Connect to Mat-Su with the Sentinel's community winter bingo card

The Mat-Su Sentinel invites you to participate in Community Connection Bingo as a fun way to explore local activities, support small businesses, up your civic education and engage with your neighbors. With over 20 unique experiences to choose from, you’ll discover new ways to not just enjoy the winter season, but also deepen your connection to our community.  

How to participate in Mat-Su community winter bingo

1. Download a bingo card. Track your activities by downloading the bingo card.
2. Learn more about each activity. Ideas, details and links with more information are organized below alphabetically by activity. 
3. Complete Activities. Each square on your bingo card represents a different activity or event in Mat-Su Valley. Go for five in a row or aim high and check off the full card between now and spring break-up. 
4. Share your progress. Feel like sharing? Share your progress on social media with hashtag #MatSuSentinelBingo or tag us on Facebook or Instagram.

Why participate in Mat-Su community winter bingo?

• Connect with your community. Whether you’re completely new to the area or have lived here a long time, the best way to learn about and connect with your community is through showing up. Use the activities on this bingo card to inspire your connections. 
• Support local businesses: Discover and support the small businesses that make our community unique.
• Embrace winter: Getting outside in the summer can feel easy, but there’s so much to see and experience in Mat-Su all year long. Use this card to inspire you.

From adventure seekers to bookworms, there’s something for everyone with the Sentinel’s Community Connection Bingo. Let’s celebrate winter in Mat-Su together – one square at a time!

Mat-Su community winter bingo activity

The below activities are listed alphabetically by title. Find them mixed throughout your bingo sheet.

Attend a dog mushing race

The Iditarod’s restart in Willow in early March is the region’s most famous mushing event, but it’s far from the only one. The inaugural Su Dog 300, planned for late January, starts at the Willow Community Center. Meanwhile, the Knik 100 and Knik 200 kick off at Knik Lake in December and January. The Montana Creek Dog Mushers Association also stages events all season. Mark off this square by attending any mushing event in Mat-Su.

Attend a local performance or play

Winter is the perfect time to attend a free or ticketed local performance or play. Options range from a free performance of Handel’s Messiah at the Glenn Massey Theater in early December to ticketed stage plays by the Valley Performing Arts Center into early spring.

Need more ideas? Check community bulletin boards in locations around the area including at libraries, in the Carrs in Wasilla or at the Koslosky Center in Palmer.

Attend a public meeting

Check off this box by attending a public meeting held by a local government or community council. This is a chance to learn about what’s happening in your community and connect with decision-makers.

Not sure where to start? Attend a Borough Assembly meeting or a City Council meeting in Houston, Wasilla or Palmer. Interested in neighborhood-level updates? Look up your community council and attend one of their meetings.

Attend a winter community event

From Palmer’s Colony Christmas weekend in December to the Willow Winter Carnival in early February and the Oosik race weekend in Talkeetna in March, winter is a prime time for communities to celebrate. Get to know your neighbors and mark off this box by attending one of these local events.

Drop off recycling items 

Recycling in Mat-Su is managed by the nonprofit Valley Community for Recycling Solutions, located near the Central Landfill in Palmer. Mark off this square and lower your weekly trash volume by dropping off items like cardboard, mixed paper, and aluminum for free or with a cash donation.

Recycling drop-off locations and hours:

• Central Landfill, Palmer: Monday–Friday, 9:30 a.m.–5 p.m.; Saturday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
• Talkeetna Transfer Station: Tuesday (no cardboard) and Saturday (with cardboard), noon–4 p.m.
• Willow Transfer Station: Second Saturday and last Friday of the month, 11 a.m.–1:30 p.m.
• Big Lake Transfer Station: Saturday and Sunday, noon–3 p.m.
• Sutton Transfer Station: First and third Sunday and Monday of the month, 2–5 p.m.

For more information, visit solidwaste.matsugov.us or valleyrecyclingak.org.

Go ice skating indoors or on a lake

Grab a pair of ice skates and check out the outdoor rink maintained by the city of Wasilla on Wasilla Lake (proceed at your own risk!) or simply skate on one of the area’s many lakes. Prefer indoor skating? Head to the Menard, Brett, or MTA ice arenas for open skate (entrance fees apply), or skate for free at the Big Lake Lions Recreation Center. Skate rentals are available at all four rinks.

Go sledding

Mat-Su has no shortage of great sledding spots. Grab a sled (or a trash can lid), find a hill and send it -- or help a child join in the fun. Need location ideas? Try sledding at:

• Independence Mine State Historical Park, Hatcher Pass
• Government Peak Recreation Area sled hill (next to the chalet)
• Crevasse Moraine, near the picnic shelter

(Sled safely and watch out for trees!)

Explore a Mat-Su trail

Mat-Su boasts hundreds of miles of motorized and non-motorized trails. Parks and recreation areas managed by the state, cities and borough offer nearly endless options for winter activities, including hiking, running, biking, skiing, walking, snowshoeing or snowmachining.

Learn more about Mat-Su area parks and trails through the state, Matanuska-Susitna Borough, or city websites for Houston, Palmer and Wasilla.

Read a book by a Mat-Su author

Mat-Su is home to a diverse group of talented authors. Visit a local library or shop at Fireside Books in Palmer or Black Birch Books in Wasilla to find books by authors such as:

• Eowyn Ivey, The Snow Child (fiction)
• Dimi Macheras, Chickaloonies (graphic novel)
• Jackie Ivie, Laird of Ballanclaire (romance)
• Cheryl and Joseph Homme, Palmer, Alaska Businesses and Buildings: 1897–1970 (nonfiction)
• Mary Carey, Alaska: Not for a Woman (autobiography)
• Barb Hunt, Alaska’s Heavy Light (fiction)
• Dan Strickland, The Snow Fell Off the Mountain (fiction)
• Heather Cooper Lehe, Colony Kids (historical fiction for young readers)
• Erik Hirschmann, Voyage of the Eclipse (historical adventure fiction)

… and many more! Need author recommendations? Ask any librarian or the staff at the bookstores.

Say “hi” to Mat-Su Sentinel reporter/editor Amy Bushatz

Covering local news means attending many community events. Mark off this square by spotting and saying “hi” to Amy at a Borough Assembly meeting, a city council meeting (she attends some, but not all), the Sentinel’s fundraiser at the Palmer Depot on the evening of Feb. 7 or another community event.

Shop at a Palmer small business 

Small businesses help communities thrive. Check off this box by shopping or dining at one of Palmer’s local businesses.

Shop at a Wasilla small business

Small businesses help communities thrive. Check off this box by shopping or dining at one of Wasilla’s local businesses.

Ski or snowboard at Skeetawk (or simply visit)

For decades, downhill skiing and snowboarding in Hatcher Pass was available only to those willing to hike uphill. About five years ago, the nonprofit ski area Skeetawk changed that, offering a lift for snow lovers.

Skeetawk provides a great way to enjoy the slopes. Don’t ski or snowboard? It’s worth the trip to Hatcher Pass just to see the area. Check off this box by visiting or hitting the slopes.

Take a walk at Reflections Lake

Located just off the Glenn Highway, Reflections Lake offers an easy winter walk on a mostly flat trail. Mark this square by taking a simple out-and-back stroll or completing the entire loop for extra exercise.

Visit a local brewery

Mat-Su is home to several breweries, including Denali Brewing in Talkeetna, Bear Paw Brewing in Wasilla, and Arkose and Bleeding Heart breweries in Palmer.

Not a fan of beer? Try 203 Kombucha in Palmer, where locals brew their own non-alcoholic kombucha teas. Check this box by enjoying a drink – preferably with friends!

Visit a local ice cream shop

Alaskans are known for their love of ice cream, and Mat-Su is home to some excellent local shops. Check this box by grabbing a cone or cup from a local favorite. Don’t know where to start? Try Miller’s Market in Houston or Big Dipper in Wasilla or Palmer.

Visit a Mat-Su museum

Mat-Su boasts several small museums focused on local history. Check this box by visiting one or more of these options:

• Local community history museums in Talkeetna, Wasilla and Palmer
• Museum of Alaska Transportation and Industry (Wasilla)
• Iditarod Headquarters Visitor Center (Wasilla)

Visit three local libraries

Mat-Su has seven library branches offering books, resources and community events. Libraries in Palmer and Wasilla are managed by the cities, while branches in Talkeetna, Trapper Creek, Willow, Big Lake and Sutton are managed by the borough.

Mark off this box by visiting three library locations this season.

Volunteer at the Borough Animal Shelter

The borough animal shelter near the Central Landfill in Palmer welcomes volunteers for various roles. The easiest way to get involved is through the Miles and Mutts program. After a short orientation, you can take a dog on a trail walk or field trip.

Be warned  – word is that walking a dog can be a slippery slope to adoption. Learn more about Miles and Mutts on the shelter website.

Volunteer with a local nonprofit

Mat-Su is home to countless nonprofits looking for volunteers to assist with everything from food distribution, to libraries, to church acitviites. Check this box by giving your time to a cause that resonates with you. Need ideas? Check out the Mat-Su Food Bank, the United way of Mat-Su and Frontline Mission. 

Walk or run at the weekly Aktive Soles Palmer Happy Run

Held every Monday at 6 p.m., the Happy Run starts at Aktive Soles in Palmer and finishes at the Palmer Ale House with a free raffle. Routes of about three and five miles are available, making it a great way to get outside and exercise with others, no matter the weather. Find more about this community event.

Watch (or set off ) some fireworks

Winter is an ideal time for fireworks. Mark this square by catching a show in Palmer at 7:19 p.m. on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, after the Colony Christmas parade, at the Willow Community Center New Year’s Eve-ning event or during the Willow Winter Carnival in February.

Missed those? Fireworks are legal across the borough from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. on New Year’s Eve and are allowed on private property in Houston all winter long.

Watch a Middle or High School sporting event

Support local student athletes by attending a middle or high school sporting event. Mat-Su schools host a variety of sports year-round, and the athletes appreciate your cheers!

Find the event schedule for each school here:

• Su Valley Jr./Sr. High School
• Reddington Jr./Sr. High School
• Houston Middle School and High School
• Wasilla Middle School
• Wasilla High School
• Teeland Middle School
• Palmer Middle School
• Palmer High School