Contributed by Selena Ortega-Chiolero
Palmer Midsummer Garden & Art Faire
7/8/2017 - 10AM
Palmer Museum of History & Art
Downtown Palmer
FREE Admission
It wouldn't be July unless we were having a party on the town green in the middle of Palmer. From one end of the green to the gardens on the Palmer Museum's lawn, there will be music to suit your fancy, plenty of demonstrations and speakers on gardening and sustainable living and loads of great vendors to pass a pleasant summer afternoon in our lovely little walkable town.
Big things often come in little packages and our small museum is a hive of creative energy, bringing exhibits and plenty of hands-on events to town all year round. They are blessed with a great central location, a wonderful historic log building and a fabulous garden that's always open on a midsummer's eve. You couldn't ask for a better location for a garden and art party! Did I say we have free parking in Palmer? We sure do!
The annual Palmer Museum Garden and Art Faire is part of the 2nd Saturday Art Walk event in downtown Palmer, Saturday, July 8th. This year we'll add Friday, June 7th to our fair fun with the annual Wine Walk fundraiser and the Rhubarb Rumble to be held at the Palmer Museum on the patio and lawn area.
The Wine Walk sold out the first week tickets went on sale! Those lucky ticket holders receive a wine goblet hand-painted by a local artist and an opportunity to walk about to local retail spots and try a limited number of special wines picked by our wine specialist just for our event.
The ever popular Rhubarb Rumble is free and open to the public of all ages. Local chefs and caterers will try to win your favor with their rhubarb creations from the sweet to the savory. You get to taste and vote for your favorite. You didn't know you could cook up a terrific meat sauce with rhubarb, did you? Pie's not passé, but you have to grow with your rhubarb! As an added bonus… This year, the Rumble will be partnering with the Palmer Water and Soil Conservation District’s Local Food in Business Project aimed at promoting the use of locally grown foods in our local eateries.
Saturday we roll out the main event from 10:00am to 6:00pm. You can get artistic with vegetables, bring your camera and shoot great garden photos, make a flowery halo to wear while you dance to the music or just enjoy a stroll through over 45 vendors on the green and the museum grounds.
Each year we try to bring you workshops to add to your gardening and art fun. Need some tips on composting, how to grow a blue ribbon winner for the fair, learn from a peony farmer the secrets of great garden peonies, find out how to adapt your plant list to warming climate conditions and learn the basics on growing your own legal herb safely? We've got something for everyone! You can learn how to bonsai native plants, make a flower halo, draw an impressionistic color pencil garden image and even learn brewing basics from a master brewer at Arkose Brewery nearby.
It wouldn't be a fair without plenty of music! We are fortunate to have so many great musicians available here in Alaska and we've got three sound stages ready for everything from rock to acoustic folk, marimba, the Palmer Arts Council summer conservatory band and more. From the Hannah Yoter Band, Blackwater Railroad Company, Jerry Wessling Band to marimba, Alaskan Hip Hop and our annual fair starter - the Palmer Arts Council's summer conservatory band, we've got plenty of styles to please your ear. And if you want more music after the fair, there's plenty happening on the main stage until 10pm at the Palmer City Ale House. Be sure and bring your dancing shoes, and an umbrella is optional.
Plan your Garden and Art Faire weekend. We'll post our schedule on the website at www.PalmerGardenandArt.org and printed event guides will be available at the Palmer Museum and local retail outlets in downtown Palmer. Check us out on Facebook as well at Midsummer Garden and Art Faire.
