What to do this weekend in Mat-Su (Nov. 13-16)

What you need to know:

• Winter holiday events kick off across Mat-Su this weekend. The Glenn Massay Theater hosts its annual Trees of the Valley celebration Friday, while Christmas shopping events take place at the Palmer Elks Lodge and Alaska State Fairgrounds.
• The Palmer Alehouse presents an acoustic set by Schaefer Mueller on Thursday, and the WACO Gun Show runs Saturday and Sunday in Willow, offering vendors, concessions and sporting gear.
• More than 1,000 athletes will compete in the Lancer Smith Memorial Wrestling Tournament, the largest in Alaska, Friday and Saturday at the Menard Sports Complex.

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

Thanksgiving isn’t here yet, but the holiday spirit is already alive and well across Mat-Su. 

This weekend’s top events include a Christmas tree-themed celebration at the Glenn Massay Theater and holiday shopping at the Palmer Elks and Alaska State Fairgrounds. Also on tap are a gun show in Willow and Alaska’s largest wrestling tournament.

Want even more event options? The Mat-Su Sentinel’s free community calendar features a wide variety of opportunities, with new activities added daily. 

Trees of the Valley at the Glenn Massay Theater

The Glenn Massay Theater at Mat-Su College will kick off the Christmas season Friday with its annual Trees of the Valley event, beginning at 5 p.m. The free, family-friendly celebration also marks the theater’s 10th anniversary. Highlights include decorated trees from Mat-Su businesses, hot cocoa and cookies, a visit from Santa Claus, a performance by the Mat-Su Concert Band, and a screening of the live-action film How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

Doors open at 5 p.m., the anniversary program begins at 7 p.m., and the movie starts at 8 p.m. The theater is located at 8295 E. College Drive in Palmer.

Unwind with unplugged music at the Palmer Alehouse

The Palmer Alehouse’s weekly Palmer Alehouse Unplugged music series will feature an acoustic music set by country singer-songwriter Schaefer Mueller Thursday from 6 to 9 p.m. for an all-ages show at the alehouse located at 320 E. Dahlia Drive. 

A U.S. Army veteran, Mueller’s music is described as blending “small-town grit with Nashville polish.” 

The show is free, but seating is limited. Attendees under 21 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

WACO gun show in Willow

Hunting season may have come and gone, but there’s always next year. 

Sponsored by the WIllow Area Community Organization (WACO) and the Upper Susitna Shooters Association, this year’s WACO gun show will be held Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Willow Community Center (23557 Willow Community Center Circle). 

Admission is $7 per person or $5 for seniors 62 and older; youth 16 and under get in free with a paying adult. The event will feature concessions, pull tabs and vendors selling guns and other outdoor and sporting equipment. 

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Craft, consignment events come to Palmer

Looking for handmade gifts or unique holiday finds? Palmer may be the place to be, with two events this weekend.

The Palmer Elks Lodge will host its annual Holiday Gift and Craft Fair on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the lodge on Finger Lake (2600 N. Barry’s Resort Drive). The free event will feature local vendors, with food and drinks available for purchase.

Meanwhile, the Consign49 Fall/Holiday Pop-Up consignment sale runs Thursday through Sunday at Raven Hall on the Alaska State Fairgrounds. Admission is free. Hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday; 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday; and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. 

“Tougest in Alaska” wrestling tournament at the Menard

More than 1,000 wrestlers will hit the mats inside the Menard Sports Complex (1001 S. Clapp Street) in Wasilla Friday and Saturday for the Lancer Smith Memorial Wrestling Tournament, which has grown into Alaska’s largest wrestling event. 

Billed as the “Toughest in Alaska” and named for the former Palmer and Colony High wrestling coach, the tournament attracts boys and girls from every corner of Alaska and features elementary, middle school and high school competitions. 

Wrestling begins at 9 a.m. on Friday and 8:30 a.m. Saturday. Adult admission is $15 for a single-day pass or $25 for a tournament pass; students are $5; seniors and children in kindergarten or younger get in for free. 

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