Voting is now open for the real Fat Bear Week — the annual competition celebrating the hefty brown bears of Katmai National Park.

This year’s bracket is stacked, with reigning two-time champion Grazer — Bear 128 — looking to defend her crown. And it’s a family showdown, too. One of her cubs is also in the running after winning Fat Bear Junior.

Here in Anchorage, the Wildbirch Hotel is inviting guests to join in the fun with “Everything Fat Bear Week.” They’ll have live streams of the bears, a giant photo op in the lobby featuring ranger gear and a bear bracket, plus themed food and drinks.

We’re talking Fat Bear-y Stuffed French Toast and the Big Berry Mimosa — all in the spirit of celebrating these larger-than-life Alaskan icons.

"Nobody's really doing a program like this in Anchora

See Full Page