Palmer rings in the season

If Norman Rockwell were alive today, there's no doubt he could have found some inspiration for a holiday classic in downtown Palmer last weekend.

That annual cozy celebration of the winter -- Colony Christmas -- had downtown Palmer bubbling with Yuletide cheer, from the Depot, where crafters peddled their wares, to the Palmer Visitors Center, where reindeer gave children rides in sleds pulled behind them.

In between, there were holiday concerts, cookie contests, horse-drawn carriage rides and plenty of visiting.

From one end of town to the other, hot chocolate kept the nip out of the air as people walked from venue to venue, stopping at the downtown shops as well, as the annual two-day holiday celebration kicked off Friday and concluded Saturday.

Colony Christmas gives visitors a chance to experience all Palmer has to offer -- and Palmer residents a chance to reflect on what they have.

"This is why I live in Palmer," said Jeff Trudia. "You don't get this kind of a feel in Wasilla, or anywhere else really. It's a ton of fun," he said, with his 2-year-old resting on his shoulders.

Every year, the event has gotten a little bit bigger, but it has retained it's small-town feel, which many feel separate Colony Christmas from other holiday celebrations in other areas.

"I think Christmas is getting too commercial in general, but you can come down here and realize what the true spirit of Christmas is," said Joyce Bryan, who took a second and checked out the amazing snow sculpture outside the Depot Saturday afternoon.

"You run into your neighbors, your friends, people you work with. It's the spirit of togetherness I like the most," Bryan said.

In the Borough Gym, the man of the month -- Santa Claus -- greeted children and asked them what they wanted him to bring later this month.

When the daylight faded, the real fun began, as a parade of lights wound its way through downtown at 5 p.m. Saturday.

Following the parade, the fireworks celebration started at 6:30 p.m., and not even the stagnant smoke cloud that blocked some of the vibrant colors could dampen the spirit, as people honked their horns, whistled and clapped.

As has become Colony Christmas tradition, the community celebration wound down late Saturday with some good old-fashioned Christmas carols, sung around a bonfire, of course.