Colony Days packs downtown Palmer

PALMER — Summer has been officially introduced by the annual Colony Days festival that took place this past weekend in downtown Palmer.

The parade, possibly the biggest draw of the weekend, drew a healthy crowd that stayed around for most of the early afternoon, then tapered off around 3 p.m.

After the parade, visitors to Colony Days enjoyed an array of entertainment including live music, food and shopping.

Some of the booth owners reported that business was a little slow on Saturday as compared to Friday, perhaps due to the rain that persisted most of the day. Despite this, Palmer was packed and parking was scarce.

There was much to see crammed into the small downtown area. A vintage motorcycle show took up most of the park by the library, various musical artists played on the stage next to the Palmer City Alehouse, inflatable slides, trampolines and pony rides were set up in the library parking for kids. Palmer Historical Society hosted their annual Tent City Market next to the historic Colony House. A vintage selection of items from the sale were donated by supporters of the society, and profits went to cover utilities and archiving for the Colony House.

A dunk tank was set up to raise funds for the Pop Warner Cheerleading team. Notable figures such as the Palmer Fire Chief John McNutt volunteered for dunking slots. This booth was popular among the kids.

“Some have very good aim. I’ve been in, as you see, many times,” said McNutt.

Angelina Klapperich, recently crowned Miss Alaska, also made an appearance to promoted her platform of compassion. Klapperich plans to spend the summer attending community events all over the state before she travels to the Miss America Pageant in September.

The event is a yearly opportunity for small businesses to promote their brand on a large scale by either having a float in the parade or setting up a booth to sell their product. Deb Winkleman, owner of Deb’s Upcycled Designs sells coin bags and wallets made out of recycled bike inner tubes, earrings made out of the bike chains and 3D printed fidget spinners, which she claimed were a hit. Other booths were selling a variety of different things such as dog beds, handmade leather belts and freeze dried food.

The Reindeer Farm has been providing reindeer to Colony Days for the past eight years. The animals are a popular stop for visitors of all ages.

“There’s a long-standing tradition about a guy in a red suit with a reindeer, I’m sure that has something to do with the attraction. I’m not sure,” said Patman Larrabee, Reindeer Farm employee.

Larrabee also commented on the success of the reindeer train ride set up in the library parking lot. The train, pulled by a four-wheeler or tractor, is made out of recycled barrels and painted to look like a team of reindeer.

In such a quickly growing town as Palmer, few who take part in the Colony Days festivities understand the historical significance of the event. Colony Days was originally created to celebrate and remember the beginnings of Palmer, but according to Brooke Steinke, coordinator for Palmer Museum and visitor center, only a small percentage of people — usually the colonist descedants themselves — come to the event understanding why it exists.

However, Steinke believes those committed to maintaining the history of Palmer have made an impact on how the town has evolved.

“If you look at the difference between Palmer and Wasilla, how Wasilla has developed, and how Palmer has developed, and how Palmer has tried to retain that small-town feel,” she said. “... they really preserved the history of what happened and the people here are really connected to the land that they grew up on.”