Love in Palmer on Main Street

Palmer love is pretty invasive this week. There are many ways to show the love and many of our local Palmer Main Street merchants are putting it out there:

203 Kombuchery—The new Palmer hip spot at 105 S. Valley Way is hosting a Vinyl Valentines event. Bring your own vinyl records or choose from their selection. They will be spinning the records from 5-8 on Valentine’s Day.

Shear Fire Design—is really sharing the love by sponsoring hair and make up services for cancer patients, in preparation for the “Just Us Girls Support” (JUGS) prom event at the Palmer Depot on Valentine’s evening. JUGS is celebrating a unique Prom experience for everyone impacted by cancer. All ages are welcome including men and women in remission, or currently undergoing treatment. This community affair will be a fundraising/Silent Auction event to show love and support for those “who deserve to feel incredible on this special night.”

Turkey Red—is preparing a special four course dinner on Valentine’s Day, which will be served between 5pm and 9pm. Carrot soup, Pheasant broth, Bacon dumplings, Leek Terrine in Fontina Cheese Sauce, King Crab Salad, Pheasant quenelles, Beef rib eye, Alaska seafood with saffron, Phyllo custard with strawberries, rose petals and pistachios or chocolate walnut cake and coffee glace. Oh my goodness. Make your reservations now.

Mad Matters—is offering 25% off all custom framing on Valentines Day.

Peak Boutique— has chocolate bouquets for Valentine’s Day, plus really cool jewelry. There are magnets and bath bombs, candles and homemade jam, plus Palmer Love Building Blocks!

Fireside Book Store—has an epic display of romance and affection, in book form. They also have a “blind date with a book”

NonEssentials— says food is love and they prove this with two different homemade cheesecakes, (one is Kahlua!) along with heart shaped truffles and tea-for-two teapots.

The Art Cafe—is sharing the love by offering twenty percent off all DIY art on Valentine’s Day.

Raven Hair Design—is offering 10% off all color services this week, compliments of both April and Pam.

Active Soles has loving foot gear and Backcountry Bike & Ski shop has loving bikes.

Love your Palmer Place—by attending the Zero Waste Coalition meeting on Valentine’s Day at the borough landfill at 3pm. This is a community class on waste reduction and promotion of recycling in 99645 and beyond.

Palmer Downtown Deli—will be preparing a special Valentine’s Day weekend fine dining dinner menu, as well as various tasty treats to celebrate the big day. AND single people will get a special treat on Valentine’s Day. Because, as the owner says, “why should couples have all the fun?”

You Get to Give Love Back—To the Mat Su Borough in the form of your 2nd installment of our annual property taxes, due on Friday. Now, the immediate chorus begins about receiving nothing for your tax money. But please remember that our Borough provides services in animal control, code compliance, junk and trash, fireworks, landfill, road service areas, roads, parks, emergency services, public safety, rescue, ambulances, fire protection, swimming pools, water rescue, recycling, clean-ups, solid waste, and maintenance.

Weekend Reminder— This is the time for the 13th Annual VAA Wearable Art and Runway Fashion Show at the Palmer Depot on both Saturday afternoon and evening. If you haven’t attended this amazing festival of creativity, you should. Tickets are available at both NonEssentials and Fireside Book Store in Palmer.

The Valley Art Alliance hosts the gig and says, “Wearable Art refers to hand crafted and one of a kind pieces of artwork designed to be worn by the human body as an artistic expression. Using their knowledge of color, fabric and non-traditional materials, artists create unique, wearable garments which they (or their models) wear while parading down an authentic “fashion runway”, accompanied by narration and music. This year’s theme is BEWITCHED!”

More Palmer Weekend—There is the Egan Dinner at Turkey Red on Friday. There’s a Fun Dog Run on Saturday starting at the Palmer Pool at 10am. A homemade Scrabble Tile event is on Saturday night. An 80’s Dance with live cover band is at Palmer high on Saturday night. And there is a February Songwriter Showcase at Klondikes on Saturday night. Sunday sees Salsa class, Illustrated Art Journaling, Stained Glass class, Matanuska Susitna Orchestra and Shooting class all in Palmer.

Heads Up—The Palmer Arts Council is helping to cosponsor a concert by Matt the Electrician at Vagabond Blues for next week on Tuesday, February 19th. Check for tickets soon.

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