Join Dr. Jill Valerius and host Lee Henrikson as they have a discussion on pancreatic cancer screening.

Image Credit: MDPI

Blake Allen stepped into the role of CEO of the Alaska State Fair in May. He described his first weeks as “drinking from a fire hose.” He was learning about all the moving parts in Alaska’s largest annual event. 

Allen doesn’t plan to make any changes at this time. He wants to observe how the fair operates and build on the successes of his predecessor Jeff Curtis. 

He brings experience managing large stadiums, arenas, and major public events. He has focused on crowd movement, safety, and customer experience. He says those skills will help the fair continue its mission of educating, entertaining, and providing a safe gathering place for Alaskans.

The fair welcomed more than 380,000 visitors last year. Allen says moving large crowds safely remains the top priority for the fair. He doesn’t plan for traffic changes this year. He will evaluate parking, traffic flow, and pedestrian movement before considering future improvements. 

Free parking will continue. It allows visitors to spend more of their money enjoying the fair instead of paying to park. And it gets folks into the fair faster.

Allen confirmed that plans are in the works to renovate the outdoor concert venue after the fair ends this year. Proposed improvements include better seating, upgraded restrooms, and enhanced backstage facilities to improve the experience for both audiences and performers. Final approval rests with the fair board of directors.

The 2026 concert lineup is generating a lot of interest. At least one show has sold out. Allen encourages fairgoers to purchase tickets early through the Alaska State Fair website. He advises concert goers to ensure their tickets are valid by avoiding third-party sellers 

Concert goers will see improved entry into the grandstand area. This includes the possible addition of another entrance gate to reduce wait times.

This year’s fair will feature familiar favorites like Monster Trucks, the Demo Derby and the concerts. New attractions include Cretaceous Kingdom, an animatronic dinosaur exhibit, and the return of Twiggy the Water-Skiing Squirrel.

The exciting new attraction is the largest drone light show in Alaska. Hundreds of synchronized drones will create animated images in the night sky, including Alaska State Fair-themed displays. It is scheduled for the final weekend of the fair.

Allen highlighted the Fair’s growing role as a year-round community venue. The Fairgrounds hosts events such as the Alaska Scottish Highland Games, the Great Alaska Aviation Gathering, weddings, and numerous community events. The new event center near the Purple Gate provides expanded restroom facilities and meeting space throughout the year.

The Alaska State Fair celebrates its 90th anniversary this year. It runs from August 21 through September 7. Gates will open at 11 a.m. and close at 10 p.m. The fair will be closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays again this year. Tickets are at alaskastatefair.org.

Allen says whether the weather is sunny or rainy, he expects Alaskans to come together once again to celebrate one of the state’s most treasured traditions.

The full interview with Fair CEO Blake Allen is on bigcaggbageradio.org in Valley Edition under podcasts.

Page 2 airs weekdays at 7 a.m., 9 a.m., 11:50 a.m., and 6 p.m.

Tune in at 89.7 in Palmer, 89.5 in Sutton, 88.3 in Chickaloon and Glacier View or online at bigcabbageradio.org.

Please support Page 2 News and Big Cabbage Radio. Become a member: Donate today at bigcabbageradio.org. 

This Page Two article was reported by Mike Chmielewski and produced by yours truly, Lee Henrikson. If you have an idea for a Page 2 topic, please email us at page2@radiofreepalmer.org.

That’s it for today and the news on Page Two on Monday July 6, 2026.

 Image by Lee Henrikson: Mike Chmielewski, Fair CEO Blake Allen, and Fair Board President Jason Ortiz

Join host Mike Chmielewski and his guest, Greg Wickham, Maintenance Superintendent for the City of Palmer, as they discuss the construction going on this Summer.

Image Credit: Big Cabbage Radio

Blake Allen, C.E.O. of the Alaska State Fair, joins host Mike Chmielewski on Valley Edition to discuss the ongoing improvements to the Alaska State Fairgrounds. Plus an update on some new attractions coming to the fair.

Image Credit: Alaska State Fair

Tomorrow we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

But here’s the funny part. July 4th is not the whole story. Congress voted for independence on July 2^nd, 1776. The Declaration got its first public reading on July 8th. And most of the signatures happened on August 2^nd, almost a month later.

So why July 4th?

Turns out, Congress signed off on the final wording on that day. And it stuck once that date got locked onto the page.

We’ve celebrated on that date ever since. The first anniversary was in 1777. Philadelphia threw a party. There were bonfires. Bells rang. Reading the Declaration of Independence out loud on July 4th became a ritual. 

Here’s something to think about as we get ready to read these words again.

There’s one sentence in the Declaration that almost everyone knows by heart. Historian Walter Isaacson wrote an entire book about it. He calls it the greatest sentence ever written. Here it is:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Which of the 35 famous words matter most? 

Most people say it’s the obvious part. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” It’s the line Lincoln basically built the Gettysburg Address around.

But get this. That line almost didn’t say that.

Jefferson’s first draft stated that these truths were “sacred and undeniable.” Most historians believe Benjamin Franklin crossed it out. He wrote “self-evident” instead. Jefferson was leaning on faith. Franklin leaned on reason. It’s amazing what one little edit can do. 

There’s a deeper part of that same sentence worth a second look. 

English philosopher John Locke once wrote that people had a right to life, liberty, and property. Jefferson borrowed that idea. However, he replaced ‘property’ with ‘the pursuit of happiness.’ These might be the quietest, most radical four words Jefferson ever wrote.

One sentence. Two ideas big enough to start a nation.

But wait. There’s a second sentence worth knowing. Legal historian Peter Berkowitz points to this line: “Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”

It’s not the flashiest line in the document. But it’s the one that turns a complaint into an actual argument. It’s the line that justifies the whole revolution and breaking away from a king.

Two hundred fifty years later, these words still hold. They’re the words we Americans measure ourselves against through wars, through change, through every argument about what they really mean.

As first read in 1776, the same words still ring true. 

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Happy Independence Day everyone. 

Page 2 airs weekdays at 7 a.m., 9 a.m., 11:50 a.m., and 6 p.m.

Tune in at 89.7 in Palmer, 89.5 in Sutton, 88.3 in Chickaloon and Glacier View or online at bigcabbageradio.org.

Please support Page 2 News and Big Cabbage Radio. Become a member: Donate today at bigcabbageradio.org. 

This Page Two article was reported by Emily Forstner and produced by yours truly, Lee Henrikson. If you have an idea for a Page 2 topic, please email us at page2@radiofreepalmer.org.

That’s it for today and the news on Page Two on Friday, July 3, 2026.

Hey! It’s almost our birthday. Funny, for 250 years old, we don’t look that bad. In case you haven’t paid attention or live under a rock, Independence Day weekend is coming our direction. There is so much going on it’s hard to start, but we’ll give it a try.

Catch Natalie Gelman at Bleeding Heart Brewery tonight from 5 to 8 p.m. She is playing for free! More information on the Bleeding Heart Brewery Facebook page.

Live tonight at the Fishhook Bar join the cool kids for an evening of classic country, honky-tonk piano, and great entertainment with Mario Carboni. Carboni and his band play from 6 to 9 p.m.

Friday Fling features musician Scott Helle tomorrow from noon to 3 p.m. The Fling runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Palmer Museum of History and Art welcomes Artist of the Week Amanda Fedewa. She will be at the Museum starting at 10 a.m. tomorrow. Fedewa has called Alaska home for more than 12 years. Her artwork reflects a deep appreciation for Alaska’s wilderness, from northern lights and mountain scenes to iconic animals such as moose and bison.

Alaskan favorite Matt Hooper and the Roman Candles plays at the Palmer Alehouse on Friday beginning at 7 p.m.

Hooray for Saturday! It’s our 250th birthday.

Celebrate our nation’s independence at 11 a.m. with the annual Fourth of July parade in Wasilla. It begins at Wasilla High School and winds its way downtown. The Wasilla Mayor’s picnic at Iditapark follows the parade from 1 to 3 p.m. Come out for live music and free hot dogs.

Or travel up the Glenn on Saturday for the annual Glacier View Car Launch. This unique celebration of the Fourth involves cars flying off a cliff. The Glacier View Car Launch is a popular event at mile 103 on the Glenn Highway. The launch starts at 2 p.m. but get there early to get a good spot. More information is at glacierviewcarlaunch.com.

Celebrate the country’s 250th milestone with flag reviews, patriotic music, historical reenactments, and musket volleys at the St. John’s Lutheran Church in Palmer. This is a free, family-friendly, one-of-a-kind American celebration. Join patriots, historians, and neighbors as we step into the past for a memorable 250th anniversary! Festivities start at 3 p.m. on the green at St. Johns at 440 East Elmwood Avenue in Palmer.

And if it’s live music that will drive your Fourth, there is a ton to be found.

See Natalie Gelman live at Hatcher Pass Lodge, if you missed her on Thursday, she’ll play again Saturday, from 4 to 7 p.m.

Local music royalty Ken Peltier plays at the Palmer Alehouse starting at 7 p.m. Attendees under 21 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at this free, all ages show.

Rounding out the weekend is car racing! Get ready for three days of racing this weekend at Alaska Raceway Park. This is one of the biggest motorsports weekends of the summer from NASCAR/INEX oval racing to 200+ MPH drag racing. More info is on the Alaska Raceway Park Facebook page.

That’s a taste of the events and celebrations headed for the GreaterPalmer MetroPlex this weekend. Have a great day and a better tomorrow.

Happy Independence Day to us all. Have a safe and fun Fourth of July weekend.

Page 2 airs weekdays at 7 a.m., 9 a.m., 11:50 a.m., and 6 p.m.

Tune in at 89.7 in Palmer, 89.5 in Sutton, 88.3 in Chickaloon and Glacier View or online at bigcabbageradio.org.

Please support Page 2 News and Big Cabbage Radio. Become a member: Donate today at bigcabbageradio.org.

This Page Two article was written by Keith Peticolas and produced by yours truly, Lee Henrikson. If you have an idea for a Page 2 topic, please email us at page2@radiofreepalmer.org.

That’s it for today and the news on Page Two on Thursday July 2, 2026.

Join host Mike Chmielewski with Peter House from Deep Tree as they discuss current cybersecurity threats and how much AI is a current threat in the cyber world

Image Credit. NSA

Auctioneer Seth Pifer with Wild Alaska Auction Company joins host Ken Hoffman on this episode of Ag Matters.

Join host Mike Chmielewski as he interviews actor/author Kirk Fox, as they discuss Kirk’s debut novel “Palmdale: A Dirtbag Noir.

Author Kirk Fox.

Image Credits: Meridia Publishing