House of carbs: Sweet power trips and tooting of horns at Governor’s Holiday Open House

Nell and Van McConahey ate Thanksgiving dinner at the home of a longtime friend who happens to be the governor’s official chef, so it’s not hard to figure out why they were at the front of the line for the Christmas treats she made when her boss invited everyone over to his house Tuesday afternoon.

Van McConahey was the first woman in the line of visitors to be greeted by Gov. Mike Dunleavy during the annual Holiday Open House at the Governor’s Residence, while her daughter was among the numerous volunteers already inside. Together they were among the first to visit the table in the main dining room where more than 17,000 cookies made by staff led by Stefani Marnon — widely known as Chef Stef — were displayed around a large gingerbread replica of the mansion also made by Marnon.

Nell McConahey said she’s known Marnon — executive chef for three governors since the 1990s as well as the chef at the Alaska State Capitol for many years until returning to work for Dunleavy last year — dating back to the chef’s early days in Juneau.

“When Chef Stef was the chef here in the ‘90s I helped this event then,” Nell McConahey said. “This is my first time back and I’m just volunteering today.”

She said the event doesn’t seem to have changed much since her last visit.

“It’s a traditional event — it just keeps getting better,” she said.

In addition to the cookies, 35 pounds of toffee, and 90 pounds of fudge and chocolate were offered to visitors inside the mansion, while people waiting outside were also offered hot cider by state department commissioners. Unlike some years, the weather when the event began at 3 p.m. was mild with no precipitation or notable wind.

Another visitor returning for the first time in many years was James Cheng, who was carrying his 1-year-old daughter Gwen past the cookie spread and then along a tour of the other rooms on the ground floor of the mansion. He said he’s been to perhaps five to 10 of the holiday open houses, but the most recent was about 15 years ago and it was as a participant.

“I used to come and play here a lot,” he said, referring to the holiday music by invited locals that is a traditional part of the gathering.

Holiday music during the three-hour event was performed by students with the Thunder Mountain Middle School Carolers, the Juneau Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Band, Faith Christian School and Juneau Alaska Music Matters.

Cheng said one of the changes this year compared to his memory of the event is “the gingerbread houses the kids used to make” back then. This year, in addition to the centerpiece model of the governor’s house by Marnon, two gingerbread clan houses made by Sealaska artists were on display.

Also on display was the 2024 Together Tree harvested from the Tongass National Forest near Hoonah and decorated with handmade ornaments from students from throughout the state.

Dunleavy and his wife Rose, and Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom and her husband Kit greeted arriving visitors and posed for pictures. The very first visitor inside the door was Steve Holton, who told the governor he moved from the United Kingdom to the Southeast Alaska town of Craig about 40 years ago, but this was his first visit to the governor’s residence.

“I was trying to tell him that I detested British governments and I wanted to see what American government felt like, get a taste of it,” Holton said as he approached the cookie table after exchanging words with the governor.

Alas, the table of treats was mostly a visual feast for Holton, who moved to the Riverview Senior Living complex in Juneau about five months ago.

“I’m diabetic,” he said. “If I see something that is like a nice fruitcake or something I might have a little nibble.”

• Contact Mark Sabbatini at mark.sabbatini@juneauempire.com or (907) 957-2306.