It’s a Juneau tradition: Holiday music, decorations, and thousands of cookies will be featured at the Governor’s Residence for the annual Holiday Open House this Tuesday, Dec. 10 from 3-6 p.m.
Gov. Mike Dunleavy, First Lady Rose Dunleavy, Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom and Kit Dahlstrom will be in the house to greet visitors and be available for photos. Typically, a line of people stretches down Calhoun Ave., as people brave the weather to get a chance to see the governor and look at the decorations inside the iconic building, which was built in 1912.
Students from the Thunder Mountain Middle School Carolers, the Juneau-Douglas High School Band, Faith Christian School, and Juneau Alaska Music Matters will perform holiday music, while Alaska’s 15 state commissioners will serve hot apple cider to all visitors.
The governor’s announcement said that 17,050 cookies, 35 pounds of toffee and 90 pounds of fudge and chocolate will be served in the dining room of the mansion. This year’s Christmas tree was donated by the U.S. Forest Service and was harvested from the Tongass National Forest. Ornaments for the tree were handmade by students from schools across Alaska.
The first open house was held by Territorial Gov. Walter Eli Clark and his family on New Year’s Day 1913. The annual tradition has been held every year since, except from two years during World War II and in 2020 due to Covid-19.
