Frugal First Day of Summer Fun for Solstice

Frugal First Day of Summer Fun for Summer Solstice

What are your plans to celebrate the first day of summer? The kids are out of school, it’s a beautiful summer solstice weekend, and the living’s easy! Just because the first day of summer is such a huge event here in my city, I have to tell you a little bit about what it’s like to be in Alaska on the longest day of the year.
In Alaska, summer solstice is one of the biggest holidays of the year. Not only is summer solstice the longest day of the year, but it’s also considered by most to be the first day of summer. Alaska is called “The Land of the Midnight Sun” for a reason; it really does stay light all day, all night, and then all the next day. It’s like three days in a row where it stays as sunny as if it’s noontime, even at 10 o’clock at night! What a great first day of summer!
They have a cool race called the Midnight Sun Run on the first day of summer which starts late at night and goes into the wee hours of the morning. Also, all the stores stay open past midnight with what they consider to be spectacular sales! The streets downtown are blocked off for a late-night street fair and festival with kids’ activities and musicians. All in all, summer solstice is a really fun holiday that people get very involved with here in Fairbanks.
My family has done all these first day of summer activities in years past to get into the spirit of summer solstice. All these things involve spending a moderate to a large amount of money, however, which is not very frugal and somewhat dampens the fun when you’re on a tight budget! The street fair has lots of expensive junk food, kids’ rides and vendors peddling their wares. The first day of summer shopping may offer great deals, but we’d still be spending money on things we don’t need (that would be better off in our savings account). Even the midnight race has an entrance fee of $25 per person!
This year to celebrate the first day of summer, I think we’re going to have the best summer solstice of all. We’ll fire up the barbecue at home later in the night, grill some hot dogs and burgers and probably see our neighbors wander over. My husband and I will break out the lawn chairs, sit outside in the bright summer sun (at midnight) with the kids in bed, hold hands, sip some coffee, blog on our laptops while enjoying the spectacular midnight view of our neighborhood, and marvel that the best things in life still don’t cost a penny!
What is your family planning for the first day of summer? Do you have any special traditions for summer solstice? Do you let your kids stay up extra late on the longest day of the year?
Happy summer solstice and first day of summer to you all!