The Midnight Sun Game - From Bar Bet to Baseball Bucket List
- Paul Baker
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
Sometime back in 1906, a bunch of miners from a couple of bars in Fairbanks, Alaska, in the Eagle’s Club and the California Bar, began to argue with each other, as guys in bars often do. The subject of their debate - the logistics of whether a baseball game could be played at midnight without artificial lighting. The result of their argument - “The High Noon at Midnight Classic” - lives on over a century later, known today as “The Midnight Sun Baseball Game.”
The two bars, led by Eddie Stroeker, who would go down in Fairbanks annals as "The Father of the Midnight Sun Game,” decided to play a game of baseball on the summer solstice. The game would take place at midnight, devoid of lights or other artificial illumination. In Fairbanks, lights wouldn’t be needed on the solstice anyway, as Fairbanks is located just 160 miles south of the Arctic Circle. While the sun does dip below the horizon briefly, darkness never truly arrives on this day.
Local teams kept up the tradition for decades until the Alaska Goldpanners, an independent barnstorming collegiate summer baseball team, took over hosting duties upon their debut in 1960. International teams from Japan (in 1967) and Taiwan (in 1984) have played in the game, as have future Baseball Hall-of-Famers Tom Seaver and Dave Winfield. Over their history, over 200 Goldpanner alumni have reached the majors, including Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Jason Giambi, Mike Boddicker, Bill Lee, Bob Boone, Terry Francona, Dave Kingman, Craig Nettles and Rick Monday. Many of them have played in the Midnight Sun Game.
A baseball game as singular as one played under the light of the sun at the midnight hour must have cultivated some of its own unique traditions over a century of play. Indeed, it has. The game stops at midnight so everyone involved can sing the Alaska Flag Song. A live folk band performs in the stands. Fans are asked to bring kazoos to the game, so they can participate in playing a tune called “Happy Boy” during the seventh inning stretch. If you’re going to be up at a ball game well past midnight, you might as well have some fun, right?
The game, held annually at Growden Memorial Park, attracts crowds of up to 5,000 fans from all over the United States and beyond. The 2026 edition of the game will be held on June 19th, with the Utah Yaks providing the opposition. It will be the 121st edition of the game. Tickets, which are priced at $45 for general admission and $95 for reserved seats, are available via the Goldpanners’ website up until June 1. After then, you’ll have to take your chances at the gate.
A baseball game that began with a beer and a bet has grown into a baseball bucket list event for thousands the world over. As they say, come on up to Fairbanks, we’ll leave the sunlight on for you.
If you happen to see Paul Baker at the Midnight Sun Game, don't be afraid to say hi. Or wake him up. Alaska is four hours behind Massachusetts, after all. The game should end around 6 am Eastern Time. Follow Paul Baker’s stadium journeys on Twitter and Instagram @PuckmanRI.
*All photos courtesy of The Alaska Goldpanners website
