Little Tokyo Japanese Restaurant at the corner of Second and Seward Streets is one of the only restaurants to be open on Christmas Day. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Little Tokyo Japanese Restaurant at the corner of Second and Seward Streets is one of the only restaurants to be open on Christmas Day. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Just about all of Juneau is closed for Christmas

Only a handful of businesses will be open

Those looking for something to do indoors or somewhere to eat on Christmas Day will have a hard time finding anything beyond Netflix and their fridge.

Just about everything will be closed.

Little Tokyo will be open from noon-8 p.m., but 11 other Thai, Chinese and Japanese restaurants called said they would be closed on Christmas.

The Douglas and Mendenhall Valley Breeze In locations will be open for regular business hours, but the Lemon Creek location will be closed.

Pucker Wilson’s will serve up free cheeseburgers on Christmas from 11 a.m., until they run out.

Buying batteries for new Christmas gadgets could prove difficult — Fred Meyer, Safeway, Costco, Foodland IGA and Super Bear IGA are closed for the holiday, according to the stores’ greetings.

[Santa trades in a sleigh for a fire truck]

Gross Alaska’s two in-town theaters will be among the few things open in the evening on Dec. 25. Both Glacier Cinemas in the Mendenhall Valley and 20th Century Theatre downtown offer movie options on Christmas.

Between the two theaters, seven movies will each be screened twice — once around 4 p.m. and once around 7 p.m, according to an email response from Gross Alaska’s date desk.

At the larger Glacier Cinemas, “Second Act” will play at 4:15 p.m. and 7:05 p.m, “Bumblebee” at 4:10 p.m. and 7 p.m., “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” at 4:20 p.m. and 7:15 p.m., “Mary Poppins Returns” at 4 p.m. and 6:50 p.m. and “Welcome to Marwen” at 4:05 p.m. and 7:10 p.m.

At 20th Century Theatre, “Aquaman” will show at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. and “Mortal Engines” at 4:10 p.m. and 7:10 p.m.

The Gold Town Nickelodeon will be closed, said Collette Costa, theater manager, who added it’s hard to find someone to show a movie on Christmas Day. There will be a 4 p.m. Dec. 29 showing of “The Lion In Winter,” a Peter O’Toole classic, to celebrate the holiday season.

Anyone looking to ice skate won’t have an indoor option, and if you want to hit the slopes, you’ll need to be willing to do so without help from a chairlift. Both Treadwell Ice Arena and Eaglecrest Ski Area will be closed on Christmas.

[Photos: Christmas lights in Juneau]

The Glory Hall homeless shelter downtown will be open for a holiday meal. In the early evening, the congregation of Sukkat Shalom will continue the long-running tradition of cooking and serving a meal at the Glory Hall.

Bev Ingram, Glory Hall organizer for Sukkat Shalom, said it’s something Juneau’s Jewish community has been doing for more than a decade, and this year’s meal will be served around 4 p.m.

“There’s no buses on that day, so Glory Hall usually has less people than usual,” Ingram said.

She said that typically means about 40 to 60 people.

“But there’s no such thing as too much food,” Ingram said.


• Contact arts and culture reporter Ben Hohenstatt at 523-2243 or bhohenstatt@juneauempire.com.


Gross Alaska’s 20th Century Theatre, pictured, and Glacier Cinemas will be open Christmas Day. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Gross Alaska’s 20th Century Theatre, pictured, and Glacier Cinemas will be open Christmas Day. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

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