2023 Colony Christmas draws large turnout

PALMER — The 2023 Colony Christmas festival drew a large number of visitors to downtown Palmer Dec. 8 through Dec. 10.

This annual holiday festival is a full weekend of community events and shopping opportunities. The Greater Palmer Chamber of Commerce hosts this event with multiple participating groups and businesses to create a fun and festive atmosphere for locals to enjoy every year.

"Everything went really well! The weather was absolutely perfect on Saturday for the main events," Palmer Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Ailis Vann said. "The community groups coming together and putting events out for their friends and neighbors is what makes Palmer such a special place. I absolutely love the spirit that surrounds this event."

Vann said that she was thrilled by the huge overall turnout this year. She said they saw a record breaking amount of entries in the gingerbread house building competition, and the Palmer Lion's Club had the best pancake breakfast attendance to date.

The pinnacle event of Colony Christmas is the Parade of Lights and the subsequent fireworks show. Vann said there was a massive amount of parade and firework spectators this year.

"In the 15 years that I've been involved with colony Christmas I've never seen more people in attendance at the parade and fireworks," Vann said.

Colony Christmas visitors had the opportunity to partake in a wide array of activities such as craft fairs featuring local vendors, hay rides, cookie contests, Smoosh Races, snowman building, photo opportunities with Santa Claus, and live performances.

Other notable holiday happenings included a food truck rally that takes place all three days, a fundraiser for the Palmer Public Library reconstruction project hosted by Alaska Celtic Pipes and Drums, Caroling Around Palmer by the Mat-Su Community Chorus, and a Christmas concert put on by the Matanuska-Susitna Orchestra.

"The most appealing aspect of the event is that the vast majority of the events and activities are free to enjoy, because of the generosity of our sponsors and community members. A family can show up, walk around town, enjoy the lights, the parade, the fireworks, reindeer, and Santa, without having to spend any money," Vann said.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com