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The darkest days of winter this December face a fierce enemy--Talkeetna residents united in joyful community celebrations and holiday lights brightening town buildings.
The Talkeetna Chamber of Commerce coordinates a calendar of events for the month and calls the celebration Winterfest. Activities include church events, open houses at shops, a parade, tree-lighting ceremony and an art show.
"It's a nice thing to break up winter," said Suzy Kellard, 2006-2007 chamber president. She has owned Talkeetna Gifts and Collectibles for 23 years.
The festival also keeps people active in the community and draws visitors during a slower season, Kellard said. Talkeetna's Winterfest started 15 years ago, and Kellard has been involved from the beginning. She has lived in Talkeetna since 1959.
Talkeetna is located 120 miles north of Anchorage off the Parks Highway.
A Winterfest highlight is the popular Bachelor Auction and Ball and Wilderness Woman Contest. The events are organized by the Talkeetna Bachelor Society and raise money for area groups.
"They have a good time and raise a lot of money," Kellard said.
This year's Bachelor Ball and Wilderness Woman Contest are Dec. 1. The women--single women older than 21--compete at noon, and the bachelor auction starts at 7 p.m., according to event organizer Loudon Wilson.
The Bachelor Ball started in 1981, and the Wilderness Woman Contest was added in 1986.
"The folklore of it is that the old-timers were lamenting the fact that there were no women in town so they threw a party to attract women," Wilson said.
In the first event, contestants race to haul water in five-gallon buckets. The top five finishers advance to compete in other events including mock salmon fishing, firewood hauling, a simulated ptarmigan hunt and moose confrontation and making a sandwich for a bachelor, Wilson said.
"It's a hoot as long as you don't take it too seriously," he said.
The Bachelor Auction and Ball are held at the Don Sheldon Memorial Hangar Performing Arts Center.
Organizers hope to raise $5,000 to donate to the Sunshine Community Health Center and other area groups, Wilson said. The 13-year Talkeetna resident picked up the reins from a longtime event organizer.
"We're always looking for Wilderness Woman competitors," Wilson said.
Competitors don't need a high level of physical fitness, but it doesn't hurt to know how to run a snowmachine or haul wood, he said. About 20 women typically compete for the Wilderness Woman title.
The Parade of Lights is Nov. 30. Decorated floats journey from the Catholic church through town, Kellard said. The finale is the tree-lighting ceremony in the town square. The parade tops Kellard's list of Winterfest favorites. She and her husband decorate a float and lead the parade.
A Festival of Lights nonjudged talent show features young entertainers and even a visit from the Grinch, Kellard said.
The art show at the Don Sheldon Memorial Hangar is typically the second Saturday in December, Kellard said.
Another event, the Taste of Talkeetna, is a progressive dinner traveling to different local restaurants. It takes four sittings to feed more than 100 people, Kellard said.
The Winterfest glow outlasts December. The light-decorated tree in town square brightens Talkeetna streets through subsequent weeks. "We leave it (the tree) on for many months," Kellard said.
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