Uproar of reaction follows Palmer Chamber's announcement about rebranding Colony Days

The Greater Palmer Chamber of Commerce announced Thursday that the annual Colony Days celebration will be rebranded and now known as The Braided River Festival. In the hours since, there has been an eruption of disapproval of the call to change the name of a tradition started more than 80 years ago by colonists who settled in the area and created the foundation of the Matanuska Valley’s farming community.

Palmer Chamber Executive Director Ailis Vann said they've received a lot of public feedback over the phone, email, and social media. She said they're working to reply to everyone.

"We had a high volume of calls and concerns today. We are listening," Vann said.

As of Friday evening there were more than 700 comments on the Frontiersman Facebook page about the initial article about the change. Chamber officials posted about the response on their Facebook page earlier Friday, and that generated more than 600 comments as of Friday evening.

"It's obvious that people are very passionate about Colony Days and that part of our history and we are excited about that and we are hopeful people can take that energy and put it into this festival and help us keep that spirit or maybe make that spirit even brighter,” Vann said.

Colony Days calls downtown Palmer home for a long weekend each June. Palmer City Manager John Moosey said Friday that city officials were not consulted about the name change.

“I work well with the chamber as the city manager. I really like Ailis. I think she does a fabulous job. But we were not involved in the decision. We did not have a say in the decision,” Moosey said.

Palmer City Councilmember Pam Melin released a statement on social media.

“I am incredibly disheartened and saddened by the recent action the Palmer Chamber took to rebrand the name of not one but two historical celebrations and forgo our incredibly rich history in this amazing town we call home,” Melin wrote. “I grew up celebrating Colony Days every summer as well as Colony Christmas. My children have celebrated alongside me as an adult. Now I have grandchildren who I would love to share these experiences with.”

Sen. Shelley Hughes represents Chugiak, Peters Creek, Eklutna, Fairview Loop, Butte, Lazy Mountain and Palmer. Most of the area she serves in the Matanuska Valley is known most for its agriculture.

“My initial reaction when I heard the news of the name change was concern for our community elders who were children of Colonists in the ’30’s and ‘40’s and deserve honor and respect in this stage in their lives. I immediately knew in my gut that local residents would not be happy and that the Palmer Chamber Board would take heat,” Hughes said. “Palmer was a trading station in the late 1800’s but it was the agricultural settlement, the Matanuska Colony Project, that made it a vibrant community, the foundation for our charming town today. That Colony history should not and cannot be erased. It is part of who we are. It is part of what makes Palmer, Palmer. Colony Days and Colony Christmas are Palmer through and through. The replacements names, Braided River Festival and Hometown Holidays are homogenous, nonidentifiable titles for events in Anytown, USA. Let’s hope the Palmer Chamber Board reconsiders its decision.”

Pete and Denise Christopher, the Mat-Su Miners general manager and community relations director, both said they were very surprised to hear of the name change, and are concerned about the potential harm to local businesses based on the uproar of reaction by community members in the last 24 hours.

“My heart goes out to the local businesses we represent that are going to be hurt by this,” Denise Christopher said.

The Mat-Su Miners have participated in Colony Days events, such as the annual parade, for decades. Both said they are unsure the Miners will participate in a rebranded event. Multiple demonstrations have been organized in the Palmer area in recent years. While it’s unknown if there would be any public demonstrations during the new event, based upon the amount of negative feedback since the announcement, both Pete and Denise said they have to take that into consideration.

“We have to worry about anything that would affect these kids’ stay in the community.

We want to put forth a positive experience,” Denise Christopher said.

Both said they have enjoyed a great relationship with the chamber. Pete Christopher served two terms as a board member. Denise Christopher is a recent recipient of the chamber’s Pioneer Award, given to volunteers in the chamber.

“I’m proud of my work with the chamber,” Denise Christopher said.

Vann said the Chamber is going to compile the various public comments and discuss options on how to move forward on Monday, March 28.

Vann said the decision to change the name was voted on and approved by their board of directors. She said the Chamber has overseen the event for over 40 years and they plan to maintain popular traditions like the parade moving forward.

"We really want to keep the spirit of our entire history alive," Vann said.

Contact the Frontiersman at news@frontiersman.com.