What to do this weekend in Mat-Su (April 16-19): Outdoorsman, films, fiddling and fun
The weekend fun gets an early start with a film festival scheduled for Thursday.
What you need to know:
- A variety of weekend events in the Mat-Su Valley offer activities ranging from outdoor recreation and fishing to films, music and community gatherings. Several events are free or low-cost.
- Highlights include the Mat-Su Outdoorsman Show with a kids fishing pond, an agriculture workshop, a trail running film festival and live music performances.
- Want your event included in an upcoming edition of "What to do this weekend in Mat-Su?" Email contact@matsusentinel.com.
From the great outdoors to some great indoor events, there’s more than enough going on this week in the Mat-Su to keep even the most energetic adventurers on their toes. There’s farming, fish, fiddling, films, running and lots of fun on the events calendar this weekend in the Valley.
Here are a few of the highlights:
Go fish!
This year’s Mat-Su Outdoorsman Show will feature all the usual attractions: vendor booths from across Alaska, food trucks, outdoor seminars, boats and RVs.
But there are another 2,000 reasons for young visitors to check out the big event Friday through Sunday at the Menard Center in Wasilla. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game will stock 2,000 rainbow trout in an outdoor kids fishing pond for kids 15 and under. The trout will be brought in from the William Jack Hernandez Fish Hatchery in Anchorage and can be kept or released by the young anglers. The pond will be open throughout the show, which runs Friday from noon to 6 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Admission is $10 or $5 with a military ID. Kids 12 and under are free. There’s also free admission for all on Sunday from 10 a.m. to noon. For more information and a complete list of seminars, visit matsuoutdoorsmanshow.com or the Mat-Su Sentinel events calendar.
Farm fresh
Anyone interested in agriculture is welcome at the free Food Security Through Agriculture workshop Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Alaska State Fairgrounds in Palmer. The event will feature hands-on presentations about small-scale farming, focusing on “the big picture of food and farming in our state.”
Participants can join presentations throughout the daylong event presented by the UAF Cooperative Extension, Alaska Pacific University and the Alaska Farmland Trust. Presentations will be held at the events building on the north end of the fairgrounds and the Rebarchek Farm on the south end. There will be refreshments and door prizes from 2 to 4 p.m. Presentations are designed for adults, but children are welcome with a supervising adult. For more information, visit the Mat-Su Sentinel events calendar.
Films from the trail
Kick off the weekend early with the annual Trail Running Film Festival hosted by Black Wolf Endurance at the Palmer Depot Thursday evening. The showcase includes 10 short, inspiring stories from trail and ultra runners. The event starts at 5 p.m. with a group fun run, followed by a mini run expo at 5:30 p.m. with race directors and local running clubs and groups. The films start at 7 p.m. Tickets are $25 at the door. See more details on the Mat-Su Sentinel calendar.
Fiddling around
Spend an evening as “Alaskan Fiddling Poet” Ken Waldman brings his Appalachian-style music and Alaskan storytelling to Lekker Coffee at 6:30 p.m. Saturday. Waldman will be accompanied by Anchorage multi-instrumentalists George Sleichter and Johnse Ostman at the Palmer Arts Council presentation. Tickets are $20 general admission, $15 for PAC members and $10 for students 18 and under. For more information, visit palmerarts.org or the Mat-Su Sentinel events calendar.
Hot dogs in Hatcher Pass
The Hatcher Pass Avalanche Center will host a free end-of-season Gratitude Glizzies tailgate party with free hot dogs and brats (while they last) Saturday from noon to 3:30 p.m. at the Independence Mine parking area. Food and drinks will be provided by HPAC, Erik Christensen State Farm and the NOLS Alaska. The event is free, but donations are welcome. For more information, visit the Mat-Su Sentinel events calendar.
Earth Day recycling fair
The Denali Education Center in Talkeetna is hosting its annual Earth Day festival Saturday, with free food, an electronics and battery recycling drop-off area, educational presentations, and a local nonprofit information fair. The event runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Denali Education Center building on the Talkeetna Spur Road. Find more in their Facebook event post.
Concert for a cause
Join the award-winning musicians of the Mat-Su Orchestra for All Aboard the Concert Caboose, a benefit concert for the Bright Lights Book Project, at 3 p.m. Sunday at the Glenn Massay Theater in Palmer. The free event includes a $10 raffle for prizes, including a trip for two to Fairbanks on the Alaska Railroad. Proceeds benefit a Palmer nonprofit that expands access to books and literacy across Alaska. For more information, check out the Mat-Su Sentinel events calendar.
Matt Tunseth is a freelance writer from Southcentral Alaska. Write to him at matthew.tunseth@gmail.com