PALMER BUZZ: It’s Palmer Prep Week

This is the second week in August and in Palmer, that translates into Prep Week. This means, of course, that the fair, hunting, school, parade, harvest and the eclipse are right around the corner. Oh, and add to the list, completion of (or initiation of) all those other summer projects that you were planning on accomplishing. It’s a busy preparation time here in P-Town.

Prep for the Fair—Get your early bird tickets and finish up your entries. Pick up the schedule and start planning your trip and route. If you are in any of the cooking, livestock, or lip sync competitions, perfect your gig. Annual exhibit entry is this Friday and Saturday.

Fair Time is the annual bit when little Palmer moves into the big time with wholehearted traffic jams and busyness.

Prep for the Hunt—Know the rules. Be Legal. Respect private property. Don’t leave a trace. And Be Safe.

Prep for School—Ratchet back your sleeping schedule to adjust to early morning hours. Watch out for school buses, school safety zones and wandering youngsters.

Prep for the Eclipse—This isn’t an annual thing but it is really cosmically important. First of all make yourself some funny homemade eclipse glasses. And practice your sun salute. Call up your friends. And experience “Totality.” It’s a thing, even if we don’t get the full sphere of darkness.

Prep for the Parade—The Aug. 26 State Fair Parade is a mish-mash of celebration, rightfully named “Better Together in Palmer.” It’s called pre-gaming the Fair and it offers visitors an opportunity to check out the main drag, community spirit and all the cool little shops up and down the street. You will see livestock, dancers, royalty, mini-footballers, baton twirlers, clowns, puppies, tractors and more tractors, old cars and firetrucks. A best thing about this Palmer Parade is that for normal folks, there is no entry fee — just bring your group, fill out the easy form, and do it. However, if you’re a “Political Entry,” you get the opportunity for $100. That seems fair.

Prep for the Harvest—Every basket and plastic tub has hard work to do this week to keep up with production. Monster zucchinis and buckets of blueberries, piles of peas and crates of carrots are the name of the game. Enjoy it. Share it. Smoke it. Can it. Jar it. Freeze it. Winter is coming.

More Palmer gigs

Friday is the NIT appreciation day and Saturday is the Palmer Hay Flats Rubber Ducky event. The major mycological mushroom event is this weekend at the college.

This Saturday is the “Second Saturday Art Walk” in downtown Palmer, coordinated by the Palmer Museum. And Saturday night is “The Big Picture Show,” at Humdinger’s Gourmet Pizza, featuring GIANT pieces of original art!

Saturday and Sunday have chill events at the Palmer Public Library involving foreign films, retro video games, and quiet crafts and conversation. If that is too mellow for you, go over and watch the Derby Doll Dash 5K at MTA. Or visit the Palmer strip on a weekend evening….where there is a guaranteed nightlife going on, featuring leathered bikers, friendly gear-heads, dancing and avid music aficionados.

The Food Swap is at the Palmer Annex at 10 a.m. on Saturday. The Hatcher Pass Epic is at 10 a.m. on Saturday.

There are still a few Palmer farm tours left in the season with ACS and AARP—which happen to include a catered Alaska Grown Picnic Lunch.

Also, don’t miss Sunday breakfast. This weekly event is served up at the Palmer Downtown Deli and intimately involves “The Full Stack” of pancakes, local strawberries and cream topping, pork sausage, breakfast potatoes and drip coffee. Total Yum.