What to do this weekend in Mat-Su (March 6-8): Iditarod, music, markets and winter fun
Here's a feast of free ways for locals to have fun all weekend long.
What you need to know:
- Multiple free events are happening across the Mat-Su this weekend, offering indoor and outdoor activities as daylight hours increase.
- Outdoor activities include Winter Discovery Day at Government Peak and the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race restart Sunday on Willow Lake.
- Events also include a Michael Conti art reception at Mat-Su College, a Mat-Su Concert Band community concert in Wasilla and a vendor market in Palmer.
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It’s said that nothing in life is free. But nothing could be further from the truth in the Mat-Su, where there’s a feast of free ways for locals to have fun all weekend long. And with longer daylight hours now here, there are both indoor and outdoor activities to keep folks busy from Palmer to the Susitna Valley.
Here are five free things to check out this weekend in the Mat-Su:
Artist reception in Palmer
Feast your eyes Friday at Mat-Su College in Palmer, where there will be a reception for visual artist Michael Conti from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Mat-Su College Art Gallery (8295 E. College Drive). Conti is head of photography and video art at the University of Alaska Anchorage, and his award-winning video work has been shown at the Nam June Paik Art Center in Seoul, South Korea, and ContainR at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada. Conti’s show, “Enigma,” will be on display at the gallery through March 15. For more information, visit the Mat-Su Sentinel calendar.
Free concert in Wasilla
Listen to – and learn from – some award-winning local musicians during Music for All, a free community concert by the Mat-Su Concert Band, Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Wasilla Bible Church (1651 W. Nicola Ave.) in Wasilla. Led by conductor Tyler Martin, the event will include marches, film highlights, instrument demonstrations and more. For more information, visit matsuconcertband.org.
Iditarod restart in Willow
Wrap up the weekend with one of the biggest events of the winter season at the 2026 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race restart Sunday at 2 p.m. on Willow Lake in Willow. Watch as teams of up to 16 dogs and their mushers hit the trail in two-minute intervals from the official starting line near the Willow Community Center, which will host souvenir, food and other vendor booths. The race activities are free, but there is a $10 parking fee in Willow. For more information, visit the Iditarod website.
Vendor market in Palmer
Browse offerings from nearly 30 local vendors at the First Saturday Vendor Market from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at the Palmer Gym (350 E. Dahlia Ave.) in Palmer. The monthly market event features everything from crafts and artwork to candies, baked goods and food trucks. For more information, visit the Mat-Su Sentinel calendar.
Discovery Day near Hatcher Pass
Learn a new hobby at Winter Discovery Day from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Government Peak Recreation Area in Palmer. Hosted by the Mat-Su Trails and Parks Foundation, this free, low-pressure community event will include gear demonstrations and information about wintertime activities such as fat biking, snowshoeing, skiing, trapping, hiking and sledding from local vendors, nonprofits and state agencies. There will also be hot chocolate at the Government Peak chalet. The event is free, but there is a $5 parking fee at the recreation area. Find more info in this Mat-Su Sentinel story.
— Matt Tunseth is a freelance writer from Southcentral Alaska. Email him at matthew.tunseth@gmail.com.