Best and biggest of Palmer community in 2023

This is a collective column of many Palmer peeps’ recent responses to the question: What was the best stuff of Palmer in the past year. Here are many of our community’s excellent answers!

2023 had the Best Autumn ever—the longest and most beautiful after a sucky summer; Library plans were started after Palmer Library collapsed in Feb; Best Fireworks by Stan; Palmer’s Thanksgiving Turkey Trot, new Running Races, Ultras and the Lakes Trailfest; the new Matanuska Community Farmer’s Market by the log church and borough building; When Barbecue Babes Food Truck parks in Palmer; Calgary Stampede at the State Fair; the Alaska State Fair baby goats; pictures from Our Little Farm in Palmer; the dazzling Wearable Art Show in Feb. at the depot; Palmer’s resident Moose; all of the Friday Flings and Palmer Ale House concerts; the Palmer Community Navigation Center opening;

Juneteenth Celebration; Mountain Field Farm Festival; the garden and welcoming Visitor Center in Palmer; AK Namaste’s generosity to community;

Palmer PD’s very first bike patrol; Who Let the Girls Out celebration; Colony Days Title; Alaska Barn Rescue; Palmer Friendly Park playground on Hemmer Road; Art Cafe with classes of all sorts; Big Dipper Ice Cream Shop

Palmer Towne Food Court with regular and rotating food trucks

Jr. Market Livestock auction for the Mat-Su/Copper River District 4-H Program with record breaking amounts raised; NonEssentials yummy Foccacia; Consign 49 Events at Raven Hall in March and November; Record breaking snowfalls in November and December; Road-crews and plow guys and linemen; Fireside Book Author Visits and book signings; This year’s Alaska Scottish Highland Games; Colony Days; Chickaloon Native Olympics; Dinosaurs on Palmer’s Trick or Treat Street; Holiday Tree Tour hosted by ski club; Community Support for Lazy Mountain Brewing Company; Drive your Tractor To Work Day; Palmer Public Works efforts year-round; Post Office garden and hanging baskets; Magical Colony Christmas Parade; Improved Turkey Red menu;

Amazing Flower Baskets on downtown and uptown streets in Palmer; Amy and Luke skiing through town; 3000-21 stage and merch store at 203 Kombucha; Midsummer Garden and Art Faire; Busy Museum and Visitor Center; New Zipline on Lazy Mountain; Cruiser rides with the bike shop; Outdoor concerts

Monthly meetings at the Palmer Historical Society; Bad Girls of the North Christmas Show at Hamilton Farm; this year’s lovely nativity scene at the Palmer Depot and all the Palmer holiday lights, windows and decorations.

Kindnesses—Many small kindnesses were mentioned in relation to the past year in Palmer. Trail blazers, graffiti removers, and neighbors helping neighbors were the primary category. But in general it was all about total strangers finding animals, or keys, or lost mittens, lost dogs, lost stuffed animals and footwear. There were the Fat Tire Bikers helping folks out or the man finding little girl’s kitten. People were constantly helping others stuck in the snow or returning trash can lids that had taken flight in the wind storm. And the crowd comments echoed over and over the Palmer Merchant’s continual generosity to youth activities. Palmer Moose Hockey Team volunteering in community and the great

Weekly State Farm Palmer Pizzas deliveries on Fridays.

New and exciting—People were very appreciative and welcoming for newer additions to Palmer including: the Tiny Art Gallery little share box; the Puzzle Trading Post; Bright Lights’ dozen “Little Libraries” in Palmer; New bike path on the Airport Road; Felton Road!; New shopping carts at Carrs; the new interesting Water Tower Lights; Feather & Flour Restaurant opening;

Rustic Bakes Sourdough Co. opening; Cookie Store opening;

New Sluice Box and continuing development of Rebarchek Agricultural Park at the Alaska State Fair. The Matsu Valley Rebuild Materials Center is located in the Palmer Community now; 96 acres of precious Palmer farmland are now conserved with an easement at the Moffitt Farm through the Alaska Farmland Trust; Colony Barn Restorations.

Thank you Palmer —We are fortunate to live in a loving and appreciative community. The responses came from the Palmer Alaska Buzz page, which now numbers nearly 37,000 members! Just like Palmer is growing, so is the Palmer Alaska Buzz group on Facebook. The rules are simple: don’t be a jerk; be kind; no politics; no religion; no cussing or snark; and focus on our community. The positivity is heartening and we all wish you a great new year.

Barbara Hunt is both Palmer writer and artist. She works hard to keep the robust pulse of Palmer, Alaska. She shares the good stuff in the weekly Palmer Alaska Buzz Column in the Mat Su Valley Frontiersman and daily on the Palmer Alaska Buzz Facebook Group. Contact at bhunt@mtaonline.net or text 907.315.3222