The Klickitat Landing Café was the place to be on Thanksgiving Day last week. Over 80 people showed up for their First Annual Community Thanksgiving Feast, with meals taken out to those who could not make the trip in. Tim Carpenter, owner of the Café, said it was his wife’s idea. Brenda had heard it was cheaper to eat out than to cook a big dinner, so she told Tim, “Let’s start a new tradition.” Tim thought it was a fine way to thank the Klickitat community for all the support they have given the Cafe, and so a tradition was born. The Café opened May 23 of this year.
The menu had all the favorites of the Day—turkey (three were consumed), ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, rolls, cranberry sauce, the works, and lots of pie. The doors opened at noon, and people were still coming in at 4 p.m. to enjoy visiting with friends, neighbors, and loved ones, while partaking of a free Thanksgiving meal.
“I started cooking at 3 a.m., and we finished clean-up at 7 p.m.,” Tim stated. “It was a long day, but it was worth it. It was so much fun! We wanted to thank the community for their support and provide a meal for those who couldn’t cook a dinner themselves.”
Tim and Brenda would like to give a special thanks to Klickitat’s Sage Coffee Shop & Bakery for supplying pies; Huntington’s, just next door to the Café, for also supplying pies; Canyon Market for supplying turkeys and soda; and an extra special thank you to several of the families in Klickitat who wanted to make sure the Day was successful, so made monetary and food donations.
The Carpenters definitely expressed the spirit of the season by extending their thankfulness in such a tangible way to the Klickitat community, who have taken them in as their own.
The Klickitat Landing Café is open Wednesday through Monday 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. and are closed Tuesdays. Call (509) 369-2045.
