Whether you need a last-minute gift or some extra shovels and salt amid the weekend winter storm, it could be tough to find the needed goods as many stores in Juneau will be closing their doors to observe the holidays this weekend.
— Foodland IGA will be open at the usual 6 a.m. on Saturday but close earlier than normal at 7 p.m. The store will be closed all of Sunday before opening back to regular business hours Monday 6 a.m. – 10 p.m.
— Fred Meyer will be open for limited hours on Christmas Eve, from 6 a.m.- 6 p.m. before closing down for all of Sunday. The store will go back to its regular 6 a.m. – 10 p.m. hours on Monday.
— Super Bear IGA will be open at its normal 6 a.m. but close earlier than normal at 8 p.m. The store will be closed all of Sunday before opening back to regular business hours Monday 6 a.m. – 10 p.m.
— Safeway will be open with limited hours on Saturday from 5 a.m. – 6 p.m. and closed on Sunday. Hours will return to normal Monday 5 a.m. – 12 p.m.
— Breeze In in the Mendenhall Valley will be open during regular hours throughout the entire weekend.
— Breeze In in Lemon Creek will be closed on Christmas Day, and resume regular business hours Monday.
— Breeze In in Douglas will be open regular hours Saturday, and reduced hours Christmas Day from 8 a.m. – midnight.
— Costco will have reduced hours on Saturday from 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. and will be closed all of Sunday.
— Duck Creek Market will be open regular hours all weekend, 7 a.m. – midnight.
If residents are hoping to not cook this weekend in exchange for some sit-down, takeout, or delivery, they might be out of luck. None of the Thai, Filipino, Chinese, Korean or Japanese restaurants the Empire called responded or report being open on Christmas although their website indicated regular hours depsite closures in previous years. However, according to its website, McDonald’s will be open Saturday and Sunday, 6 a.m. – 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. – 11 p.m., respectively. According to its website, both Domino’s Pizza locations will be open 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. Saturday and closed on Sunday, and Papa Murphy’s will be open 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Saturday, closed Sunday.
According to its Facebook page, Pucker Wilson’s will be closed Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Monday, however, per tradition, the restaurant will be handing out free cheeseburgers on Christmas Day at its downtown location.
“Make sure to tune in for free cheeseburgers Christmas Day at our downtown location! Merry Christmas and we will see you back here on Tuesday,” it stated on social media.
If residents are hoping to catch a film, the only Juneau theater open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day is Glacier Cinema in the Mendenhall Valley which offers a variety of screenings at the same times both days including “Avatar: The Way of Water ” at 3:10 p.m. and 7:10 p.m., 3D showings at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.; “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” at 3:40 p.m. and 6:50 p.m.; “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” at 3:20 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; “Babylon” at 3:05 p.m. and 7:20 p.m.
The wintry weekend comes with changes to public transportation schedules too. Capital Transit and Capital AKcess will end bus services early on Christmas Eve Saturday. The services affected are as follows:
— The last buses between downtown and the Mendenhall Valley are Route 4 departing Auke Bay at 6:19 p.m. and Route 3 departing downtown at 6:40 p.m.
— The last bus to Douglas, Route 1, departs from downtown at 7:12 p.m.
— All Capital AKcess service will end at 8 p.m.
On Christmas Day all Capital Transit and Capital AKcess routes will not be operating.
The Glory Hall, Resurrection Lutheran Church warming shelter, AWARE’s emergency shelter along with the Shéiyi X̱aat Hít Youth Shelter will all remain open to a varying extent this holiday weekend and throughout the next week.
The warming shelter will remain open through the New Year, with an official opening time of 10:30 p.m, However, in some instances when the weather is extreme Brad Perkins with Resurrection Lutheran Church said the shelter may open early at around 9 p.m. if staffing allows. Holiday meals and gifts will be offered.
The Glory Hall will be open during the day this weekend, along with the overnight check-in availability as well, at 9:30 p.m. The Glory Hall bus will be making rounds to pick up patrons in need. Presents and a Christmas dinner, including ham and all the trimmings, will be provided Saturday, and a turkey dinner will be offered the following night on Christmas Day.
• Contact reporter Clarise Larson at clarise.larson@juneauempire.com or (651)-528-1807. Follow her on Twitter at @clariselarson.
