Colony Days returning in full swing this weekend

Palmer’s coveted community event, Colony Days, is back in full swing this weekend, officially kicking off Friday morning and wrapping up Sunday evening.

Greater Palmer Chamber Executive Director Ailis Vann said that her colleagues, event partners and greater community are all bustling with excitement to be able to put on Palmer’s signature summer event, and one of the city’s longest standing traditions after having to cancel last year’s event due to the pandemic.

“We’re happy to get back in the swing of things and excited to see people out and about in the community,” Vann said.

The Palmer Chamber invites the public once again to celebrate Palmer’s history and culture while connecting with their friends and neighbors during an annual event ingrained in the community’s culture. Vann said the event steadily spans around 70 years, and the Chamber looks forward to keeping the event going into the future.

“We love being able to carry on traditions… It’s one of our favorite things to do so we’re looking forward to it,” Vann said. “Every town has a summer festival that the locals and tourists enjoy and I feel like Colony Days is our summer festival in Palmer. It’s a small enough event where you don’t get lost, but it’s a big enough event to where there’s lots to do and it’s a lot of fun to spread out over more than one day.”

According to Vann, there will be several new games and activities featured this year, including the first Alaska Native Marketplace that will be held inside the Palmer Train Depot in collaboration with Chickaloon Village and Knik Tribal Council, featuring Alaska Natice artisans selling a variety of handcrafted creations.

“We’re really excited about that,” Vann said. “We’re trying to open the doors to everyone and be more inclusive of all the different kinds of artists and stuff going on around the Valley.”

There’s a total of 80 vendors set to participate in the 2021 Colony Days celebration. Vann said there will be several new vendors onsite on top of festivities like a Kids Carnival, a farmers market, and a beer garden hosted by the Palmer Museum of History of Art.

“There’s a little something for everyone,” Vann said.

The Colony Days Parade is the most popular event over the three day celebration, drawing hundreds of spectators from across the Valley and even beyond. Vann said there’s about over 30 applicants so far, and they’re still accepting float applications. The 2021 parade starts at 11 a.m. and the float applications must be submitted by Thursday at 5 p.m.

For more information about the 2021 Colony Days celebration, visit palmerchamber.org/colonydays.

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