In September 2012, a painter who grew up in Anchorage and still lived there opened a Paint & Sip art studio in town and called it Whet Your Palette. Soon after, the local school asked for something specific. It wanted the new studio to offer a special for Christmas in Anchorage Day. The studio offered drop-in painting for that one day, and it did well enough to keep going.
The arrangement on Evergreen Road today came out of that request. On Saturday, October 17, the studio at 1415 Evergreen Road hosts its 5th Annual Local Artists Festival, and the city put the flyer in the October issue of its Anchor Age newsletter. The school's holiday tradition gave the business its everyday offering, and now the business adds a date of its own to the town's calendar.
From One Saturday to Every Day
The founder's own account shows how fast the drop-in idea grew once Christmas in Anchorage proved it worked:
"We offered Drop-in Painting and it was a hit. We decided to offer Drop-In painting every Saturday, and then 6 days a week and eventually all day every day closing only four days a year."
So one holiday special became a Saturday habit, then a six-day schedule, and now the studio closes only four days a year. The studio lists hours of 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 7 p.m. on Sunday. You can drop in any time it's open. Supplies are included, and you pick a canvas or wood piece and a design.
The rest of the business grew from the same start. Whet now offers adult art classes, semi-private lessons, piano and guitar lessons, after-school programs and camps for children, parties, off-site events, and take-home kits. It holds a full liquor license and serves beer, wine and spirits during classes, parties and drop-in sessions. The founder writes that the studio has grown to a team of about 20 artists. Her first child was 12 when the studio opened, has been there since the beginning, and now works as its assurance manager and summer camp director.
The Drop-In Week, Day by Day
Daily hours made room for a weekly rhythm. Whet posts a standing deal for most nights of the week.
| Day | Posted drop-in promotion |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | Canvas discounts |
| Wednesday | Wood discounts |
| Thursday, 6 to 8 p.m. | Buy one, get one large canvases |
| Saturday, 6 to 8 p.m. | Half-price canvas and wood |
Those two evening windows on Thursday and Saturday fall well inside regular hours, so a weeknight session can follow dinner in the village. That kind of routine needs a studio that opens every day, and that schedule started with one December special.
October 17, the Studio Hosts
The Local Artists Festival runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, October 17. The flyer promises a bar, live music, food trucks, face painting, a bouncy castle, drop-in painting, and a live performance by the Soul Circus Trio. The flyer's banner says it celebrates local artists of all experience levels. Last year's 4th edition took place at the same address on October 18, 2025.
Soul Circus is a Louisville-based band that plays events, festivals, weddings and corporate parties. Its repertoire runs from 1960s music to current hits. The full band's roster includes vocalists Shaun Wallace and Katie Mac. The band hasn't published which three musicians will play as the trio in Anchorage.
The same Saturday also has Papa's Pumpkin Patch on the city calendar. The newsletter hasn't given a time or place yet and tells residents to watch for REACH Alert messages.
The Neighbors on Evergreen Road and Around the Village
Whet shares its stretch of Evergreen Road with other businesses built around regular visits. Shall We Dance at 1404 Evergreen Road offers private lessons, weekday group classes and weekly practice parties. Its posted calendar includes ballroom, foxtrot, swing, salsa and country classes, plus a Friday practice party.
The newest neighbor is Neff & Karem Concierge Care at 1411 Evergreen Road. The city welcomed it in the September 2026 newsletter. Drs. Adam Neff and Tony Karem offer relationship-based primary care for patients from infants to seniors.
If you're pairing a painting session with a meal, there are three options nearby, each on its own schedule:
- The Village Anchor, 11507 Park Road, serves brunch, lunch and dinner, with patio dining and the Sea Hag pub. Chef Chase Schnatter creates new seasonal features every day, and brunch runs daily, not just on weekends. Its summer live music series ended on September 17 with the Rob Classic Jazz Band.
- Grounds for Hope Cafe, 11605 Hazelwood Road, serves Sunergos coffee. It's open 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, and closed on Sunday.
- MozzaPi, 12102 LaGrange Road, offers dine-in and takeout Tuesday through Saturday, with artisan pizza, salads, coffee, bread and baked goods.
The Rest of the Town Calendar
The October newsletter lists everything from here to the holidays. Several of these events come from the same mix of school, civic club and city effort that first asked a new studio for a Christmas special.
- Sunday, October 11, 3 p.m. Music in Anchorage. The city calendar hasn't named a venue or performer yet.
- Thursday, October 15, 5 to 8 p.m. Anchorfest at the Anchorage Fire Station, with live music, food and beer for purchase. It's also a chance to join or renew Anchorage Civic Club membership, which costs $45 a year and helps fund the fireworks show and other events.
- Saturday, October 17. The Local Artists Festival at Whet and Papa's Pumpkin Patch.
- Friday, October 23, from 5 p.m. Halloween festivities at Anchorage Public School, hosted by the Class of 2027 and their families. The parade, led by an Anchorage Police cruiser, starts things off. Dinner, a cotton candy truck, carnival games run by the 8th graders, and a haunted house follow from 5:30 to 7 p.m. The haunted house comes in a scary version and a not-so-scary version. Dinner tickets must be bought in advance.
- Saturday, October 24, from 8 a.m. Golf Cart Inspection Day at the Anchorage Police Department, 11506 Park Road. Call 502.244.0562 for an appointment; slots go in the order calls come in. Bring your cart with its required safety equipment, a state-issued driver's license, the title and proof of insurance. The inspection costs $5 and the Anchorage decal costs $2, cash or check. Once approved, carts can use public roads posted at 35 mph or less, between sunrise and sunset only.
- Thursday, November 26. Turkey Trot.
- Saturday, December 5. Light Up Anchorage.
- Saturday, December 12. The 44th annual Christmas in Anchorage.
Bourbon with the Mayor, first set for October 27, has been postponed. The new date will be announced in the newsletter and through REACH Alert.
December 12, the Day That Started It
Christmas in Anchorage returns to Anchorage Public School on Saturday, December 12, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The first seating of Breakfast with The Grinch opens the day at 9 a.m. The listed activities include a holiday boutique, candle making with Maddox + Rose, floral arranging with Caroline Jordan, photos with Santa, story time with Stage One, and the North Pole Bakery.
This year's keepsake ornament is by Louisville artist Marty Osbourn O'Daniel of MartiMar Art. Each ornament is a 2.25 x 3.25 inch giclée print of her painting, embellished by hand with acrylic paint and gold wax, set in a brass frame, and signed on the back. Pre-orders cost $40 on the school website, and quantities are limited.
That's the same holiday when Whet Your Palette first offered drop-in painting as a one-day special. Today it's on the studio's regular schedule, open every day of the year except four, at 1415 Evergreen Road.
If an Anchorage move is on your mind this year, maybe because of a growing family, an estate or a new chapter, the team at Laura Rice & Associates can help you plan the timing around the parts of the town calendar that matter to you. Let's Connect.
