Midnight Sun Game

The Midnight Sun Game is a baseball game played every summer solstice at Growden Memorial Park in Fairbanks, AK. As the sun is out for almost 24 hours a day, the game starts at about 10:30 at night and completes around 1:30 the next morning. Famous players who have appeared in the game include Tom Seaver, Dave Winfield, Terry Francona, Harold Reynolds, and Jason Giambi.

The first game was in 1906. Artificial light has never been used. The sun does dip below the horizon for about an hour. Since 1960, the game has been hosted by the Alaska Baseball League's Fairbanks-based Alaska Goldpanners.

Past game scores

• 1960: Goldpanners 11, Fairbanks Pioneers 0
• 1961: Goldpanners 10, North of the Range Military All-Stars 4
• 1962: Goldpanners 8, North of the Range Military All-Stars 3
• 1963: Wichita, Kansas, Dreamliners 3, Goldpanners 1
• 1964: Grand Junction, Colorado, 10, Goldpanners 5
• 1965: Goldpanners 4, USC Trojans 3
• 1966: Goldpanners 8, Oregon State Beavers 3
• 1967: Kumagi Gumi (Japan) 10, Goldpanners 3
• 1968: Goldpanners 7, Santa Clara, California, Broncos 0
• 1969: Boulder, Colorado, Collegians 5, Goldpanners 2
• 1970: Arizona Wildcats 4, Goldpanners 3
• 1971: Goldpanners 12, Stanford Indians 3
• 1972: Ponchatoula Athletics 5, Goldpanners 4
• 1973: Brigham Young Cougars 8, Goldpanners 5
• 1974: Goldpanners 7, Washington State Cougars 6
• 1975: Goldpanners 4, Vanderbilt Commodores 3
• 1976: Goldpanners 6, Westwood, California, Bruins 4
• 1977: Goldpanners 12, Red Deer M&K Generals (Alberta, Canada) 11
• 1978: Wichita El Dorado Coors 10, Goldpanners 1
• 1979: Goldpanners 8, North Carolina Tar Heels 2
• 1980: Goldpanners 16, Wisconsin Badgers 5
• 1981: Goldpanners 11, Intermountain Badgers (Ephraim, Utah) 4
• 1982: Goldpanners 9, San Francisco Senators 3
• 1983: Goldpanners 7, Anchorage Bucs 2
• 1984: Goldpanners 9, Taiwan Olympic Team 0 (Forfeit)
• 1985: Moraga, California, Marauders 12, Goldpanners 11 (11 innings)
• 1986: Goldpanners 8, San Francisco Senators 1
• 1987: Mat-Su Miners 2, Goldpanners 1
• 1988: Goldpanners 6, Hawaii Movers 5
• 1989: Goldpanners 7, San Diego Sea World Killer Whales 3
• 1990: Goldpanners 12, San Bernardino Tribe 3
• 1991: Goldpanners 9, South Lake Tahoe, California, Stars 8
• 1992: Victor Valley, California, Mets 2, Goldpanners 1
• 1993: Goldpanners 10, South Lake Tahoe Stars 4
• 1994: Goldpanners 15, San Diego Stars 6
• 1995: Goldpanners 10, San Francisco Seals 4
• 1996: Goldpanners 5, Anchorage Bucs 3
• 1997: Goldpanners 12, Kelowna, British Columbia, Grizzlies 0
• 1998: Goldpanners 14, Kelowna Grizzlies 7
• 1999: Goldpanners 7, Oceanside, California, Waves 1
• 2000: Goldpanners 3, Santa Barbara, California, Foresters 2
• 2001: Goldpanners 2, Oceanside Waves 1
• 2002: Goldpanners 2, California Dons 1
• 2003: Goldpanners 3, California Dons 1
• 2004: Goldpanners 9, Kenai Peninsula Oilers 1
• 2005: Goldpanners 3, Omaha, Nebraska, Strike Zone 1
• 2006:
• 2007:
• 2008:
• 2009:
• 2010: Goldpanners 4, U.S. Military All-Stars 3 (15 Innings)

Further Reading

• Michael Clair: "The glory of the Midnight Sun Game: Can you think of anything better than baseball in the middle of the night?", mlb.com, June 21, 2021. [1]
• Matt Monagan: "The magic of baseball under Alaska's Midnight Sun", mlb.com, August 13, 2024. [2]