What to do this weekend in Mat-Su (Dec. 18-21): Parades, concerts, outdoor fun and basketball

What you need to know:

• Holiday fun across the Mat-Su this weekend includes festive concerts, Christmas parades, community hikes, local traditions and one of the biggest high school basketball tournaments of the year.
• The region’s headline events include the Mat-Su Concert Band’s Winter Celebration at the Glenn Massay Theater and the Colony Christmas parade and fireworks in downtown Palmer. Big Lake also hosts its annual Parade of Lights and community skate on Saturday night.
• Additional activities include a group hike on Lazy Mountain, a holiday celebration at Skeetawk in Hatcher Pass, and three full days of basketball action at Wasilla High.

• Short on time but need the local news scoop? Get free weekly news in your inbox for Mat-Su, from Mat-Su.

It’s the final weekend before Christmas, and the holiday festivities are reaching their crescendo.

This weekend’s top activities in the Mat-Su include some of the biggest events of the year on both the sports and musical calendar, with Christmas music planned for the Glenn Massay and near-nonstop high school basketball at Wasilla High. There’s also a community hike on Lazy Mountain, Big Lake’s annual Christmas bash, and a rescheduled Colony Christmas parade and fireworks in Palmer. 

Here are our picks for things to see and do this weekend in the Mat-Su Valley. Looking for more? Check out Mat-Su Sentinel’s community calendar! 

Christmas Music Magic

Aside from the ringing of sleigh bells and the clatter of reindeer hooves atop rooftops, the Mat-Su Concert Band’s annual Winter Celebration concerts may be the most anticipated sounds of the holiday season.

Luckily, local music lovers don’t have to wait until Christmas. This year’s concerts by the Valley’s community band are set for 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 4 p.m. Sunday at the Glenn Massay Theater in Palmer.

The band, founded in 1984, is the oldest and largest musical organization in the Mat-Su. Under the direction of conductor Tyler Martin, its musicians will perform a selection of holiday favorites, a carol sing-along, a preview of music from the Winter Olympics, and pieces from the classic Christmas movie “The Polar Express.”

Tickets are $20 for adults and $5 for children, but all children get in for the price of one at the door. For more information or to purchase advance tickets, visit the band’s website at matsuconcertband.org.

Colony Christmas Parade and Fireworks

The annual Colony Christmas parade and fireworks, originally scheduled for Dec. 13, were canceled due to high winds. But Mat-Su residents have a second chance to enjoy the event Friday. The parade is scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m., with fireworks to follow immediately after. Fireworks will be canceled if winds are too high. 

Take a Hike!

Looking to start working off those extra holiday calories early? Lazy Mountain could be the place to be Saturday morning.

That’s where Revel Treks and Tours will host one of its coed “Third Saturday” adventures — a group hike to the picnic tables located approximately halfway up the 3,762-foot peak near Palmer. The hike begins at 9 a.m. at the Lazy Mountain parking area, from which hikers can expect to climb roughly 1,500 vertical feet during the 3-mile trip to the picnic tables.

Winter hiking gear is recommended, including microspikes and warm clothing. Revel’s “Locals” events cost $12 to participate but are free for first-time attendees. For more information, visit the Palmer-based company’s website at reveltreksandtours.com.

Going Big in Big Lake

Big Lake is lighting up the winter solstice with its ninth annual Big Lake Lions Christmas Parade of Lights on Saturday night, followed by hot drinks and more holiday cheer.

The parade starts at 7 p.m. at Big Lake Elementary and will proceed along Big Lake Road, through the roundabout, and onto the Big Lake Lions Recreation Center. Afterward, there will be a family skate from 7:30 to 9 p.m., complete with cookies, hot cocoa, ice skate rentals and pictures with Santa Claus.

For more information, visit the Big Lake Lions on Facebook.

Support Your Local Downhill Ski Area

It’s been a challenging start to the snow season at the Skeetawk alpine ski area in Hatcher Pass, with just 8 inches of snow reported on the slopes through Dec. 16. But that’s not going to dampen the holiday cheer Saturday, when the area hosts a Holiday Celebration starting at 10:30 a.m. with a visit from Santa and his (very busy) reindeer.

The event will also include tree decorating (participants are asked to bring photos of Skeetawk or small ornaments), a snowman contest (if there’s enough snow), and a holiday costume contest.

The event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit the ski area’s website at skeetawk.com.

Hungry for Holiday Hoops?

A fixture on the high school basketball schedule each year, the Doc Larson Roundball Classic returns to Wasilla High School from Thursday through Saturday, with the host Warriors bringing in top teams from across Alaska — and one from out of state — for three days of roundball revelry.

This year’s tournament includes teams from nine schools playing 18 games over three days. The lineup features the Warriors’ boys and girls teams as well as squads from Barrow, North Pole, West Anchorage, West Valley, Juneau, South Anchorage, Bartlett, and Ridgeline, Washington.

Seeding games begin at 11 a.m. Thursday and Friday, and continue into the evening, with the host Warriors taking the floor back-to-back both nights, starting at 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday results will determine matchups for Saturday.

For more information, visit the tournament’s page on Facebook.

Doc Larson Roundball Classic

Wasilla High School

Dec. 18-20

Thursday

11 a.m. - Barrow vs. North Pole (girls)

12:45 p.m. - West vs. Barrow (boys)

2:30 p.m. - Ridgeline vs. Bartlett (girls)

4:15 p.m. - South vs. West Valley (boys)

6 p.m. - Juneau vs. Wasilla (girls)

7:45 p.m. - Bartlett vs. Wasilla (boys)

Friday

11 a.m. - Bartlett vs. Barrow (girls)

12:45 p.m. - Barrow vs. Bartlett (boys)

2:30 p.m. - North Pole vs. Juneau (girls)

4:15 p.m. - West Valley vs. West (boys)

6 p.m. - Wasilla vs. Ridgeline (girls)

7:45 p.m. - Wasilla vs. South (boys)

Saturday

10 a.m. - TBD (girls)

11:45 a.m. - TBD (boys)

1:30 p.m. - TBD (girls)

3:15 p.m. - TBD (boys)

5 p.m. - TBD (girls)

6:45 p.m. - TBD (boys)

-- Matt Tunseth is a freelance reporter from Southcentral Alaska. Reach him at matthew.tunseth@gmail.com

This story was updated Dec. 18 to clarify information about the Mat-Su Concert Band.