What to do this weekend in Mat-Su (May 23-25): Honor, outdoors and entertainment

• Memorial Day weekend in the Mat-Su features a mix of community events, including memorial ceremonies, gardening activities, outdoor recreation and live entertainment.
• Featured events include a memorial walk and luncheon in Wasilla, the Valley Garden Club’s Spring Plant Sale, the Alaska Homestead Expo and Marketplace, and a “Foraging 101” nature walk.
• Entertainment includes performances of “The SpongeBob Musical” at the Glenn Massay Theater and three days of racing at Alaska Raceway Park.

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A long weekend is great for getting in the garden, and this Memorial Day has plenty of ways to touch grass, with green-thumb-themed events including a plant sale, a homesteading expo and a lesson on foraging in the great outdoors. There’s also exciting entertainment, including the premiere of a Broadway show and a three-day motor fest.

Don’t forget to take a moment to remember the reason for the day. A pair of community events reminds residents what the holiday is all about.

From the spectacular to the solemn, here are some events to check out across the Mat-Su this Memorial Day weekend:

Honoring the fallen

Remember those who paid the highest price in service to their country during Memorial Day events starting at 10:30 a.m. Monday with a memorial walk from the Mat-Su Veterans Wall of Honor (801 Wasilla-Fishhook Road) in Wasilla. There will be a public ceremony at 1 p.m., followed by a community luncheon at VFW Post 9365 (301 E. Lake View Ave.) in Wasilla.

Ken’s Garden Center (4121 Dimond Way) in Wasilla will host a free family Memorial Day barbecue in partnership with the VFW from noon to 3 p.m. with free hot dogs, games and Memorial Day readings. Find more information on the Mat-Su Sentinel calendar.

Take a hike

Foraging for weekend fun? Look no further than Friday’s “Foraging 101” plant identification walk from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at Government Peak Recreation Area. Participants will join naturalist Ute Olsson on a hike through the area’s forested Pioneer Loop, where Olsson will discuss how to identify local plants as well as foraging techniques and harvesting etiquette. Registration is required for the event, which is open to the public and presented by Revel Treks and Tours. Cost is $15, but free for first-time participants and Revel Adventure Club members. For more information, visit the Mat-Su Sentinel calendar.

Planting time

Get growing Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Valley Garden Club’s Spring Plant Sale at Presbyterian Hospitality House (3700 E. Bogard Road) in Wasilla. Check out a variety of vegetables, herbs, shrubs, annuals, perennials, hanging baskets, garden art, tools and more at the free event hosted by Alaska’s largest garden club. For more information, visit the event page on Facebook.

I can’t hear you!

Who’s live on stage in the Mat-Su Valley? SpongeBob SquarePants!

The iconic Nickelodeon character, along with friends from Bikini Bottom, will visit the Glenn Massay Theater starting Thursday for “The SpongeBob Musical,” an all-ages production featuring original songs from some of the biggest names in pop music. Performances start at 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday through June 6 and feature songs from artists including Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Cyndi Lauper, Sara Bareilles, John Legend and David Bowie. Tickets are $27 general admission or $25 for UAA students, children and seniors. For more information visit the Mat-Su Sentinel calendar.

Homestead help

There’s one last chance to catch the Alaska Homestead Expo and Marketplace before organizers retool the annual event, which will bring more than 100 vendors to the Big Lake Recreation Center on Friday and Saturday. Tickets are $5 for the event, which runs from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. each day and also features in-person homesteading classes for $85. Organizers said last week they plan to shift focus to year-round educational offerings. For more information, visit commongroundalaska.com.

Roar into the weekend

Experience the sounds of summer when Alaska Raceway Park hosts three days of auto racing in the Butte. Saturday will feature short-track racing starting at 6 p.m., while Sunday and Monday are set aside for NHRA drag racing at the quarter-mile strip at 5599 S. Race Way. Gates open Sunday and Monday at 10 a.m., with time trials at 11 a.m. and eliminations at 2 p.m. For more information, visit raceak.com.

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