Alaska
From isolation to connection: Alaska gamers embrace local area network at weekend fest
FAIRBANKS, Alaska (KTUU/KTVF) – The first ever Alaska LAN party, is underway Nov. 14–16, bringing a classic style of gaming back to the community.
LANFest, which started as a charitable outreach of Intel, provides substantial support to groups like the Alaska LAN Society by sourcing network equipment and prizes, including processors, cases, mice, and keyboards, for attendees.
LAN events, which involve players bringing their computers to one location and connecting to a shared network, were once standard before high-speed home internet became widely available.
Organizers from the local Alaska LAN Society emphasize that the gathering is about much more than just the games; it is an effort to “build healthy communities through gaming.”
The event directly confronts the isolation that has become typical of online gaming, especially post-pandemic.
By providing a shared physical space, the event aims to dispel the stereotype of the isolated gamer and encourage participants—especially younger players—to meet new people, discover new games, and engage in “lighthearted and fun” banter that is often missing from online interactions.
The organizers are also seeking to establish this LAN party as an ongoing tradition in Fairbanks, with hopes of growing to two events per year in the future.
In addition to being a community hub for gamers, Alaska LAN is serving as a charitable fundraiser.
Partnering with the national charity LANFest, the event is hosting a packaged food drive for the local Fairbanks Bread Line.
A “for donation snack bar” is raising money to benefit both the Bread Line and Child’s Play, a national charity dedicated to providing games and toys to children’s hospitals.
The event, held in collaboration with UAF eSports, is a Friday-to-Sunday affair, beginning at 4pm on Friday and running until 2am each night, before reopening at 10am.
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