Day 343: The Maple Counter Cafe

The Maple Counter Cafe is now open. They are serving Gourmet Breakfasts and Handcrafted Lunches from 7am to 4pm Tuesday through Saturday and with Breakfast only on Sunday. The Cafe is housed in a beautiful building at 209 E Alder Street in Walla Walla. They serve a large variety of Gourmet Burgers, Chicken Sandwiches, Salads, French Baked Omelettes, Stylish Egg Entree, Creative Pancakes, and Common Fare Breakfast Entrees. We tried their Breakfast House Specialty- Apple Pancake. It is made in the tradition of a souffle baked in the oven until at least 3 inches high. It is filled with 3 sliced apples and covered with pure cinnamon glaze. This entree is for a large appetitie. We split it and were so full we could only eat 1/2 of it. It was delicous. The lunch House Specialty is Old country Beef and Dumpling Soup. This is an eastern Europe Soup that is both sweet and savory. It is packed with tender beef, fresh dumplings, and plenty of cabbage and vegetables. It comes with a warm roll. The Cafe plans to be open on Mondays starting in January. Stop by and enjoy the great food and the most friendly service.

Day 342: Junior Club of Walla Walla's 4th Annual Festival of Mini-Trees

The Junior Club of Walla Walla is displaying their 4th Annual Festival of Mini-Trees at the Marcus Whitman Hotel. The beautifully decorated mini-trees are on display in the lobby November 30th- December 11th. Visitors have the option to bid on trees that they would like to purchase or can make a flat donation. All proceeds from the event will benefit the Junior Club's core projects and Scholorships.

Day 341: Jazz Concert at St. Paul's Episcopal Church

The First Thursday Concert at St. Paul's Episcopal Church for December is Jazz Piano by Dr. Mark Brown. The concert is December 1st at 12:15pm. It is a free concert. Donations for the concert will benefit Friends of Walla Walla. St. Paul's regularly hosts a variety of musicians the first Thursday of each month. The musicians perform without a fee. Local organizations benefit from proceeds of donations from the concerts. St. Paul's Episcopal Church is located at 323 Catherine Street in Walla Walla.

Day 340: Marcus Whitman Thanksgiving Buffet

The Marcus Whitman is having it's 11th annual Thanksgiving dinner buffet from noon to 4pm on Thanksgiving day. Some of the entrees they will serve include Artesian Cheeses, Slow Roasted Steam Ship of Kurobota Pork, Roasted Pumpkin Soup, Sweet Potato Casserole, Buttermilk Whipped Potatoes and Gravy, Roasted and Carved Turkey, Washington Apple Salad, Columbia River King Salmon, plus many more delicious choices. The Holiday desserts include The Marc Hot Chocolate Bar, Sundae Bar, Assorted House-made Truffles, Cookies, Cake, Traditional Pumpkin Pie and Warm Apple Cobbler. The cost for the Buffett is $32.95 for Adults, $27.95 for Seniors, and $14.95 for children ages 6-12. Children under 5 eat for free. Reservations are required. To reserve a table call 509-524-5130. The Marcus Whitman is located at 6 West Rose Street in Walla Walla.

Day 339: Pottery Studio Holiday Painting

Looking for a perfect holiday gift that is personalized and useful? The Pottery Painting Studio is the perfect place to create a handmade gift for that special person in your life. You can choose from a large variety of bisque ware (pottery that has already been formed and is just waiting to be painted, glazed, and fired) ranging from $2 - $80; everything from magnets to serving platters (the price of each item includes paint, painting time, glaze, staff help, and firing).


Not creative? The pottery staff can show you tricks to make your painting experience easy and fun. Holiday gifts must be completed by Saturday, December 10 in order to have then glazed, fired, and ready for pick up by December 23.

Share the fun of this craft by giving a  gift of painting pottery to someone else with a Gift Certificate for the Pottery Studio in any amount! Gift Certificates can be purchased online at www.wwpr.us.

The Pottery Painting Studio at Carnegie is located at 109 S. Palouse St. in Walla Walla. It is open Thursdays 3:30-8pm, Fridays 3:30-6pm, Saturdays 11am-4pm, and Sundays 11am-4pm. Special Holiday hours will be offered the week before Christmas. For more information visit the City of Walla Walla’s website at www.wwpr.us, call 527-4527, or send an email to recreation@ci.walla-walla.wa.us.

































Dec. 30 - 11 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.



Dec. 31-11 a.m. – 4:00 p.m



Jan. 1-11 – Closed



For more information visit the City of Walla Walla’s website at www.wwpr.us, call 527-4527, or send an email to recreation@ci.walla-walla.wa.us.

Day 338: Community Thanksgiving Dinners

Milton-Freewater and Walla Walla will be serving a free Thanksgiving dinner. The members of the First Christian Church in Milton-Freewater are hosting a Traditional Thanksgiving dinner from 4:30pm to 6:30pm in the Fellowship Hall at 518 S Main Street. They will also provide transportation if needed. For those who would like a ride to the Church, they can contact Bob Christian at 509-386-5123.
In Walla Walla,  DeSales High School will have their annual community Thanksgiving dinner from 4-6pm. The free dinner is sponsored by St. Vincent de Paul and Salvation Army with the help of many churches. DeSales High School is located at 919 E Sumach Street.

Day 337: Annual Eastgate Lions Club Turkey Shoot

Just in time for Thanksgiving, the Annual Eastgate Lions Club Turkey Shoot is Saturday, November 19th. Get your turkey the fun way by shooting for it at the Walla Walla Gun Club. The events are for all ability levels. Shooters who purchase a $30 shoot card are guaranteed to take home a turkey. The shoot starts at 9am. Coffee, donuts, and muffins will be sold at the event. The Walla Walla Gun Club is located at 1212 Middle Waitsburg Road.

Day 336: Wa-Hi Performance of Radium Girls

The Walla Walla High School Fall Drama production this season is Radium Girls. This is the last weekend that it will be performed. The show dates are November 17 and 18 at 7pm and November 19 at 2pm. Radium Girls is inspired by a true story. It offers a wry, unflinching look at the peculiarly American obsessions with health, wealth, and the commercialization of science. Tickets can be purchased by calling 526-8613. Tickets cost $6. for students and $12. for adults. The performance will be shown in the Wa-Hi Performing Arts Auditorium.

Day 335; Free Family Food Raiser Symphony Concert

The Walla Walla Symphony is performing a free Family Food Raiser Concert on November 17th, 7pm, at Cordiner Hall, in the Whitman College Campus. The concert is called The Noisy Intermission. It tells the story of tells the story of an orchestra rehearsing for an upcoming concert. When the musicians leave for a break, the instruments come to life, introducing the audience to some fascinating characters . . . the romantic violin, the snooty oboe, the gossipy clarinet, the indecisive trombone, the nervous harp, and many others. Thir argument - and, ultimately, a stern reprimand from the baton - leads them to learn the value of cooperation. There will be a special performance by Alyssa Stremcha, a 11 year old violinist.

Day 334: Of Hearts n Hands Annual Marketplace

Of  Hearts n Hands Annual Marketplace will be held Friday, November 18th from 7-9pm and Saturday,  November 19th, 8:30am-3pm at the Old School House at 66 Valley Chapel Road in Walla Walla. This  annual event is put together by six crafters and also includes items from juried crafters. All items or hand made. The School House is transformed into a market place and will feature Holiday items and everyday goods for the home.

Day 333: Harper Joy Theatre Presents the Altruists

Harper Joy Theatre presents the Altruists. The Altruist, by Nicky Silver is a quirky, and beautiful story of five different people trying to live for others when they can’t help but live for themselves. These activists try to do good, and always end up doing something much worse.The performance plays through the 13th of November. Friday's performance is at 8pm, Saturday's is 2pm and 8pm, and Sundays is 2pm. The performance will be in the  Freimann Studio Theatre. The cost for tickets is $12. for adults and $8 for students and seniors. Whitman Students are free. To purchase tickets Call (509) 527-5180 for reservations during Box Office hours or fax (509) 522-4406.

Day 332: Kirkman House Farm to Table Dinner

The Kirkman House Museum is offering a evening from the past, with a classic 1800's menu in the beautiful historic Kirkman House Museum, on Sunday, November 13th.  Chef Melissa Davis will prepare this authentic meal which will be served on fine china in the museum. Professional Cellist Dr. Sally Singer will provide entertainment and a video on the life of William Kirkman will be shown. Tickets are $50. each and proceeds from ticket sales benefit the Kirkman House Museum. The museum is located at 214 N Colville Street in Walla Walla.  To reserve your ticket call (509) 529-4373.

Day 331: 2011 Veterans Day Parades in Walla Walla and Milton-Freewater

Veterans Day is Friday, November 11th. Milton-Freewater and Walla Walla will be honoring the Veterans with a parade.
In Milton-Freewater, the parade begins at the Valley Christian Center at 11am and ends at Henry’s Ace Hardware. The Walla Walla parade starts at 11am on Main Street.
The Army National Guard Band will be performing a special musical performance at the Land Title Plaza in Walla Walla on November 11th from 9am to 12pm  and on the 12th from 10am to 2pm. The soldier musicians will be playing everything from traditional marches to big band jazz to today's top 40s.

Day 330: Pet Communication Class

Need better communication with your pet? Learn what science is proving about animal communication and how we can all do it with some practice and awareness. A Pet Communication Class is being held at the Carnegie, November 14, 16, and 17. The classes are 6:30-8:30pm. Instructing this course is Shirley Scott, a well known animal communicator, spiritual teacher, clairvoyant, and the dog trainer for the “Dogs in Prison” program at the Washington State Penitentiary. She asks that you do not bring your pets with you to the class. Carnegie  is located at 109 S. Palouse Street in Walla Walla. The fee for the class is $25.

Day 329: Rolls for the Holiday Table

Just in time for Thanksgiving. Detour Farms is offering a class on how to make home made rolls for the Holidays. The class will offer several recipes for making rolls and well as  a number of shaping methods. The class includes a light lunch and a glass of wine to be enjoyed on the porch or beside a nice warm fire. Attendees will get to take home lots of rolls to share or freeze. The class is on November 12th at 9:30am. The cost is $60. to attend. For more information on this or other upcoming baking classes see their web site at Detourfarms.com.

Day 328: Whitman College Fall Music Concerts

Fall is here. It is a great time to take in some of the many Fall music concerts that Whitman College has in the works. On Friday November 4th, the Whitman College Music Department presents The Fall Jazz Ensemble Concert, directed by Doug Scarborough. The Whitman Orchestra Fall Concert, conducted by Jeremy Mims will be performed on Saturday, November 5th. The Whitman Wind Ensemble Fall Concert, conducted by Pete Crawford will be performed Wednesday, November 9th. All performances start at 7:30pm and are held in the Whitman College Hall of Music Chism Recital Hall.

Day 327: Fall Release Weekend

It is the end of a grape harvest and the beginning of a new vintage. Fall Release Weekend is November 4-6th. Local Wineries are celebrating harvest by opening their cellar doors for the public to taste their new releases. The Valley embraces the celebration with winemaker dinners, live music, art festivals and many more activities.

Day 326: 30th Annual Walla Walla Wine Auction

The 30th Annual Walla Walla Wine Auction takes place November 4th at the Marcus Whitman Hotel. The event is called Aged to Perfection and features wine tasting from wineries across our region, a delicous menu of food offerings, and the opportunity to bid on exclusive wine packages and other items in both silent and live auctions. The Walla Walla Wine Auction benefits Planned Parenthood of Greater Washington and North Idaho. Tickets for the event start at $90 per person. They can be purchased by calling 1-866-904-7721 x8016.