Last weekend’s holiday festivities drew folks from all over the Kenai Peninsula.

Soldotna Parks and Recreation’s first annual food drive and Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving day had 98 participants and raised six large bins of food for the Soldotna Food Bank. T-shirts were given to the person with the largest donation and longest run, with the two winners donating three whole turkeys and running six miles.

Parks and rec administrative assistant Jennifer Hester organized the event in the hopes of getting people moving while giving back to the community.

“It definitely helped foster the mission of giving people an activity and encouragement to be active, especially in pretty inclement weather here,” Hester said in a phone call to the Clarion. “It was dangerous for some people to be walking outside if they wanted to be active.”

Hester said charging two food items per person upon entry incentivized participation.

“Some people don’t necessarily always want to pay to get in, but more people were willing to give a donation and clear out their cupboards,” she said.

Further north the next day, Nov. 28, Christmas Comes to Kenai was a hit yet again. Peggy Arness, a homesteader who began Kenai’s first kindergarten in 1948 and ran the Kenai Chamber for a number of years, began the event over 40 years ago. It’s just as beloved today as it was in the 1980s.

“It was fantastic,” said Maddy Olsen, the chamber’s programs and marketing coordinator. “We had over a thousand people come to see Santa and shop at Santa’s toy shop with free cookies and cocoa. That was the highlight of the day.”

From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Santa and his elves from Forever Dance Alaska were available for photos in the visitor’s center after arriving in town on the Kenai firetruck. Outside, the Grinch hung out with reindeer and the Coca-Cola polar bear.

Most of the kiddos loved Santa. Not everyone was as enamored with the Grinch.

“Grinch was a class act and had some moves when one little girl panic screamed when she saw him,” Carlene Hockema wrote in a comment on Facebook.

Later in the day, folks lined Frontage Road, eagerly waiting for the Electric Lights Parade to begin. The Kenai Lions Club provided sustenance in the form of cookies and hot chocolate, and after folks warmed up by a massive bonfire, the festivities concluded with a 15 minute-long fireworks display.

If you missed out on last weekend’s celebrations, don’t worry: Christmas festivities are just beginning on the Peninsula. Soldotna’s Christmas in the Park begins at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 6, and the Happy Holly Jolly Bazaar is coming to the Kenai Visitor Center from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. That same day at the library, Soldotna Library Friends is hosting an art, book and bake sale with proceeds benefiting library programs.

Folks looking to help those in need can still do so by donating gifts or money at the Kenai and Soldotna Chambers of Commerce. Kenai’s Angel Tree is accepting nominations through Friday for families who need help buying gifts, and donations are open at both visitor centers until Dec. 15.

Letters to Santa has returned to the Central Peninsula Hospital. Until Dec. 15, kids can drop their letters off in the mailbox in the Mountain Tower’s lobby. Santa himself will respond with a handwritten letter as long as the initial correspondence includes the mailer’s name, address and age.

There’s still time to submit creations for the Kenai Chamber of Commerce’s 13th Annual Gingerbread House Contest. Submissions must be dropped off at the chamber by 5 p.m. on Dec. 8. Voting opens Dec. 15, and winners will be announced the following day. Cash prizes ranging from $20-50 will be awarded to five age categories.

Finally, Forever Dance Alaska will open its 10th annual “Forever Christmas” performance in the Renee C. Henderson Auditorium on Friday, Dec. 5 at 6 p.m. with additional performances that Saturday at 12:30 p.m. and at 6 p.m. Tickets are $10 and on sale nowon the Forever Dance Alaska LLC website under “Purchase Tickets.”

Photo courtesy of the Kenai Chamber of Commerce The Kenai Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center hosted the annual Christmas Comes to Kenai on Nov. 28, 2025. The beloved event began over 40 years ago, and this year over 1,000 attendees enjoyed hot chocolate, fireworks, pictures with Santa and shopping.