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Hans Rivera (foreground) plays a Mexican song on cello with other Juneau Alaska Music Matters students and a mariachi band from Anchorage as part of a Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe celebration at St. Paul’s Catholic Church on Sunday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

An enlightenment into sights, sounds and spirit of Mexico at annual Feast Day celebration

Local music students join visiting mariachis at church celebrating national holiday for holy visionary.

The 2024 Together Tree is delivered to the Governor’s Residence on Dec. 3 after being harvested near Hoonah. (U.S. Forest Service photo)

News

Governor’s Holiday Open House a bit thinner this year — if 17,050 cookies and 90 lbs. of fudge can be called that

Students from TMMS, JDHS, Faith Christian School and JAMM will perform during three-hour event Tuesday.

A trio of humans is dwarfed by a quartet of Christmas characters in a storefront on South Franklin Street during Gallery Walk on Friday. (Mark Sabbatini)

News

Families, neighbors and visitors from the far north join in holiday harmony at Gallery Walk

Traditional celebration throughout downtown joined by Healy icebreaker returning from Arctic.

Rose Burke, 9, a fourth-grade student from Kenai, flips the switch to illuminate the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree during a ceremony Tuesday night in Washington, D.C., as U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson watches next to her. (Screenshot from C-SPAN broadcast)

News

U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree from Wrangell decorated with 10,000 ornaments made by Alaskans is lit

Rose Burke, 9, of Kenai, flips the switch after reading her essay about the tree during ceremony Tuesday.

Jeff Campbell moves a Santa figurine into the front yard of his annual Christmas-themed holiday house on West 11th Street in the downtown neighborhood known as The Flats on Thursday, Nov. 28. Campbell begins the decorating after removing Halloween fare and usually turns on the lights in December. Campbell has created this masterpiece annually for over 30 years. Besides Santas, the display includes candy canes, drummer boys, nativity scenes, reindeer and Disney and Winnie the Pooh characters and some of his own creations. He also has thousands of lights and speakers wired to play Christmas music and his electricity bill doubles over the display’s longevity. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

News

An icebreaker, a world-premiere play, a new ski season and holiday events galore arriving at week’s end

Gallery Walk, landmark anniversary for “Nutcracker,” Mexican holy feast day among seasonal celebrations.

Marzena Whitmore (elf) and Dale Hudson (Santa), pose for a photo with Benny Orvin (partially obscured), 6, and his siblings Lilly, 4, and Remi, 2, taken by their mother Alex as their father Randy watches during last year’s Gallery Walk in downtown Juneau on Friday, Dec. 1, 2023. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)

News

Here’s what’s happening at this year’s Gallery Walk on Friday

More than 50 locations in downtown Juneau hosting performances, exhibits and other activities.

Oregon Ballet Theatre principal dancer Daniela DeLoe (left) performs a grand jete to open the snowflakes dance in the Land Of Snow during a performance of George Balanchine’s “The Nutcracker.” At right, Misha Culver stretches in her Snow costume during a 2009 dress rehearsal for “The Nutcracker” ballet at the Juneau Dance Unlimited studio. (Photos by Klas Stolpe)

Sports

Pure Sole: The sport of dance

The anniversary of one of the holiday’s most heartbreaking and heartwarming events still chills me to this day.

Fritz, played by Dani Hayes, steals the Nutcracker doll from Clara, played by Sachiko Marks, in Juneau Dance Theatre’s production of “The Nutcracker” during dress rehearsal Sunday at the JDT studio. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

News

Rodents infest Stahlbaum home for holidays as Juneau Dance Theatre opens 50th season with ‘The Nutcracker’

Company’s performers and leaders share a sense of wonder about ballet being staged for its 20th year.

John and Laura Doogan pick up Pakistani soul food from Sara Fatimah, owner of Alaska Desi Aunty, one of the food stands at the Juneau Public Market at Centennial Hall on Friday. The market continues through Sunday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

Hot start for Juneau Public Market as holiday season begins with frigid, wintry weekend

About 200 clothing, craft, food and other vendors at Public and Indigenous markets through Sunday.

William James (standing) hands plates of Thanksgiving food to family members during a communal holiday meal hosted by The Salvation Army Juneau Corps on Thursday at the Juneau Yacht Club. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

Feeling full and thankful among family, friends and strangers

About 300 people indulge in introductions and feast fixings at annual communal Thanksgiving meal.

Austin Treston (wearing Santa hat) and Oliver Albrecht, both 11, lead off participants in the mile-long course during the annual Turkey Trot 5K and 1 Mile Fun Run on Thursday along the Airport Dike Trail. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Sports

Snow makes things extra flaky for more than 300 people at 11th annual Turkey Trot

Big costumes and big strollers still show up to plunge along the pre-Thanksgiving feast trail.

One of countless classic combinations possible with Thanksgiving leftovers. (Stu Spivack / CC BY-SA 2.0)

Neighbors

Gimme A Smile: Please, take home some leftovers

The holiday season is upon us! Over the next few months, we will be guests at any number…

Alan Young (left) conducts while John Cooper reads the words to “The Night Before Christmas” during a rehearsal Wednesday for holiday concerts by the Taku Winds brass ensemble at K̠unéix̠ Hídi Northern Light United Church. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

Taku Winds takes on challenge of opening “Christmas Wrapped in Brass”

Concerts featuring holiday music from 10 to 1,000 years old scheduled Friday and Saturday

The village of Kake on Kupreanof Island. (Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development photo)

News

Group of residents and a flock of frozen turkeys catch catamaran to Kake in time for Thanksgiving

Hosts of community celebrations on boat Tuesday after weekend ferry mishap strands them in Juneau.

The Ati-Atihan Juneau Group proceeds down Egan Drive during Juneau’s 2023 Fourth of July parade. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)

News

Fourth of July in Juneau taking youthful approach as U.S. celebrates 248th birthday

Three newly graduated high school students are grand marshals of downtown parade

Martha Crockroft (foreground) and Jeff Marks wrap gifts for the annual Adopt-A-Family Christmas Gift Program at the St. Vincent de Paul Juneau complex on Saturday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

Getting an early start on helping Santa and people in need of good cheer

Hundreds of Southeast families get food, gifts as need, donations high in Juneau’s goodwill efforts.

Julie and Richard Folta help themselves to some of the 21,350 cookies prepared for the annual Holiday Open House at the Governor’s Residence on Tuesday. Richard Folta said his first visit to an open house hosted by the governor occurred many years before Alaska became a state in 1959. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

Tens of thousands of cookies, decades of memories at governor’s Holiday Open House

Richard Folta says much has changed — but lots of food hasn’t — since his first visit before…

Vox Borealis performs during the 2022 Holiday Cheer concert at Thunder Mountain High School. (Photo by Cameron Byrnes / Juneau Symphony)

News

Juneau Symphony mixing things up for fourth annual Holiday Cheer Concert

Familiar trio of groups will feature new players, songs and on-stage collaborations this weekend.

Marzena Whitmore (elf) and Dale Hudson (Santa), pose for a photo with Benny Orvin (partially obscured), 6, and his siblings Lilly, 4, and Remi, 2, taken by their mother Alex as their father Randy watches during Gallery Walk in downtown Juneau on Friday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

Coming together as one giant community family at Gallery Walk

Thousands share an evening of entertainment in the outdoor chill, visiting shops and hot chocolate.

Jonson Kuhn / Juneau Empire File
Even the Grinch got into the holiday spirit at last year’s Gallery Walk on Friday, Dec. 2, 2022.

News

An abundance of traditional and new ways to capitalize on this year’s Gallery Walk

More than 50 events scheduled Friday afternoon and evening from downtown to Douglas.