Palmer needs more than one Pie Day

Pie is a staple in Palmer. Long time ago the brilliant pie case at the Valley Hotel was the singular spot to seize a slice of Pie. That changed a few decades ago and now there are pies aplenty in this town, but never enough. Pi day is this Saturday so now is the time to plan your Palmer Pie experience.

π Pi Day in Palmer Town is Saturday—For you proud math geeks, this of course means Pi Day, which is celebrated on March 14th (3/14) around the world. Pi (Greek letter “π”) is the symbol for 3.14159. Pi Day is our annual opportunity to talk about numbers, say Happy Birthday to Albert Einstein and eat Palmer Pie.

Choices and Offerings—This week the choices will be inventoried and announced however history shows that the following places will have some spectacular pie offerings. Sweet Gypsy (in its new location), Vagabonds, Turkey Red, and of course the always dependable Valley Hotel. There could be some new ones which we can look forward to including Lekker’s Coffee and Baking Company. Let’s keep our ears open for new possibilities. Sadly the sweet little meat pies from NonEssentials are history along with Frontier Cafe’s pot pie. Perhaps Sweetie Pies will show up? Pizza pie is always available at Pizza Delphi and Shepherd’s Pie is sometimes featured at the hotel along with a full array of attractive pies are always waiting for you in the happy pie case.

Palmer Pie Time—A tiny tradition in Palmer is to eat pie at this exactly 3:14pm as a part of the celebration. This week in the Palmer Alaska Buzz, we will try to keep up with the specific offerings for Saturday so check back later in the week for an up-to-the minute Palmer Pie Update. It’s possible that the Breweries or Bakeries may come in with some special offerings for the event!

Palmer’s Dash for the Gold—Formally known as the Green Day Gallop, this 5K and 10K race is on Sunday March 15th (the day AFTER PIE day!!!) at the Downtown Train Depot. The all day celebration will feature the running event, and a walking event. Choose between our Kids 1 Mile, 5K or 10K course that takes you through Palmer, Alaska. Races start and end at the Palmer Train Depot. This event is one of many celebrating the building of Palmer’s New Library. All proceeds will go to the Friends of the Palmer Public Library Inc specifically for the purchase of new furniture and equipment. Participants will have the opportunity to take part in a PARADE before the race, listen to some live Irish music and enjoy the celebration of our new Public Library (slated to break ground in May!). Just prior to the race start at 2 p.m. will be a short parade behind the Depot - all are welcome to join in making a joyful noise in celebration of our new library and to toss a donation of their choosing (not obligatory) into a big black cauldron - a veritable "Pot of Gold" that will be located by the race start arch. Costumes and noise makers are encouraged!

Indoor Fun—Inside the Train Depot will be free entertainment with Irish folk music and dance performances by Bosca Ceoil (ca. 1:30-2:30) and Alaska Treble Makers (ca. 3:45-4:45), an opportunity to purchase merchandise and a free arts and crafts table staffed by the Palmer Arts Council. Beverages and lights snacks will be available for purchase by Lekker Coffee & Baking Co. and 203 Kombucha. There are many supporters and sponsors of this event and even more sponsors for the Palmer Public Library….it feels like the entire community is just itching to get our library started. No doubt this is one of many opportunities to show your support for our community library.

Barbara Hunt is both Palmer writer and artist. She works hard to keep the robust pulse of Palmer, Alaska. She shares the good stuff in the weekly Palmer Alaska Buzz Column in the Mat Su Valley Frontiersman and daily on the Palmer Alaska Buzz Facebook Group. Contact at bhunt@mtaonline.net or text 907.315.3222