Colony Days parade attracts large crowd

PALMER — The 2017 Colony Days festival took off and took life this weekend. The streets of downtown Palmer bustled with activity throughout the three-day festival. With vendors filling the air with aromatic delights, kids playing with inflatable bounce houses, the costumes, the music, and the trinkets, it could be seen as a mini-state-fair of sorts, a kick off to welcome summer activities on the horizon. Starting early, bargain hunters ransacked the rummage sale.

The parade started at 11 a.m. and drew a substantial audience. Despite the overcast skies and sprinkles of rain, the crowds stretched across the whole town. Many were surprised by the massive turnout. This year’s parade featured a sizable string of businesses, organizations, churches, and institutions. Dozens of cars, fire trucks, trucks, floats, tractors, performers, princesses, cartoon mascots, and public figures like the 2017 Miss Alaska, Angelina Klapperich, and Gov. Bill Walker made their way down the center of town, giving out plenty of friendly waves and freebies.

“Today, even with rain the parade route was packed. Traffic’s heavy; it’s good. We’re happy with it,” said Cassi Campbell, past president of the Greater Palmer Chamber of Commerce.

“Pretty soon, we’re gonna need more roads,” said Greater Palmer Chamber of Commerce Director Ralph Renzi.

Saturday had the longest run of activities. The Alaska Champions Tour Rodeo started at 5 p.m with a cowboy ball and barbeque in the fairgrounds’ farm exhibit building to close out the day.

Colony Days is one of Palmer’s major events that brings the community together. It takes months to prepare and there tends to be a lot of people involved who keep this tradition and synergy alive and well. According to the chamber, the entire operation would be impossible without the volunteers.

“It’s an annual thing so people come back year after year. It just brings everyone from around here: here. It’s a way to get everyone in the community to a spot; we’re able highlight things in the Valley, we’re able to highlight Palmer. It’s important for us to be able to highlight our people,” Renzi said.