Cabbage creations to be unveiled at Palmer's Friday Flings

July 14, 2006

By CASEY RESSLER

Frontiersman

The rumor mill has been running rampant in downtown Palmer, but truth will be revealed this afternoon. What does King Crabbage look like? How bright is the Crazy Colors of Slaw? How is Crucifer Columbus going to look in the modern ages?

Those answers and more will be unveiled at 12:30 p.m. at the Friday Flings, as &#8220Cabbages on Parade” takes center stage in the weekly celebration. Ten artists concocted creations of cabbage - cabbage molds, that is - which will be located throughout Palmer the rest of the summer. Today, they are unveiled for the first time at the outdoor market across the street from the Palmer Visitor Center.

They run the gamut from comical to serious - A Head of Healing by Krista Mason salutes breast cancer survivors, for example.

&#8220I've seen all of the cabbages, and they are amazing,” said Sara Jansen, the community development director for the city of Palmer. &#8220Hopefully we'll get a lot of people out there.”

Artists were invited to submit proposals on how they would decorate their model cabbage. From those submissions, 10 artists were selected. They've had since the end of May to work on their creations.

After today, the cabbages will be located at 10 Palmer businesses. On Sept. 1, the works of art will be auctioned at the Alaska State Fair, with all proceeds earmarked to further the event next year.

&#8220Cabbages on Parade” is modeled after similar community events around the country, such as the famous Cows on Parade in Chicago.

Typically, communities choose an icon of their area - in Palmer, it's giant cabbages - and use that theme in art located around the town. Anchorage has a popular &#8220Salmon on Parade” each summer, and this year, Talkeetna debuted &#8220Moose on Parade.”

The cabbages and their creators are: Cowbage, by Susan Reed, located at Valley Hotel; Crazy Colors of Slaw, by Sally Black and Linda Rudolph, Silvertip Design; Pride of Alaska, by Elle Benedict, Country Companies; A Head of Healing, by Krista Mason, Mat-Su Regional Medical Center; You Are Here, by Suzanne Bach, UPS Store; Crucifer Columbus, by Lisa Greenwood, the Mat-Su Convention and Visitors Bureau; Purple Cabbage Magic Fairies, by Christine Miller, Nonessentials; Alaska King Crabbage, by Peggy Compton, First National Bank in Palmer; 24 Carat Leaf, by Kelly Renshaw Clemmer, the Palmer Visitor Center; and Moose Fantasy Cabbage, by Chris Selin Standley, located at Fireside Books.

Contact Casey Ressler at

352-2268 or valleylife@

frontiersman.com.