Entry No. 40 — the Anchorage file — filed under: hands-on
Get Scent Studio
Chester Mainot turned his soy-candle market booth into a brick-and-mortar studio that opened in late 2024 at the corner of Arctic Boulevard and International Airport Road. The heart of it is a candle bar where you pour your own 12oz candle, blend a custom scent from the menu, pick an Aura jar, and design your own label. The space doubles as a collaborative crafter hub with consignment shelves for local makers and rotating guest-artist nights, sometimes with live music.
The story
Before Chester Mainot set up shop at the corner of Arctic Boulevard and International Airport Road in late 2024, Get Scent was strictly a market-booth operation. Mainot spent four years lugging hand-poured soy candles to local Anchorage pop-ups before taking over Unit F at 5121 Arctic Boulevard. If the studio feels more like a creative green room than a standard retail store, that is no accident—Mainot is a veteran performer in the local theater and choral music scenes, and he designed the Midtown space as much for collaborative artist nights as for bench crafting.
The center of the floor is a DIY candle bar where you pull up a seat, pick an Aura glass jar, and work through a scent menu featuring oils like citrus linen or sampaguita—the national flower of the Philippines. You mix your custom fragrance, pour a 12-ounce soy wax candle, and print your own custom label on-site. Consignment shelves around the room stock goods from local Alaskan makers, while the studio schedule rotates between sandwax classes, wax-melt bingo, and evening date nights paired with live performances from local harpists and barbershop quartets.
What it's like
You'll find Unit F tucked into a Midtown commercial block on Arctic Boulevard. Inside, the workflow is informal and hands-on: you sit side-by-side at the bar, measure your fragrance oils, and pour hot soy wax into your chosen vessel. Because liquid soy wax takes time to solidify before you can cap it and carry it home, expect to spend the end of your session browsing the local maker shelves or chatting with the instructors. Walk-in seats at the candle bar are common during standard hours, but ticketed date nights with live music sell out, so reserve your spot online in advance and confirm current studio hours before you drive over.
The move: Sit side by side at the candle bar, each blend a personal scent and pour your own jar, then swap candles to take home a memento of the other's nose.
📍 Before you go The candle bar is a walk-in/booked DIY experience (about $45); the dedicated Candle Making Date Night with live music is a ticketed event that sells out, so check the site for the next date.
- 📍 Midtown Anchorage
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 5121 Arctic Blvd Unit F, Anchorage, AK 99503
Hours: Added 2026-06-23 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Midnight Potter Studios — Head half a mile down the road to trade fragrance blending for clay slinging at Jenny Ditto's wheel-throwing studio.
- Nature's Jewels Rock Shop & Lapidary — Pair your custom scent creation with a visit half a mile away to inspect raw minerals, meteorites, and lapidary work in a working silversmith shop.
- Rusty Raven Uniques — Follow up your structured candle pouring with a chaotic hunt through packed antique shelves just a mile down Midtown.
Good to know
How much does the standard candle bar session cost?
The walk-in or scheduled candle bar experience runs about $45, which includes blending your custom fragrance, choosing an Aura jar, pouring a 12-ounce soy candle, and printing a personalized label.
Do I need to make a reservation in advance?
Walk-ins are accepted at the candle bar when space allows, but booking online guarantees a seat. Ticketed special workshops—like the Candle Making Date Night or live music sessions—require advance registration because capacity is limited.
Can children participate in the candle-making classes?
Yes, though age limits vary depending on the workshop. Standard candle bar sessions generally require participants to be at least 10 years old, while family-focused classes like sandwax or wax melt events accommodate kids ages 5 or 6 and up. Minors must be accompanied by an adult.
Can I take my candle home immediately after pouring it?
Your 12-ounce soy candle needs time to cool and solidify after pouring before it can safely be moved. You can linger in the studio to shop local consignment goods while it sets, or return later to pick up your completed candle.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: akbizmag.com · adn.com · Official site · Yelp
last checked: 2026-06-23