Alaskans are invited to a night of Christmas music, decorations and thousands of cookies at the historic Governor’s Mansion in Juneau.
The Dec. 10 open house is an annual tradition that began on New Year’s Day under then-Territorial Governor Eli Clark in 1913, shortly after the building was constructed.
Clark served as the last governor of the District of Alaska and the first of the Alaska Territory from 1909 to 1913. The mansion is a Colonial Revival-style residence at 716 Calhoun Avenue, completed in 1912 after Congress appropriated $40,000 for its construction and basic furnishings to provide a dedicated official home for Alaska’s governors.
The upcoming festivities will run from 3-6 p.m. with Governor Mike Dunleavy, First Lady Rose Dunleavy, Lt. Governor Nancy Dahlstrom and Mr. Kit Dahlstrom on hand to greet visitors and be available for photos.
Students from the Thunder Mountain Middle School Carolers, the Juneau Douglas High School Band, Faith Christian School, and Juneau Alaska Music Matters (JAMM) will perform holiday music, while Alaska’s 15 state commissioners will serve up hot apple cider to all visitors.
Attendees will have plenty of Christmas treats to choose from, including an assortment of 17,050 cookies, 35 pounds of toffee and 90 pounds of fudge and chocolate.
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This year’s Christmas tree was donated by the U.S. Forest Service and was harvested from the Tongass National Forest.
The annual tradition has been held every year since, apart from two years during World War II and in 2020 due to COVID-19.
Individuals with special accessibility needs can contact Maxine Lucero at (907) 465-3500, to arrange entry from 2:15-2:30 p.m.
