Pioneer Inn

The northern lights have spoiled us three nights in a row now ✨💚💜 Dancing right above the Pioneer Inn—even in town! We’re running on very little sleep (apparently aurora chasers don’t get bedtimes 😅), but we wouldn’t trade a minute of it. Exhausted and blessed under Alaska’s most magical night show. 🌌 Big thanks to Marie and Rachel, winter Inn residents, for snapping these amazing pics! 📸 Come stay with us this winter and see the magic for yourself! ❄️✨

The bonfire and homecoming parade lit up Homer tonight—what an amazing community celebration! 🔥🎉

But we’re not done yet… tomorrow at 2 PM, it’s game time! 🏈 Homer High takes on Houston in the big Homecoming showdown. 💙💛

Let’s fill the stands, cheer loud, and show our Mariners all the hometown love they deserve! ⚓️🙌

✨ Tonight, Homer gathered for one of our most cherished autumn traditions — the 22nd Annual Burning Basket at Mariner Park. ✨

This year’s basket, created under the vision of local installation artist Mavis Muller, carried the theme “OPEN – Basket of Remembrance & Unburdening.” All week long, community members of all ages helped weave, decorate, and create the spiral walking path beside it — from Fireweed Academy students gathering treasures from the beach, to seniors from the Homer Senior Center lending their hands and hearts. Together, they built something magical.

As the sun set, messages of remembrance, words of release, blessings, and hopes — some visible, others tucked gently inside — were given to the flames. The fire carried them upward, symbolizing release and renewal, an offering of positive intention to the future.

Mavis always reminds us that the basket is more than art to witness — it’s an invitation to participate, to open our hearts, to connect with each other, and to embrace impermanence.

Tonight, with drumming, fire spinning, and the glow of the flames, we were reminded once again of the strength, creativity, and interconnectedness that makes Homer so special.

From all of us at the Pioneer Inn, thank you to everyone who helped create, share, and celebrate this beautiful autumn tradition. 🌙🔥❤️

🎉🐾 The Pioneer Inn family would like to wish our feisty, fun, energetic, smart, animal-loving niece Ayla a very Happy 1st Birthday! 🐾🎉

What a joy it has been to get to know you this past year. You’ve filled our days with tail wags, zoomies, slobbery kisses, and endless laughter. 💕

Here’s to many more playful, snuggly, treat-filled, tail-chasing, ball-fetching, squirrel-spotting, belly-rub kind of years ahead. Keep being your brave, silly, curious, pawsitively amazing self, Ayla! 🐶✨ Reach for the stars and chase every ball — we know you’ll always get there! 🌟🎂🐾