Happy Friday, Anchorage. In today’s edition: Child care shakeup, sensory-friendly museum morning, the Breakfast Club anniversary, and more. Let’s get to it!

— Cait Baker

📰 In the news

Spaces to heal and rebuild: Anchorage cut the ribbon on the 32-unit Micro Units for Recovery tiny village to house people experiencing homelessness. Funded primarily by opioid settlement dollars, first residents are expected in January — read the full story.

Anchorage child care shakeup: Boys and Girls Clubs of Southcentral Alaska will close two Anchorage child care programs on Dec. 24, citing financial woes. More than 100 children and 136 staff will be affected — get all the details.

Leaders sign wildfire roadmap: Anchorage approved an updated Community Wildfire Protection Plan, its first major revision since 2008. It unlocks federal grants, adds a preparedness handbook, and sets three-year reviews amid rising wildfire risk — see what’s in the plan.

Compare rates for free: The national average for car insurance is around $175 per month. Paying more than that? Same, so I did some shopping around and ended up cutting my premium in half. If you haven’t checked in a while, you’re probably overpaying too — here’s the comparison tool I used.

Identity theft is up 25%: Last year, Americans lost $12.5 billion to ID theft & fraud, and the stories behind those numbers are brutal. My friend just told me his dad’s on his fourth replacement credit card. Other folks have woken up to empty bank accounts or their personal info dumped online after a breach. Aura catches these kinds of attacks early by monitoring for new accounts, weird money movements, leaked data, and other red flags so you’re alerted before things blow up — learn more about it here.

Highlights this week

• Join a festive women’s hot chocolate ride
• Dress as Santa and ski free
• Experience winter concerts at The Sitz
• Shop small at ARW Holiday Market
• Log winter miles for Alaska parks
• This pet insurance plan reimburses up to 90%
• A tiny hearing aid is taking the US by storm

🫶 We got your back

Island romance heads north: Love Island USA has begun casting and is eyeing Anchorage for its next batch of islanders. Producers say they want relatable, charismatic people from all walks of life, not just influencers. Expect a lengthy application: dozens of questions plus recent photos and a short intro video. See how and where to apply.

Fresh take on race tradition: Anchorage’s new Wildbirch Hotel, the city’s first lifestyle boutique property, is now the official Anchorage headquarters and a sponsor of the 2026 Iditarod. Overlooking the ceremonial start on Fourth Avenue, it will offer race-themed menus at Crimson, musher meet-and-greets, and rooms with start-line views. The start is March 7, 2026. Read the full story.

Shortcut to good hair: When the hat comes off and split ends show, Salon Ivy delivers a low‑drama refresh. Locally owned since 2007, it offers precise cuts, flattering color, and stylists who actually listen. Step out looking polished, then let everyone assume it always looks that way.

Thinning hair? Same: I’ve been shedding a lot, and recently noticed my ponytail feeling thinner. After way too much panic-Googling, I decided to take Hers’ online quiz. They recommended a Biotin + Minoxidil green-apple gummy for regrowth and overall hair health. The whole thing was surprisingly easy: just verify who you are and a licensed provider signs off. Here’s the quiz if you want to check it out.

Makeup that actually works: My sister and I were talking the other day about how the makeup we used in our 20s… just doesn’t work now that we’re in our 30s and 40s. Laura Geller’s entire makeup line addresses this shift, with formulas that smooth, brighten, and actually stay put. If you’re in the same boat, their curated kits are worth a look.

📆 Around town this weekend

All events are subject to change without notice. This is entirely outside our control. Please check official event pages and social media for the most up to date information.

Today

🛍️ Holiday Sip n’ Shop @ Skinny Raven Sports | Friday (12/12) at 5 pm – Skinny Raven is turning up the cozy for a festive night of shopping, sipping, and scoring one-night-only deals from their coupon tree. Enjoy a hot cocoa bar, complimentary treats, and a chance to win a holiday gift basket. Bring warm clothing to donate to Covenant House and snag an extra raffle ticket for doing good.

🎶 Live at the Sitz: Winter Series @ Alyeska Resort | Friday (12/12) at 9:00pm – If your après playlist peaked with a ski film soundtrack, The Sitz fixes it with live music every Friday and Saturday, all winter, 21 and over. Lineups drop weekly, stay nimble, and flash your ticket for 20% off Sitz Bitz hats, shirts, and shot glasses.

This weekend

❄️ HEA For The Holidays❄️ @ Beauty and The Book – Romance Bookstore | Saturday (12/13) at 2:00pm – Eight local authors are piling into Beauty and the Book for a cozy group signing. Pick up signed copies for the book lover, the hard-to-shop-for cousin, and, quietly, yourself. Call it holiday spirit, supporting local talent, and an excellent excuse to loiter among good paper.

🎭 Hay Fever @ Cyrano’s Theatre Company | Saturday (12/13) at 7 pm – Noel Coward’s chaotic country-weekend comedy hits the stage with the Bliss family turning hospitality into a full-contact sport. Expect fiery tempers, tangled romances, and enough misunderstandings to fuel a season of reality TV. It’s witty, sharp, and delightfully exhausting—in all the best ways.

✨ Public Show: Awesome Light @ University of Alaska Anchorage | Saturday (12/13) at 8:00pm – Grab a seat under the dome and take a mini-vacation to Maunakea, no red-eye required. This fulldome import from Hawaii tours the big mirrors, Subaru, Gemini, Keck, and Canada-France-Hawaii, with exoplanets, supernovae, and that black hole neighbor. Stick around for Saturday Stars with Sera Shaughnessy.

♿ Sensory-Friendly & Access Morning @ Anchorage Museum | Sunday (12/14) at 11:00am – Craving the museum without the echoing field-trip chaos? This sensory-friendly hour keeps lights lower, sounds softer, and crowds chill, with a designated quiet space. Bring the family or come solo, register ahead if you can, five bucks covers your crew.

🎬 The Breakfast Club (1985) ~ 40th Anniversary @ Bear Tooth Theatrepub & Grill | Sunday (12/14) at 4:00pm – Skip the grown-up errands and head to a 40th anniversary screening of The Breakfast Club, the only detention you actually want to attend. Revisit the rebel, the princess, the outcast, the brain, and the jock, then hum Simple Minds all the way home.

🎄Rollin’ into the Holidays at Skateland @ Dimond Skateland | Sunday (12/14) at 4:30pm – Holiday spirit meets nostalgia at Skateland, so grab that ugly sweater, elf ears, and the knees you keep promising to stretch. Sand Lake PTSA is hosting a family-friendly skate night with retro vibes, laughs, and enough cardio to justify cocoa, cookies, and carbs.

Next week

🎁 Holiday Indigenous Craft Bazaar @ Cook Inlet Tribal Council | Monday (12/15) at 11:00am – Whether you’re dodging the mall or sneaking in a post-Costco victory lap, pop into the Holiday Indigenous Craft Bazaar across from Debarr’s big-box circus. Handcrafted art, jewelry, and prints by local Indigenous makers, free parking, and gifts that don’t feel algorithm-generated.

⛄ CoLab-orations: Mason Jar Snow Globes @ Anchorage Museum | Tuesday (12/16) at 5:30pm – Holiday chaos calls for a little controlled glitter. Learn to make mason jar snow globes with everyday stuff, bring a tiny figurine if you want, then leave with decor that beats store-bought. Twenty bucks covers materials and museum entry, members get a discount, registration required.

🚴‍♀️ Women’s Hot Chocolate Ride ✨Holiday Edition!✨ @ Abbott Loop Community Park | Tuesday (12/16) at 6:30pm – Think your holiday spirit can survive studded tires and snow? Join this women’s ugly-sweater fat-bike spin, all levels welcome, with free rentals using code HOTDEMO, reserve in advance online. Bring charged lights, leave the dog home, then linger for hot chocolate and new ride buddies.

Wanna see more? Browse our full events calendar →

🎶 Live music & entertainment

• 12/12 Winter Series @ Alyeska Resort – 9 pm
• 12/13 ATY Drama Center Play @ University of Alaska Anchorage – 3 pm
• 12/14 Tappy Holidays! @ University of Alaska Anchorage – 7 pm
• 12/19 Aspenyarrow @ Humpys Great Alaskan Ale House – 9 pm

🏠️ Price is right – Anchorage edition

How it works: We’re going to give you some facts about a home for sale, including a picture of the outside, the kitchen, and one additional room. Your job? Guess how much it’s listed for (preferably before you click to find out).

Listed by: Jamie Harvey (Jack White Real Estate)

Government Hill vibe, Tri-Plex swagger. The owner’s unit at 900 Brown St brings a marble clad, pro-grade kitchen with gas range, sea glass tile, and hickory soft close cabinetry. Vaulted ceilings and a spiral staircase rise to a loft office with mountain and Government Hill water tower views, then the primary suite. Decks and gardens, greenhouse, gardener’s room, Trex, redwood siding, triple pane windows, 10 year roof, oversized 2 car garage.

Attached at 211 W Manor Ave, iconic FAA side by side duplex, each three levels with 3 beds. New windows, appliances, baths, carpet. $1,500 each, tenants pay electric.

Make your guess, then (and only then)… see how much it costs →