The Flags Along Egan Drive: The Story of Friends of the Flags

Flags are installed on streetlamps in downtown Juneau this spring. (Photo courtesy of Travel Juneau)

Since 1978, when Mayor Bill Overstreet and Rudy Ripley launched Friends of the Flags, groups of volunteers have installed the official flags of all 50 states each year, with few exceptions. When the Friends of the Flags were unable to complete the installation, we heard from disappointed community members! Who’s in charge? Who started it? How can I help? Here’s a little bit on how Friends of the Flags works.

This is a group of community members, many of whom are associated with the visitor industry, whose pride in Juneau has led them to the program. In an article from the July 2, 1998, Juneau Empire, Rudy Ripley, a founder of Friends of the Flags, related how Overstreet was inspired by streets lined with flags in many European cities during a 1978 visit. Deciding that “it would be fitting and appropriate for the capital city,” the program was born, a volunteer group came together to operate it, and the official state flags have flown ever since.

Citing an aging volunteer group, in 2018 the founders asked that the program be taken over by Travel Juneau, and it’s now under the guidance of Tourism Best Management Practices (TBMP). Each spring, the TBMP administrator starts the process of setting a date (usually a Saturday or Sunday with no ships), getting road closure permits, and rounding up volunteers to take a couple of hours to attach the flags to their poles and to participate in the installation along Egan. Relying on folks with trucks and vans, this crew is at work by 6:30 a.m., moving along Egan and either working to set up or move lane change signs and cones or sending the next flag up on a lift (thank you to Tyler Rental) to be put in its holder on its light pole. We reverse the process in the fall when flags need to come down. Unless we encounter high winds, the group works rain or shine, warm weather or cold.

The popularity of the program was borne out on a couple of occasions when the group was unable to install them; Travel Juneau received calls and responded to posts on social media asking, “Where are the flags?” Locals enjoy seeing them flowing in the breeze at least as much as our visitors do, bringing a colorful accent along our waterfront.

The generosity of Juneau community members makes all of this possible. The annual cost for the program is around $4,250 as the flags, and often some hardware, must be replaced annually as our weather takes its toll. We also purchase a traffic permit from Alaska DOT so we can close the lanes on Egan as needed. At the end of the season, when the flags come down, they’re auctioned to help raise funds for the following year’s order. While a lot of fun, the auction raises only 10% of the cash needed to operate the program.

Friends of the Flags encourages you to consider a cash gift so that this program, which brings so much pride and enjoyment to Juneau, continues into the future. All donations cover actual costs; neither Travel Juneau nor TBMP take revenue from donations as we are honored to provide the administrative support.

We accept Venmo (@TravelJuneau) or checks payable to Friends of the Flags. Drop or mail checks to Travel Juneau, 800 Glacier Ave., Ste. 201, Juneau, AK 99801.

• Liz Perry is the president and CEO of Travel Juneau, a private nonprofit organization dedicated to the visitor industry and its economic benefit to Juneau.