting, or worth sharing.
Thanks for spending a few minutes with us.
Let's get started.
PFD payments start this week
The first round of 2026 PFD payments is scheduled to begin October 1, so if you’re expecting yours by direct deposit this week, now is a good time to check your status.
This year’s PFD is $1,200, which includes a $200 energy relief payment. Eligible applicants who filed online and selected direct deposit are included in the first distribution, while another distribution is scheduled for October 22.
You can check your application status, payment information, and other details through the state’s official myPFD portal.
Support events and businesses that help make Fairbanks a great place to live, work, and play. Click images for more information.
Looking Ahead
Cozy Collective is a thoughtfully curated artisan market celebrating Alaska’s artists, makers, and small businesses. Come shop local, explore hands-on workshops, and spend the weekend connecting with the community that makes Fairbanks so special.
Christina Garcia with Jams, Jellies & Things
Jams, Jellies & Things is a family-run Fairbanks business specializing in homemade jams, pepper jellies, apple butter, zucchini relish, and fresh Lemon Shakers. Behind it all is Christina Garcia, who has built the business around a simple goal: keep it simple, keep it fresh, and keep it local.
Christina's love for canning and preserving goes back much further than Jams, Jellies & Things. She grew up in South Dakota, where her family owned a greenhouse. Whatever produce didn't sell at the greenhouse or farmers market didn't go to waste. Instead, her family canned and preserved it, teaching Christina the value of hard work, resourcefulness, and making the most of what they had.
Family continues to be an important part of the business today. Ruth's Apple Butter is named after Christina's Grandma Ruth, the person she credits as one of her greatest inspirations. Christina remembers her as a hardworking, no-nonsense woman who cared deeply for her family and community and taught her that quality, integrity, and heart should go into everything you do. Those are values Christina now carries into her own business.
Over the years, Jams, Jellies & Things has grown beyond what comes in a jar. Christina recently added Lemon Shakers, fresh-made lemonade that can be flavored with one of her jams. They have become a familiar sight at the Tanana Valley Farmers Market in the summer alongside the preserves that started it all.
Running her own business gives Christina the freedom to experiment with new flavors, meet people throughout the community, and continue traditions that have been part of her life since childhood. What she's building is about more than selling jams and jellies—it's a way to share something homemade while staying connected to the family traditions that first taught her to love making it.
Where to find Jams, Jellies & Things
You can find Christina's products locally at Roaming Root Cellar, Alaska Feed Company and The Great Alaskan Bowl Company. You can also order online at jamsjelliesandthings.com. Local customers can select local pickup at checkout, and Christina will arrange a time to meet in town.
Connect with Jams, Jellies & Things:
Tuesday September 29
Southside Community Farmers Market — 4-6:30pm
Pioneer Park Pickers Weekly Music Jam — 6:30-8:30pm
Wednesday September 30
Friends of Creamer’s Field Book Club — 6:30pm
Thursday October 1
Alaska and Polar Regions Collections & Archives Open House on the 2nd floor of the Rasmuson Library — 5-7pm
Community Reception celebrating the induction of James Dalton into the AO&GHS Hall of Fame at Wedgewood Resort — 4:30pm, program begins at 5:15pm
Friday October 2
Interior Gardens by Kyle Agustines, First Friday at Well Street Art Company — Reception from 5-8pm
Art in the Arctic First Friday Event — 5-8pm
Jake Shimabukuro — 7:30pm
Saturday October 3
Vintage Faire at Shopper’s Forum Mall — 10am-5pm
Frosty Feet Half Marathon — 10am
Fallidays at Silver Bell Square — 11am-7pm
Filipino Cultural Celebration — 12-4pm
Fall Festival — 12-6pm
Fairbanks Red Hackle Pipe Band Annual Fundraiser — 4:30-8pm
Literary Reading with John Kooistra — 7pm
Sunday October 4
Vintage Faire at Shopper’s Forum Mall — 11am-5pm
Fallidays at Silver Bell Square — 11am-7pm
Monday October 5
Chess Club at Noel Wien Library — 5:30-7pm
Last week, we asked what you always seem to forget before the first snow. Barbara said hers is putting away the patio furniture—because doing it feels a little too much like admitting winter is actually here.
Fair enough, Barbara. We understand the denial.
This week, we want your best Fairbanks advice:
What’s one winter item you think is actually worth spending more money on?
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See you around town,
Your Friends at FYI Fairbanks
