Mat-Su Sentinel celebrates 30 years of Best of the Valley with contest refresh
The annual Best of the Valley contest will shift from the busy fall season to spring.
PALMER — The beloved “Best of the Valley” Mat-Su business contest will mark 30 years with a move to the spring and a refresh of its voting process and celebration party.
The updates are designed to make the annual best-of contest more valuable than ever while centering the experience on the people and community that help Mat-Su businesses thrive.
The nonprofit Mat-Su Sentinel purchased the Frontiersman — and with it “Best of the Valley” — from its Arizona-based owners in June, bringing Mat-Su’s news fully under local control.
The change also brought an opportunity to take a close look at some of the Frontiersman’s traditions and find ways to keep them going while giving them a needed refresh.
The annual Best of the Valley contest will shift from the busy fall season to spring, when business owners and locals are not focused on back-to-school activities, recovering from the state fair or getting ready for the holidays.
The contest will also feature refreshed categories, an overhauled voting process and an updated celebration event to make ticket prices more affordable and the event a better experience for attendees and sponsors.
“The Best of the Valley is an important Mat-Su tradition that we want to honor and grow,” said Mat-Su Sentinel editor and founder Amy Bushatz. “We hope by moving it to the spring and giving it a little refresh that we will be able to make it better than ever.”
Rather than skipping a year because of the reset, the 2027 contest will recognize both 2026 and 2027.
Voting will start in February on MatSuSentinel.com, and the awards party will be held in March, after spring break.
Additional information about the 2026/2027 Best of the Valley contest, including dates, categories, nominations and voting, will be announced early in the new year.
The contest is envisioned as continuing to include the printed guide and the winner plaques and certificates participants love while adding entertainment, a silent auction and a raffle to the event, which will be hosted at a new location in Wasilla.
Mat-Su Sentinel is looking for feedback on the contest, voting process and event, as well as ways they can be improved to serve Mat-Su residents. Feedback is welcome through this form.