Best Bets
Published 9:30 pm Wednesday, August 6, 2025
Farewell to Salmonfest for this year — but say hello to the 2025 Kenai Peninsula Fair! The fairgrounds in Ninilchik continue to be hopping this weekend, starting Friday and going through Sunday! Don’t miss out on the fun! For details on other events coming soon, check out these Best Bets.
BEST FUN RUN/WALK BET: The Kachemak Bay Running Club, in association with the Kachemak Nordic Ski Club, is sponsoring a 5K fun run/walk on Saturday, Aug. 9 to raise funds for the Eveline State Recreation Park. The race will start at 10 a.m. at McNeil Canyon Elementary School and, following the scenic Old East End Road, finish at Eveline State Park. Register in advance and find more information at kachemakbayrunningclub.org/event/eveline-5k-fun-run/. Registration will also take place on race day at 9 a.m. 52188 East End Road.
BEST PEONY HIGH TEA BET: If you missed out on the first Alaska-Style Peony High Tea in July, you’re in luck! A second high tea will take place at Captain’s Coffee on Thursday, Aug. 14 from 4-5:30 p.m. This event, part of Homer’s sixth annual Peony Celebration, is co-hosted by the Rotary Club of Homer-Kachemak Bay, Captain’s Coffee, and Alaska Beauty Peony Co-op. Sample the co-op’s peony teas, enjoy a variety of treats made by Rotary members and shop the co-op’s many peony products including bouquets, teas, bath salts and soap, notecards, and the co-op’s 2026 calendar. Proceeds will be shared between the co-op and the Rotary to benefit the community in future. Tickets are $25 per person and can be purchased at Captain’s Coffee in advance or at the door. Reserve your seat today at captainscoffee.com or by calling 907-235-4970 — seating is limited! 295 E. Pioneer Ave.
BEST CITIZEN SCIENCE MONITORING BET: Help researchers at the Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve monitor disturbances at kittiwake colonies on the Homer Spit and Gull Island! Kittiwakes are important near-surface fish feeders, so their reproductive success can serve as an indicator of marine ecosystem health as a whole and provide valuable insight on the health of these economically valuable fish populations. Researchers are studying how disturbance from bald eagles, other aerial predators, and human usage are affecting kittiwake reproductive success. If you visit one of the colonies and observe a disturbance event, researchers would love you to add your observation to their dataset, as they can only go out to monitor disturbance once a week. Learn more about this citizen science opportunity and submit an observation by visiting kachemakbayreserve.org/kittiwake-disturbance-monitoring/ or emailing claire.labuda@noaa.gov.
BEST SANDHILL CRANE MONITORING BET: Soon colts will be fledging, flying with their parents as the end of the 60-70 days of growing and learning to fly appoaches. Colts hatched earliest in the nesting season will be the first to fledge in July, with more fledging through the month until mid-August. Let Kachemak Crane Watch know when and where you see your colts fledging. Fledged colts should be able to fly off with the adults. Please include the specific location and other helpful information, as well as your contact information. Kachemak Crane Watch also keeps track of colts that disappeared or died. Successful fledging and mortality reports help Kachemak Crane Watch calculate nesting success for the year and compare it to previous years. Send your reports to reports@cranewatch.org or call 907-235-6262.
