Gov. Mike Dunleavy hosts for final year, offering the first experience for some children's delight in the cold cheer

By Jasz Garrett

Juneau Independent

The governor’s annual holiday open house drew a smaller crowd this year, likely due to the cold, windy weather downtown, but it was still warmed by hot cider and indoor caroling. 

Alaska Department of Education and Early Development Commissioner Deena Bishop handed out apple cider outside the lit-up mansion on Tuesday evening. She was one of 14 state commissioners serving cider to guests braving wind chill temperatures approaching zero degrees. Bishop said it was her third year helping and she flew from Anchorage.

“It's so fun to see everybody,” she said.

Hot drinks in hand, families and community members walked up the steps to enter the front door, where volunteers, Gov. Mike Dunleavy and his staff waited to greet them. Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom and Kit Dahlstrom posed alongside Dunleavy for holiday photos with their guests. According to the governor, First Lady Rose Dunleavy was unable to attend because of 90 mph winds in Wasilla.

After snapping a photo, the children ran eagerly to the grand, long table full of cookies and fudge. Plates waited to be filled, and there was no worry that they would be with a total of 26,000 cookies and more than 100 pounds of Almond Roca prepared months in advance. The desserts were professionally wrapped, sealed and stored in the mansion’s freezers.

After gathering their treats, the children gathered around to watch a Christmas train. Continuing through the mansion led them to a living room area with a performance by Juneau student musicians near a Christmas tree. The governor’s visitors’ stomachs were full of sugar and their ears filled with holiday music. Unlike other years, there was no choir outside the mansion due to how cold it was, volunteers said.

Outside on the veranda, a 12-foot Sitka Spruce Christmas tree harvested from the Tongass National Forest by employees at the Yakutat Ranger District was whisked by the bitter wind and flurries of snow. The tree is decorated with more than 250 handmade ornaments from grade school classes in the Yakutat School District, members of the Yakutat Tlingit Tribe, participants in the Yakutat Community Health Center-Wellness Program, children of the Tlingit Haida HeadStart and community members.

The first open house was held by Territorial Governor Walter Eli Clark and his family on New Year’s Day 1913. The annual tradition has been held every year since, apart from two years during World War II and in 2020 due to COVID-19. It was Dunleavy’s last time hosting the open house, with his second term ending on Dec. 7, 2026. He assumed office on Dec. 3, 2018. 

“I think it's a great tradition,” Dunleavy said. “We got a real winter here in Juneau. We got a real winter here in Alaska, lots of snow, cool temperatures, and so this is an exciting day for, I think, Alaskans, Juneauites, and especially the kids, right? That's what the holiday is all about: the kids.”

When asked where he saw himself a year from now, Dunleavy said he would be focused on his work up to his last day and did not yet know.

It was also Janice Mason’s last year at the holiday open house. Mason, the director of scheduling for the Alaska Office of the Governor, said she is planning to retire after Dunleavy’s term. She has been on call 24/7 for 20 years. 

“I’ve been through six administrations so at the end of his administration I’ll have been scheduling for 20 years for governors,” Mason said. 

Mason said the holiday open house begins preparations as early as June.

“I supervise the staff of the house,” she said. “To plan this event, the house staff make the cookies. This year is 26,000. The candies and fudges are from the Alaskan Fudge Company here in town, so it’s nice to support a local business.”

She said the holiday open house takes a lot of hands-on planning and attendance varies each year. Mason agreed with the volunteers that there were fewer people than usual on Tuesday evening. She said she thought it was because of the weather. Last year, it was lightly sprinkling. 

Mason said she plans to stay in Juneau after retirement. She’s been married for 45 years and has three children and eight grandchildren. Her husband, John Mason, volunteered outside at the mansion’s door. Most of the volunteers on Tuesday said they had been participating for between 15 and 18 years. 

“Some years it’s cold,” John Mason said. “It’s fun. I see kids when they were little babies come back and they’re adults now.” 

He posed for a photo with Santa Claus, who stood outside collecting donations for the Salvation Army.

“This is volunteer stuff for me. I'm with St Vincent de Paul,” Santa Claus (Larry Gamez) said. “I'm on the board there, and I do different things like this. It’s something to do for the community, and ringing the bell brings a lot of happiness to people that are unfortunate.”

Volunteers Joyce Vick and Ginger Johnson welcomed each person at the door, telling them to “come on in” from the cold.

• Contact Jasz Garrett at jasz@juneauindependent.com or (907) 723-9356.