Welcome to the Alaska Travel Industry Association (Alaska TIA) e-bulletin.

In this e-bulletin you will find:

1. The Boys of Summer: Fairbanks Celebrates 100 years of Baseball under the Midnight Sun
2. Aurora the Aging Octopus Finally Hears the Pitter Patter of Tiny Tentacles
3. Alaska Railroad opens new, improved Fairbanks depot this summer
4. Alaska Visitor Industry Hosts annual Charity Walk for food, fun and fundraising

The All-star Game and the World Series aside, the Midnight Sun Baseball Game in Fairbanks has become one of the most famous and unusual baseball games in the world. Why? Because its held every year on the summer solstice (June 21), but the first pitch isn¹t thrown out until 10:30 p.m., and under no circumstances are lights permitted to shine on the field. Not that they¹ll be needed. The sun, which will rise at approximately 3 a.m. on June 21 and set around 12:45 on June 22, provides almost 22 hours of continuous daylight and plenty of ambient light. Now in its 100th year, the game attracts local residents and visitors who enjoy other fun events that coincide with the game, including golf tournaments, fun runs and festivals.

Website: www.explorefairbanks.com.

The Alaska SeaLife Center's aging Giant Pacific Octopus, named Aurora, finally began to see the fruits of her labor this month when several of her eggs began to hatch. Aurora mated with the male octopus ³J-1² 10 months ago, has had a tough time tending to her eggs, which suffered from colder than usual water temperatures and were threatened by predator starfish and sea cucumbers. Still, her maternal instincts persevered and hopes are high that some of the tiny hatchlings will grow and flourish into adult octopi. Aurora's fate may not be as hopeful; at four years old, she¹s a bit long in the tooth (tentacle), and female octopi usually die soon after their hatchlings are born. For the time being, Aurora and her eggs can be seen on exhibit in Seward at the Alaska SeaLife Center's Denizens of the Deep exhibit. Visitors can see Aurora and her eggs now, or with reservations, can schedule a special tour to touch and feed the Center's other live octopi in exclusive behind-the-scenes octopus encounters.

Website: www.alaskasealife.org

Alaska Railroad opens new, improved Fairbanks depot this summer The Alaska Railroad's Fairbanks Intermodal Facility and Depot will officially open for business this summer season. Located on the Johansen Expressway in Fairbanks, the $23 million upgrade features easy access from the downtown core, and the airport. Other highlights include additional bus parking and safe transfer areas, providing safe, seamless movement of passengers making travel connections on trains, buses, taxis and automobiles. For passengers staying in Fairbanks or moving on to their next adventure, the terminal will be equipped with modern baggage handling and efficient passenger staging. Drop-off areas, as well as ample parking, are designed to better accommodate visiting and residential passengers. The terminal location, which encompasses 32 acres of land, can support three times the current number of trains to meet projected passenger growth over the next 30 years.

Website: www.akrr.com

Now in its sixth year, the Alaska Visitor Industry is again hosting the annual Charity Walk, where more than 2,000 walkers will raise money for local non-profit organizations while enjoying what¹s fondly called a ³5-K Buffet.² During the event, participants walk from food station to food station, each of which offers a different gourmet treat. Local chefs and restaurants sponsor a station, which range in theme from southern BBQ to Asian fusion. All money raised by the event is distributed to local charities, including the Make-a-Wish Foundation, Lutheran Social Services and the United Way, among others. Last year, more than $94,000 was raised, benefiting 51 Alaska charities, and since it began five years ago, the VICW has raised more than half of a million dollars. This year¹s walks are in Anchorage and Ketchikan on May 13 and May 6 in Fairbanks.

More information can be found at www.alaskacharitywalk.org .