Anchorage/Valley

Join us for the Anchorage/Valley Curriculum Fair!

  • Menard Sports Center (Wasilla)
  • April 21 & 22, 2026
Registration Workshops Floorplan Brown Bag Social

REGISTRATION INFO:
Admission covers access to all in-person and virtual workshops, as well as our NEW Homeschool Tips Brown Bag Social! Entrance is FREE to IDEA families! (Note: You only need one admission ticket for your entire family.)

WHY REGISTER IN ADVANCE?
We use a convention app called Whova, which includes the floorplan, workshop schedule (“agenda”), virtual booths for all participating vendors, any sale information or special deals from them, streaming workshops the week prior to the Fair, access to those recorded workshops for 3 months after the Fair, workshop descriptions and speaker bios, and an opportunity to participate in a contest to win one of TEN amazing smart calendars! Registering as soon as possible gives you time to preview all of these things and we will have a pre-printed name tag ready for you when you arrive at the Fair, making entrance faster and easier for everyone! 

Register now!

Workshop sessions will run from 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 21st and from 10:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 22nd. A detailed workshop schedule is now available so that you may read through the workshop descriptions to decide which ones YOU will attend! In Whova, you can create a personalized agenda of your picks and set up reminders for when they start. And of course, you will want to consider tuning in to the virtual workshops that will be streamed April 13-16!

In-Person Workshops virtual Workshops

The Fair will be held at the Menard Sports Center in Wasilla, where there is plenty of room for shopping, visiting with other homeschoolers, and attending workshops.

Floorplan Map

We’re excited to announce a new event planned for this year’s Fair: The IDEA Brown Bag Social, from 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM on Tuesday, April 21. Join us with your own packed lunch (or purchase items onsite) and visit with experienced homeschoolers to discuss topics of interest and homeschooling tips from those who have “been there, done that!” This is a great opportunity to ask questions and receive personalized advice about homeschooling from an experienced panel of parents! 

VENUE CONCESSIONS AVAILABLE: 

Garcia’s Mini Chimi Food Truck https://www.garciascantinaandcafe.com/ 
Patriot BBQ https://www.patriotbbqak.com/
The Pizza Peddler Cafe  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573189921659
Drifter’s Coffee https://drifterscoffeeco.com/

2026 Anchorage/Valley Schedule of Events

TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2026: 

10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Exhibit Hall open
10:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Workshops
1:00 – 2:30 p.m. – Homeschool Tips with Brown Bag Social

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2026: 

10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Exhibit Hall open
10:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Workshops

Admission 

Exhibit hall and workshops (IDEA families): No charge
Exhibit hall and workshops (non-IDEA families): Admission is $20/family for one or both days. 

Parking 

Menard Sports Center offers plenty of free onsite parking. 

Concessions

Concessions will be available and food trucks (shown below) will be in the parking lot for lunch on both days. 

Garcia’s Mini Chimi Food Truck  https://www.garciascantinaandcafe.com/ 
Patriot BBQ  https://www.patriotbbqak.com/
The Pizza Peddler Cafe  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573189921659
Drifter’s Coffee  https://drifterscoffeeco.com/

Hotel Information

The hotels in Wasilla do not have the capacity to set aside a large block of rooms for our event. Here are some suggestions in the area. There are a lot of nice Airbnb’s in Wasilla and Palmer – you might want to consider that instead!

  1. Best Western Lake Lucille Inn ($163-193) – Closest to the venue, 1.8 mi. Breakfast included, laundry and restaurant.
  2. Alaskan View Motel ($120) – 5.1 mi. Walking distance to dining and shopping center in the heart of Wasilla, rooms feature hand crafted log furniture.
  3. Grandview Inn and Suites ($161-182) – 5.4 mi. Restaurant and bar, room service, multilingual staff: Russian, Ukrainian and English.
  4. The Pioneer Boutique Motel ($110-165) – 14.5 mi. Small, newly refurbished motel in the heart of downtown Palmer offering great rooms at lower prices, walking distance to restaurants, shops and entertainment, rooms have full kitchenette or coffee bar.