What to do in Mat-Su (Dec. 31-Jan. 3)
Looking for fun ways to ring in 2026? We've got you covered.
What you need to know:
- Wasilla will host a major New Year’s Eve celebration, featuring an 8 p.m. fireworks show at Iditapark, with a synchronized music broadcast on KNLT 95.5 FM and family-friendly activities such as s’mores, hot drinks, and ice skating at nearby venues.
- Festivities are happening across the Valley, including a free New Year’s Eve Bash at the Menard Center and a variety of live music performances from Hatcher Pass to Talkeetna, with acts ranging from bluegrass and rock to open mic nights.
- The celebration continues into the weekend, with a vendor market in Palmer on Saturday and concerts scheduled through New Year’s Day.
- Short on time but need the local news scoop? Get free weekly news in your inbox for Mat-Su, from Mat-Su.
New Year’s Eve is set to be busy across the Valley, with fireworks, ice skating, live music, and plenty of food and drink to send off 2025 in style and welcome 2026 with zeal. From Palmer to Talkeetna – and plenty of places in between – here’s a guide for how to celebrate the holiday this year:
Annual Fireworks Show Set for NYE
Wasilla’s New Year’s Eve fireworks show will light up the night Dec. 31 at 8 p.m. Alaska time – midnight in New York City. Festivities at Iditapark in downtown Wasilla start at 6:30 p.m., with s’mores, hot cocoa and cider available at the park’s Red Pavilion.
A countdown will begin at 7:59 p.m. on FM radio station 95.5 KNLT, which will also broadcast a music medley synced to the show. The event is hosted by the city of Wasilla with support from Gorilla Fireworks, MTA, KNLT, Imaging Associates, and more than 20 other local businesses.
The Mat-Su Resort (1850 E. Bogard Road) will also host a fireworks viewing party featuring a fire pit, music, kids’ games, hot drinks, and ice skating on Wasilla Lake.
Fun for the Whole Family
Before the fireworks, families can enjoy New Year’s Eve activities at the Curtis D. Menard Memorial Sports Center in Wasilla, where Church on the Rock is sponsoring a free New Year’s Eve Bash from 5 to 8 p.m. The event includes a bouncy house, ice skating, games, batting cages, a scavenger hunt, and prizes. It is free and open to all.
Rock in the New Year
The Valley is going to get loud on New Year’s Eve – and it’s not just the fireworks.
From bluegrass in Hatcher Pass to rock and roll in Wasilla, the countdown to 2026 will be a musical affair, with multiple shows planned at venues throughout the area. Here’s a brief rundown of where to find live music Wednesday night and through the long holiday weekend:
Hatcher Pass Lodge is planning New Year’s Eve shows featuring The Midnight Sons (from Whitehorse, Yukon) and Alaska-based bluegrass band Uncle Salmontooth. The show begins at 9 p.m. Wednesday at the lodge, located near the Independence Mine State Recreation Area. Food and drinks will be available from the bar. The show is part of a winter music series at the lodge, which continues Jan. 3 with a performance by King SwardFish, a blues-, funk- and reggae-inspired band from Whitehorse.
If your New Year’s resolution is to try new things, consider Schwabenhof on the Palmer-Wasilla Highway, which is hosting an open mic night beginning at 7:30 p.m.The Mug Shot in Wasilla will feature Southcentral rockers Hot Mess, playing hits from the 1980s and 1990s at what’s being billed as the bar’s biggest party of the year. The show starts at 9 p.m. and runs well into the new year.
The Silver Fox in Meadow Lakes will host Alaskan rock band Cold Fusion, taking the stage at 8:30 p.m. Doors open at 4 p.m.
Jesse James and the Unlikely Gentlemen will perform at the American Legion Susitna Post 35 in Wasilla, with a show beginning at 9 p.m. James will also play an acoustic set Saturday, Jan. 3, from 6 to 9 p.m. at Susitna Brewing Co. in Big Lake.
In Talkeetna, the historic Fairview Inn will ring in the New Year starting at 9 p.m. Wednesday, featuring music by Fleetwood AK, which promises a “comprehensive shakeout” of Fleetwood Mac’s legendary discography. Sing-alongs guaranteed.
On New Year’s Day, the Palmer Alehouse will host Matt Bennett and Friends as part of its weekly Alehouse Unplugged series. Music starts at 6 p.m. and is free, though seating is limited. Guests under 21 must be accompanied by a guardian.
Find Some Local Flavor
A First Saturday Vendor Market will be held at the Borough Gym (350 E. Dahlia Ave.) Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event features crafts, foods, gifts, and tropical plants from nearly 30 local artisans and vendors, plus food trucks.
Looking for more events around Mat-Su? Check out our community calendar now!
-- Matt Tunseth is a freelance reporter from Southcentral Alaska. Reach him at matthew.tunseth@gmail.com