What to do this weekend in Mat-Su (Sept. 25-27): Prepping, hopping and pumpkins
There's a host of indoor and outdoor fun scheduled for the weekend.
What you need to know:
- This weekend’s events include the Mat-Su Emergency Preparedness Expo in Wasilla and fall harvest festivals at Alaska Addiction Rehabilitation Services on Point MacKenzie and Pyrah’s Pioneer Peak Farm.
- Other weekend options include a Palmer Elks car show and sock hop, musical auditions, open mic nights and a challenging community hike on Pioneer Peak.
- Local venues will host several live music performances Friday and Saturday, including The Vintage Retro, Schaefer Mueller and the Neon Highway, Fleetwood AK and Hot Mess.
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Fall is for reflecting on summer fun while bracing for winter’s chill. This weekend’s activities include a little of both, with fall festivals and emergency planning signaling the transition to autumn while singing, dancing and hiking serve as reminders the snow hasn’t fallen just yet.
From harvesting to hiking, here are six ways to get out and about this weekend in the Mat-Su.
Prepper’s paradise
Get ready for the long winter ahead with a visit to the Mat-Su Borough’s 18th annual Mat-Su Emergency Preparedness Expo Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Menard Center (1001 S. Clapp St.) in Wasilla. Prep like a pro with everything from workshops and hands-on training to live demos, a poster contest, food trucks, door prizes and games — even an earthquake simulator. There will be new exhibits both indoors and out at this year’s event, which is free and open to all. Mat-Su Sentinel will have a table, so drop by and say “hi!” For more information check out Mat-Su Sentinel's calendar.
Fall fests
A pair of family-friendly fall festivals are set for Saturday. First, make the scenic drive out to Point Mac, where Alaska Addiction Rehabilitation Services (26731 W. Point Mackenzie Road) will have free food, hayrides, baked goods, pumpkin decorating, farm tours, prizes, produce, flower sales and more at its Fall Harvest Festival from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. There’s no cost, and the event is completely drug- and alcohol-free.
Also Saturday, Pyrah’s Pioneer Peak Farm (4350 Bodenburg Loop) in the Butte will have hayrides, wagon rides, food, tractors, kids’ entertainment, games and plenty of other fall-themed events at its 20th annual Fall Harvest Festival from noon to 6 p.m. Tickets are $12.24 each (kids 2 and under get in free) and must be purchased online. This event sometimes sells out, so grab tickets while you can.
Car hopping
Check out vintage cars, motorcycles, fire trucks and other autos at the 4th annual Palmer Elks Car Show and Sock Hop Saturday at noon at the Palmer Elks Lodge (2600 N. Barrys Resort Road) on Finger Lake in Palmer. A 1950s-themed “sock hop” dance will follow the car show at 4 p.m., with a bar and full kitchen serving smashburgers and milkshakes for sale. Admission is free, and the event is open to all ages. Learn more on the Sentinel bulletin board.
Got talent?
Show off your singing skills Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at open auditions for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, an upcoming production of Mat-Su Community Theatre Arts (MASCOTarts). The community theater company is asking actors ages 14 and older to prepare two contrasting songs from any musicals of their choice. For more information, visit mascotarts.org.
Not ready for the commitment of a full musical? There’s a pair of opportunities Friday, when both Black Birch Books (2901 E. Bogard Road) in Wasilla and 203 Kombucha (105 S. Valley Way) in Palmer will host an open mic night — the bookstore from 5 to 7 p.m., the kombuchery from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Both are free and open to all ages.
High hopes
Challenge yourself to a Pioneer Peak trek during a free quarterly community hike Saturday at 10 a.m. at the Pioneer Peak trailhead, about 3.5 miles down Knik River Road in the Butte. Join Revel Alaska’s Kierre Childers on a trip up the Pioneer Peak Trail to the first picnic table, a journey of about 2.5 miles with an elevation gain of approximately 2,100 feet. The hike is free thanks to a sponsorship by Now Health, but registration is required at reveltreksandtours.com.
Tune in
Live music this weekend includes The Vintage Retro Friday at 7 p.m. at the Palmer Alehouse, Schaefer Mueller and the Neon Highway Friday from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. at Garcia’s, Fleetwood AK Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Palmer Alehouse, and Hot Mess Friday and Saturday at 10 p.m. at the Mug-Shot in Wasilla.
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