To celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, America250-Alaska is planning a seven-day, history-filled Week of Dreams tour, which honors the longstanding and storied history of the National Pastime in America’s Far North. The marquee event embarks in Anchorage on Saturday, June 27, 2026, with games at Mulcahy Ballpark, then culminates in Interior Alaska, with an exhibition game at the nationally significant Growden Memorial Ballpark in Fairbanks, Alaska, on July 4, 2026. The aim is to use the national celebration as an opportunity to inform the nation about a unique aspect of Alaska's history, highlight Alaska’s need for improved recreational facilities, and generate local investment in historic, cultural, and educational resources that empower Alaska's youth through sports. In partnership with Major League Baseball, Alaska’s Week of Dreams will bring together two beloved national narratives: The American Pastime and The Last Frontier, fulfilling the state’s vision while offering a creative, compelling, and surprisingly history-rich way for Alaskans to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday. To learn more about Alaska's Week of Dreams and other America250 activities, join Alaska State Historian and America250-Alaska Co-Commissioner, Katherine Ringsmuth, PhD, for this fun-filled presentation.

This in an event in the 2025-2026 Cook Inlet Historical Society Speaker Series. These presentations are virtual, free, and open to the public via Crowdcast; the same link can be used to review the recorded event after the program conclusion. Those attending in person should use the 7th Avenue entrance to access the auditorium.

About the Speaker 
Serving as co-commissioner for America250-Alaska, Dr. Katherine (Katie) Ringsmuth is spearheading Alaska’s Week of Dreams, the state’s marquee event celebrating the nation’s 250th birthday. As the Alaska State Historian and Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer, Dr. Ringsmuth represents the State of Alaska on a statewide coalition known as AKBaseball250, composed of cultural organizations, Tribal partners, educators, sports leaders, and tourism professionals planning the Week of Dreams. Besides project coordinator, she curated a nine-panel traveling exhibit and authored the America250-Alaska publication, Alaska’s Fields of Dreamers: America’s Pastime in the Far North. Additional America250 projects include nominating sport and outdoor recreation properties to the National Register of Historic Places, an Alaska baseball-themed StoryMap, and even an interview on ESPN SportsCenter.

Ringsmuth works in the Office of History and Archaeology (housed in the Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation in the Department of National Resources), where she oversees Alaska’s National Register program. She has authored five books, including Alaska Skyboys: Cowboy Pilots and the Myth of the Last Frontier, published several articles, including “Field of Dreamers: Baseball in Anchorage, Alaska,” and continues to teach Alaska History at the University of Alaska Anchorage. She has curated two major history exhibitions: “Mug Up: The Language of Cannery Work” at the Alaska State Museum and “Home Field Advantage: Baseball in the Far North” at the Anchorage Museum. She earned an M.A. in Northern Studies from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and a Ph.D. in History from Washington State University. Ringsmuth lives in Eagle River, Alaska, with her husband, Eric. Her son Benjamin is pursuing a degree in sports business at Oregon State University and her youngest son, Thomas, is following his dreams at a soccer academy near Munich, Germany.

Cook Inlet Historical Society Presents: America250-Alaska's Week of Dreams: Celebrating America's Pastime in the Far North