What to do this weekend in Mat-Su (June 19-21): Junteenth, Solstice and Father’s Day
Celebrate the longest days of summer with these many community events around Mat-Su.
What you need to know:
- Mat-Su residents have a variety of options this Juneteenth/Father’s Day/Solstice weekend, with events ranging from cultural celebrations and museum programs to races, live music and family activities.
- Juneteenth celebrations headline Friday’s schedule, including a free community event at the Palmer Museum featuring history exhibits, reenactments and entertainment, as well as an evening soul music concert at the Musk Ox Farm.
- Saturday and Sunday offer family-friendly activities across Mat-Su, including a textile preservation workshop at the Wasilla Museum, community races in Palmer and Wasilla, the Great Alaska 4x4 Meet and Greet at the Museum of Alaska, and live music at Wasilla’s Music in the Park event.
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Picnics and barbecues will surely be on the agenda for many this weekend as residents celebrate Junteenth, Father’s Day and Solstice. But for those looking to leave the backyard, there’s more than enough going on around the Valley to fill the longest weekend of the year.
The action kicks off Friday with a Juneteenth celebration and continues through Sunday with music, museums, movement and even some muddy mayhem. From historic to heart-pounding, here are five things to check out this weekend in the Mat-Su.
Emancipation celebration
The Palmer Museum will be the site of a free community Juneteenth celebration from 2 to 7 p.m. Friday. Juneteenth is a federal holiday that celebrates and commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in 1863. The Palmer event will feature a historical reenactment of the reading of the Emancipation Proclamation, stories about Black history, an exhibit on the Alaska Highway Project and a car audio show — plus free food and kombucha while supplies last. Visit the Mat-Su Sentinel calendar for more information.
The celebration will be held alongside Palmer’s weekly Friday Fling event downtown, which features a variety of vendor booths and free entertainment throughout the summer.
Also Friday, the Musk Ox Farm in Palmer will celebrate Juneteenth with soul music by Soul Society of Alaska and singer Dawn McClain. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for the 7 p.m. show. Tickets are $25 for adults and $15 for children ages 5-17. Children 4 and younger are free. Lawn chairs and blankets are encouraged, and alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase. For more information, visit Mat-Su Sentinel calendar.
Wrapped in history
Get a hands-on lesson in preserving historical textiles Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m. when conservator Sarah Owens visits the Wasilla Museum, 391 N. Main St., for a free public workshop. Owens recently worked with the museum to improve its historic textile collection. She’ll share tips on preserving and extending the life of items such as linens, clothing and quilts. For more information, visit the Mat-Su Sentinel calendar.
Off to the races
Saturday is race day in the Valley, with a pair of community events scheduled in Palmer and Wasilla.
Wasilla Seniors will hold its Miles for Meals on Wheels 5-kilometer fun run fundraiser beginning at 10 a.m. at 1301 S. Century Circle. Participants can register online at wasillaseniors.com or in person beginning at 9 a.m. Registration is $30, T-shirts are $15, and a barbecue afterward costs $10 or is free with race registration.
In Palmer, the HeartReach 5K for Life event — a walk, run, bike race and community gathering — begins at 9 a.m. at the Trunk Road Park & Ride, 7450 E. Blue Lupine Drive.
The bike race starts at 10 a.m., followed by a motorcycle sendoff and the run/walk at 11 a.m. Free ice cream will be available starting at 11:20 a.m., followed by awards, door prizes and a toddler dash. For more information, visit the Mat-Su Sentinel calendar.
Down and dirty
Treat Dad to a day in the mud at the Museum of Alaska, 3800 W. Museum Drive, in Wasilla, which is opening its mud bogging course for the annual Great Alaska 4x4 Meet and Greet from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
There will be vendors, food trucks and an opportunity for drivers to test their off-road skills at the facility formerly known as the Alaska Museum of Transportation and Industry.
The cost is $35 to run the course or $75 for a course run, family pass and camping. Spectator passes are $20 for adults, $10 for children and $50 for families of up to four. For more information, visit the Mat-Su Sentinel calendar.
Keep on rockin’
Vendors, food trucks and live music return Saturday to Iditapark in downtown Wasilla from 3 to 9 p.m. for the latest installment of the City of Wasilla’s free Music in the Park series.
Featured musical guests are Cold Fusion from 3 to 5 p.m. and Good Company from 6 to 9 p.m. Expect food, a beer garden, food trucks and plenty of opportunities for family fun. For more information, visit the Mat-Su Sentinel calendar.
-- Matt Tunseth is a freelance writer from Southcentral Alaska. Email him at matthew.tunseth@gmail.com.