It’s time for Page Two: News that might not make the front page for Friday, Dec. 12, 2025.
Maple Springs of Palmer welcomes all to its Christmas Tree Festival during Colony Christmas.
Maple Springs provides skilled-nursing and hospice. For the third year in a row, Maple Springs Palmer is participating in Colony Christmas.
Activities Director Crystal Black said the Christmas Tree Festival is their largest public event of the year.
Residents enjoy other holiday activities such as the Christmas Factory and Bright Up the Night at the Palmer Fairgrounds. But the tree festival stands out as a favorite.
“Our residents love it. It brings the warmth and joy of the holiday for people who otherwise wouldn’t have that experience,” Black said.
About ten artificial trees are decorated for the festival. Each tree has a theme. One has a gingerbread theme, another has an iridescent theme, and another a red-and-white theme.
“We even have a tree made of books,” Black said.
The books came from the ReUsed bookstore at the Valley Community for Recycling Solutions. Visitors can submit guesses for how many books make up the tree.
Businesses and families provide more than half of the trees and decorations. The Maple Springs activities staff decorates the rest. The trees are decorated before Thanksgiving and stay up through the end of December.
“There’s one tree this year that I didn’t think I would like,” Black said. “But it turned out to be my favorite one.”She wouldn’t share which tree. “You’ll have to come see for yourself,” she said.
The festival includes interactive activities. Visitors can vote for their three favorite trees and participate in a scavenger hunt with prizes.
The event is wheelchair-accessible. Visitors enjoy complimentary hot cocoa and fresh-baked cookies. Live music plays every hour during the festival. Several musicians and groups perform during the three-day event.
About 300 people visited the Maple Springs Tree Festival last year. Black said she hopes even more families stop by this year. “The place fills with the Christmas spirit.”
The Maple Springs Christmas Tree Festival opens today from 3 to 7 p.m. and continues from 1 to 6 p.m. tomorrow and Sunday.
Tandy Hogate from Common Ground Alaska reminds everyone that the cold snap and lack of snow for insulation is very hard on perennials and orchard plants. She recommends mulching the plants. You can use straw, wood shavings, leaves, hay, etc. Pro tip: Tandy knows from experience that using hay to mulch the garden means weeding alot of grass the following summer. Remember, no snow, no insulation.
The 50% off sale at Matsu Valley Rebuild happens starts today and continues through Saturday December 20. Matsu Valley Rebuild sells used and surplus building materials. They collect these items through donations from Valley residents and businesses. Their great prices are even better with the sale. Matsu Valley Rebuid is open Wednesday through Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday noon to 5 p.m. It is located at 12151 East Palmer-Wasilla Highway.
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This Page Two article was written by Emily Forstner and read by Lee Henrikson. If you have an idea for a Page 2 topic, please email us at page2@radiofreepalmer.org.
That’s it for today and the news on Page Two on Friday, December 12, 2025.