A La Conner holiday tradition
At the Waterfront Café in La Conner, Thanksgiving isn’t merely a holiday in name only.
Restaurant owners Guy and Marla Vallee, their staff and a corps of loyal volunteers have been thankful for the opportunity to give their time and talent to the community each Thanksgiving for going on two decades.
As has been the case for the past 16 years, the Waterfront Café — located on the shoreline side of the Pier 7 building — will be open from 12 Noon to 3 p.m. this Thanksgiving to serve a no-cost turkey dinner with trimmings for one and all.
The traditional Thanksgiving menu will include cranberries and pumpkin pie, Marla said.
“We love doing it,” she said of the café’s free holiday meal. “It’s a fun thing to do.”
The gathering brings tourists in town for the day together with locals enjoying the camaraderie of friends and family over turkey dinner and dessert. On one recent Thanksgiving, Marla recalled, the weather was mild enough that holiday diners were able to enjoy the Waterfront Café’s outdoor patio.
Each year, Thanksgiving diners insist on making voluntary cash offerings to the café. In turn, the Vallees donate that money to civic and charitable causes in the area.
“This year, we’re going to give half to the La Conner Sunrise Food Bank, because we know things have been tough for some in our community. The other half we’ll give to NOAH,” Marla said.
NOAH (Northwest Organization for Animal Health) is a non-profit animal adoption center and spay/neuter clinic in Stanwood dedicated to stopping the euthanasia of healthy and treatable homeless animals.
Marla said the Waterfront Café typically serves 150 or more people on Thanksgiving. Last year, the café served a record 175 diners. Donations that day approached $3,000.
“Reservations are helpful, but not necessary,” she said. “We can also do take-out and are happy to accommodate vegan and gluten-free diets as long as they call ahead.
“We have a great staff of volunteers and we’re blessed to be part of this community.”
The Waterfront Café number is 360-466-1579.
Bill Reynolds is a general assignment reporter for La Conner Community News.
