Showtime in Palmer

Palmer Car Show—“Hot Summer Nights” is this Saturday night in downtown Palmer from 5 to 9pm. This is a really hip street festival filled with gorgeous cars and motorcycles. The main street, Colony Way which is also known as Main Street, will be closed off for one block. Shops will still be open and people can wander at will up and down the street. The restaurants and bars will be busy. Additional overflow parking will be in the library and the Palmer Visitor’s Center and Museum parking lot. It is a most interesting gathering. You will see tribes of people affiliated with one type of vehicle or another. You will see folks dressed up to match or accessorize with their vehicle. You will hear lively music from the Klondike and the Ale House. You will see lots and lots of dogs joining in the fun. The show is free and always a wonderful evening.

Palmer Garden Show—This is an unofficial show which is available anytime and just about anywhere you go. Everyone’s garden is in high form right now and it’s a good time to drive around and take a look. There are 10 foot tall sunflowers and 7 foot tall pea plants. Pumpkins are showing along with the squashes. Many gardens are sprouting their second plantings of radishes, cilantro and lettuces.

Palmer Flower Show—Showcase flower gardens are easy to find in the Palmer area. Of course there is the major one downtown beside the Palmer visitor center and the Museum. But there are other lovely ones in town. Take a look beside most of the church buildings, the Pioneer and Veterans’ Home, the Palmer post office, and most of the small businesses and homes lined up on the main streets. Flowers are everywhere and most are tended daily. Where they aren’t is usually a fine crop of wildflowers to fill the gap. There are also a few official flower farms in Palmer.

Palmer Farm Show—Did you know that there is a “farm tour” available every day all summer long? It’s true; just look up Alaska Farm Tours and ask for Christy. In addition to the tour, there are at least six different local farm stands in and around Palmer. Each of the farm stands have different offerings, hours, markets and picking policies. Shopping at the local farm stand is really good for the grower because they receive the total sale. Shopping at a local farm stand is really good for the buyer because they receive exactly what they want and fresh from the field.

Here is an incomplete list of some of the farm stands around Palmer: Bushes Bunches and Pyrah’s out on the old Glenn Highway; SunCircle Farm on Farm Loop; Kenley Cousin farm stand on Palmer Fishhook; Matanuska farm market on Glenn Highway; Singing Nettle farm has CSA boxes and offers its’ Lazy Mountain produce at 203 Kombuchu on Tuesdays; and finally my personal favorite: Moonstone Farm, which is the old Church Colony farm, near the hospital and the new Trunk round-about. (Why is it my favorite? Because they grow and make “Michelle’s Magnificent Pickled Palmer Peas!! And they allow me to paint and sell my art at their farm stand!)

Palmer Dog Show—This is another unorganized show. But, if you want to see dogs, just go to the Friday fling or any of the outdoor Palmer concerts.

Ultimate Alaska Show in Palmer—People who are clamoring for a Palmer Rabbit or Baby Goat show just have to wait 9 more days until the Alaska State Fair!!!! It’s a well known fact that the Alaska State Fair is really the very biggest show in the state. Avoid the lines and purchase your tickets online for ease and savings!

Palmer Community Calendar Showtime—This locally painted calendar is in production and showtime is in September. If you know of any important community events for inclusion, please reach out to me, Barbara Hunt, at the address at end of this column. I have received huge support to keep this community calendar alive, unique and local. I am working hard on it. I extend big thanks to all my sponsors who see the love in our community and share our positive vision of the future. The calendar is dedicated to inclusion of community activities and progress. If you, your club, or your organization have an event planned (not religious nor political), please text me so it can be part of the annual year round Palmer perpetual calendar. It’s also likely that it will be included in this weekly newspaper column, Palmer Alaska Buzz, as part of an ongoing community update. The Palmer Alaska Buzz forum, whether on the internet, in the newspaper, or on the calendar, is just basic show and tell—Palmer style!

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. She is also the creator of the annual Palmer Community Calendar. Contact at bhunt@mtaonline.net or text 907.315.3222.