It’s almost that time again—Explore.org’s Fat Bear Week. Brown bears in Alaska’s Katmai National Park have been eating their way to security this summer, prepping their bodies for a long winter sleep. The start of fall means these brown bears are reaching their peak heftiness, and Fat Bear Week celebrates their success by bringing nature-loving individuals together to crown a champion. Typically, the winner is the fattest of them all.
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“Soon, the world will once again unite behind a common cause: fat bears,” wrote the National Park Service (NPS) in an Instagram post prepping its online community for the popular virtual event.
[RELATED: Meet the 2025 Fat Bear Week Winner—Chunk, ‘King of Chonk’]
Fat Bear Week 2026 will start September 22 and run through September 29. Explore.org sets up a bracket, which launches tomorrow, and each day of the competition, there will be an elimination round between two bears. Be sure to vote for your favorite fat bears starting next Tuesday.
Follow along with Fat Bear Week 2026 here.
Header stock image by N8tureGrl/Getty Images
