Connect to Mat-Su with the Sentinel's community summer bingo card

The Mat-Su Sentinel invites you to participate in Community Connection Bingo as a fun way to explore local activities, support small businesses, up your civic education and engage with your neighbors. With over 20 unique experiences to choose from, you’ll discover new ways to not just enjoy the summer season, but also deepen your connection to our community.  

How to participate in Mat-Su community summer bingo

1. Get your bingo card by email. Track your activities by downloading the bingo card. Register for the Mat-Su Sentinel newsletter and a link to download the card will be sent to your email. Already a member? Sign in, and then check your inbox for the link.
2. Learn more about each activity. Ideas, details and links with more information are organized below alphabetically by activity. 
3. Complete activities. Each square on your bingo card represents a different activity or event in Mat-Su Valley. Go for five in a row or aim high and check off the full card between now and spring break-up. 
4. Share your progress. Feel like sharing? Share your progress on social media with hashtag #MatSuSentinelBingo or tag us on Facebook or Instagram.

Why participate in Mat-Su community summer bingo?

• Connect with your community. Whether you’re completely new to the area or have lived here a long time, the best way to learn about and connect with your community is through showing up. Use the activities on this bingo card to inspire your connections. 
• Support local businesses. Discover and support the small businesses that make our community unique.
• Embrace a season of exploration. Getting out in Mat-Su in the summer is a great way to learn about our community and understand everything it has to offer. Use this card to expire you!

From adventure seekers to bookworms, there’s something for everyone with the Sentinel’s Community Connection Bingo. Let’s celebrate this season in Mat-Su together – one square at a time!

Remember: your bingo sheet will be delivered by email.

Mat-Su community summer bingo activity

The below activities are listed alphabetically by title. Find them mixed throughout your bingo sheet.

(Remember – the link for the sheet is delivered by email!)

Attend a community festival

Mat-Su is home to community festivals all summer long. From Talkeetna to Palmer, there are plenty of options to enjoy food and fun. For events in Talkeetna, visit the Talkeetna Chamber of Commerce website. Watch the Houston Facebook page for details on the annual Founder’s Day celebration in Houston in August. In Palmer, check out Colony Days in June. And don’t miss the July 4 parade and festivities in Wasilla.

Attend a free outdoor concert

Free outdoor concerts throughout Mat-Su offer a fun way to get outside and enjoy the local community. In Palmer, the weekly Friday Fling event features free music during the summer, while the Palmer Alehouse offers concerts on Friday and Saturday evenings from May through August. In Wasilla, Music in the Park includes free performances from midafternoon to late evening on Saturdays. Check off this box by swinging by one of these free outdoor shows.

Attend a public meeting

Check off this box by attending a public meeting held by a local government or community council. This is a chance to learn about what’s happening in your community and connect with decision-makers.

Not sure where to start? Attend a Borough Assembly meeting or a City Council meeting in Houston, Wasilla or Palmer. Interested in neighborhood-level updates? Look up your community council and attend one of their meetings.

Attend the Happy Run (Palmer) or Get Moving Mat-Su (Wasilla)

The weekly Aktive Soles Happy Run and Get Moving Mat-Su events help locals get active all summer long. The Happy Run is held every Monday at 6 p.m. at Aktive Soles in Palmer and finishes at the Palmer Alehouse with a free raffle. Get Moving Mat-Su, held each Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Bearpaw River Brewing in Wasilla, starts May 14 and runs through the summer. It raises money for a local nonprofit and finishes with a raffle. Find more about the Happy Run here and Get Moving Mat-Su here. Check off this box by attending one of the weekly events. Go big and go to both!

Clean up litter

Winter snow hides roadside litter — but spring and summer reveal it all. Take a few minutes to help the community by cleaning up litter from a nearby roadside, park, trail or neighborhood. Many communities throughout Mat-Su host cleanups in May, but this is a job that needs work all summer long.

Do something outside in the rain

Summer weather in Mat-Su doesn’t always feel very summery. Make the most of these months of daylight by getting outside even if it’s wet. Grab a rain jacket and some boots and take a walk or swing by a market on a rainy day.

Check off this box by going outside in the rain.

Do something touristy

Tourism is a major part of Mat-Su’s economy, meaning there are plenty of options for “touristy” activities. What’s an adventure you’d suggest to a visitor but may not usually do yourself? Pick one of those activities to check off this box. Need some ideas? Hit up the Mat-Su Convention and Visitors Bureau. Options include touring the Matanuska Glacier, joining a history walking tour in Palmer, or cuddling sled dog puppies at Iditarod headquarters in Wasilla.

Drop off recycling items

Recycling in Mat-Su is managed by the nonprofit Valley Community for Recycling Solutions near the Central Landfill in Palmer. Mark off this box — and lower your weekly trash — by dropping off items like cardboard, mixed paper and aluminum for free or with a cash donation. Valley Community for Recycling Solutions plans to add glass recycling this summer!

Recycling drop-off locations and hours:

• Central Landfill, Palmer: Monday–Friday, 9:30 a.m.–5 p.m.; Saturday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
• Talkeetna Transfer Station: Tuesday (no cardboard) and Saturday (with cardboard), noon–4 p.m.
• Willow Transfer Station: Second Saturday and last Friday of the month, 11 a.m.–1:30 p.m.
• Big Lake Transfer Station: Saturday and Sunday, noon–3 p.m.
• Sutton Transfer Station: First and third Sunday and Monday of the month, 2–5 p.m.

For more information, visit solidwaste.matsugov.us or valleyrecyclingak.org.

Go to the Alaska State Fair

The Alaska State Fair in late August offers a family-friendly and fun way to enjoy the state and region. Concerts, a carnival, livestock displays and an array of entertainment, food and fun are available to fill the days. Tickets are required, but specials often offer discounts or free entry for kids.

Check off this box by attending the state fair.

Hike, run, or bike on any Mat-Su summer trail

Mat-Su boasts hundreds of miles of motorized and nonmotorized trails. Parks and recreation areas managed by the state, cities and borough offer endless options for hiking, running, biking, walking and ATV riding. Learn more through Alaska State Parks and the Matanuska-Susitna Borough parks.

Mark off this box by hitting a local trail.

Hike, run or move up a local trail

The Mat-Su is full of trails with big and small inclines. Feeling adventurous? Hike a trail in Hatcher Pass or visit Lazy Mountain. The Bodenburg Butte offers a family-friendly hike with a challenge. Looking for something simpler or accessible? A gravel path at Government Peak Recreation Area is designed for residents of all abilities.

Check off this box by going up a local trail.

Join a library summer reading program

Library branches across Mat-Su host summer reading programs for all ages — yes, even adults — with prizes and activities. Libraries in Palmer and Wasilla are managed by the cities, while branches in Talkeetna, Trapper Creek, Willow, Big Lake and Sutton are managed by the borough.

Mark off this box by joining a summer reading program.

Read a book by a Mat-Su author

Mat-Su is home to many talented writers. Find local authors at your library or at Fireside Books in Palmer or Black Birch Books in Wasilla. A few authors to try:

• Eowyn Ivey, The Snow Child (fiction)
• Dimi Macheras, Chickaloonies (graphic novel)
• Jackie Ivie, Laird of Ballanclaire (romance)
• Cheryl and Joseph Homme, Palmer, Alaska Businesses and Buildings: 1897–1970 (nonfiction)
• Mary Carey, Alaska: Not for a Woman (autobiography)
• Barb Hunt, Alaska’s Heavy Light (fiction)
• Dan Strickland, The Snow Fell Off the Mountain (fiction)
• Heather Cooper Lehe, Colony Kids (historical fiction for young readers)
• Erik Hirschmann, Voyage of the Eclipse (historical adventure fiction)

Need more ideas? Ask a librarian or bookstore staff!

Say “hi” to Mat-Su Sentinel reporter/editor Amy Bushatz

Covering local news means attending many community events. Mark off this square by spotting and saying “hi” to Amy at a borough assembly meeting, a city council meeting (she attends some but not all), or another community event.

Shop at a veggie stand or farmers market

Mat-Su is famous for its giant vegetables. Visit the Wednesday market at Iditapark in Wasilla starting in June or the Matanuska Community Farmers Market in Palmer, also on Wednesdays. Small farm stands pop up across the valley all summer, or shop at Friday Fling in Palmer.

Take a picnic to a park or green space

What’s better than exploring Mat-Su with food? Pack a snack or meal and head to a park, green space or bench to enjoy the long summer daylight.

Check off this box by having a picnic.

Take a swim, float or splash at a Mat-Su lake

Cool off with a visit to a local lake. Options include Finger Lake near Palmer, Wasilla Lake in Wasilla, Christiansen Lake in Talkeetna, and Byers Lake in Kesugi State Park.Worried about Swimmer’s Itch? Visit Man Made Lake off Knik River Road, which is fed by the Knik River and free of the parasite.

Visit a local brewery

Mat-Su boasts several breweries, including Denali Brewing in Talkeetna, Bearpaw Brewing in Wasilla, and Arkose and Bleeding Heart breweries in Palmer. Not a beer fan? Try 203 Kombucha in Palmer for locally brewed, nonalcoholic kombucha teas.

Check this box by enjoying a drink — preferably with friends!

Visit a local ice cream shop

Alaskans love ice cream, and Mat-Su offers excellent local options. Grab a cone or cup from favorites like Miller’s Market in Houston or Big Dipper in Wasilla or Palmer. Love acai and smoothies? Check out Revive and Repeat in Wasilla or The Fern in Palmer.

Visit a Mat-Su museum

Mat-Su boasts several small museums focused on local history. Check this box by visiting one or more of these options:

• Local community history museums in Talkeetna, Wasilla and Palmer
• Museum of Alaska Transportation and Industry (Wasilla)
• Iditarod Headquarters Visitor Center (Wasilla)

Visit three local libraries

Mat-Su has seven library branches offering books, resources and community events. Libraries in Palmer and Wasilla are managed by the cities, while branches in Talkeetna, Trapper Creek, Willow, Big Lake and Sutton are managed by the borough.

Mark off this box by visiting three library locations this season.

Visit three Mat-Su Borough parks

The borough’s 10 parks offer spots for picnics, playgrounds, boating, swimming and walking. Find park locations on the Mat-Su Borough website.

Check off this box by visiting three borough parks.

Visit three Mat-Su region state parks

The Mat-Su region of Alaska State Parks includes 24 parks across more than 650,000 acres. From Hatcher Pass to Big Lake to Denali State Park, the area’s parks offer trails, lakes, camping and public use cabins.

Check off this box by visiting three Mat-Su region state parks.

Volunteer at the Borough Animal Shelter

The borough animal shelter near the Central Landfill in Palmer welcomes volunteers. The easiest way to start is through the Miles for Mutts program. After a short orientation, you can take a dog on a walk or field trip.

Be warned — word is, walking a dog can lead to adopting one. Learn more about Miles for Mutts on the shelter website.

Volunteer with a local nonprofit

Mat-Su nonprofits need volunteers to help with food distribution, libraries, churches and more. Check this box by giving time to a cause that resonates with you. Need ideas? Check out the Mat-Su Food Bank, the United way of Mat-Su and Frontline Mission.