Palmer Chamber backs off Colony Days rebrand after public backlash

The Greater Palmer Chamber of Commerce recently rolled out, then quickly walked back, a name change for its Colony Days celebration.

Last Thursday, the chamber announced that Colony Days would be known as the “Braided River Festival” beginning this summer. Colony Days began in the mid-1930s as a summer event put on by people who came to the area as part of the Matanuska Colony Project in 1935.  The project was part of a New Deal program under the administration of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

In last Thursday’s press release about the name change, GPCC Executive Director Ailis Vann said, “We felt it was important to rebrand it to reflect what it has grown into: a celebration of the many aspects of what makes Palmer unique.”

Following the announcement, many Mat-Su Valley residents took to social media to express their anger at the rebranding effort. Those who spoke out against the change included self-identified Palmer business owners.

On Sunday, the GPCC issued another statement undoing the name change.  In the press release, Vann apologized to those who were offended, and said that Colony Days would keep its current name.  In addition, Colony Christmas, which was rebranded to Hometown Holidays last year according to the chamber website and social media posts, would also be reverting to its former name.