Palmer’s Colony Christmas scene

It feels like a Currier and Ives painting. The community festivities appear cute, quaint and colorful. However the reality of Palmer’s Colony Christmas is a bit different. This annual December festivity has grown into something magnificent and is far beyond cute. It’s a big production that takes many hours, many tasks, and much planning and labor. Behind the scene is a huge effort by hundreds of people including vendors, stores, sponsors, businesses, organizations and community volunteers. The event draws in thousands of visitors, yearning to take a little piece of “Palmer joy” home with them. And it seems we share our wonderful place quite willingly. We anticipate parking challenges and traffic. We realize strangers will be confused. We’re liberal with directions and suggestions. And we wish everyone a happy holiday time with no judgement.

“A Real Downtown”— Sometimes when you’re in Palmer, it really feels like you’re in a perfect little downtown. Especially at the holidays. There’s all the little lights and the pretty shop windows. There’s activity on the sidewalks and sometimes music coming from somewhere. The walks are clear and the businesses are open and friendly. You’re bound to run into people you know, so you always plan for some extra time. Yes, you have to bundle up between shops, but even that feels good and refreshing, unless there are gale winds. (And as we’ve learned, the gale winds have an interesting effect on shoppers lingering longer.) There are good food offerings in downtown, which are equally inviting. Parking is easy in downtown Palmer and there is no such thing as a parking meter. Malls have their conveniences and their refiltered air but they are no match for Palmer street shopping and eating.

Major Holiday Action in Palmer—It’s this weekend! There are so many events happening, I promise you satisfied exhaustion—by the time it’s over. The list is huge and you need to check it out personally on the website or flyers provided by the Greater Palmer Chamber of Commerce. Don’t forget the Colony House Museum Open House on Saturday. Or the Santa-con event on Saturday evening. Or the Corn hole Tournament. The list is endless. The biggies of Colony Christmas are the parade, the fireworks, the Nativity Scenes collection, and the general Ho, Ho, Ho euphoria, which is in great supply all around town. There will be carolers. There will be funny hats. There will be reindeers. There will be holiday cheer. There will be cookies absolutely everywhere. There will be Santa, live-action nativity scene, snow-people, sparklers, Garden of Lights, festive farms, Bad Girls of the North, Seasonal Strings, Running of the Beers, decorated tractors, gingerbread buildings, open Santa skate and hayrides. And in the midst of it all the Palmer Library Christmas Tree will be shining and the Palmer Water Tower will be lit. Look for fabulous lighted firetrucks, stunning sparkly lit bicycles, tractors adorned with colored strings of bulbs shining bright. Expect to see the big man, Santa, himself along with various elf groupies and reindeers.

Be safe Palmer peeps and celebrate safely.

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