Hope for the Holidays: Thanksgiving in North Park

The holidays are often the time of year with the most focus on getting together with family, celebrating gratitude, and taking time to experience all the different activities the winter months have to offer. For some, winter can mean ski trips or holiday parties, gift giving, and gathering with friends for events like Friendsgiving. These days you get to make your own holiday, even if you don’t buy into the rush to find the perfect Christmas present.

For others, the holidays can be a stressful time of year that doesn’t play nicely with isolation, falling on hard times, or being away from loved ones. The holidays can feel like just another day, or worse still, a time that you miss the interaction you once had with the important people in your life. Many struggle during the holidays, whether it is due to financial problems or just being lonely.

North Park is a great destination for people looking to escape the congestion of big cities, traffic, and leave their cares behind. We specialize in taking a break from your normally busy schedule and finding a place to enjoy a little solitude and isolation. But that doesn’t mean you have to be lonely, or hungry for the holidays. The Jackson County community is good at taking care of each other, as well as newcomers. So if you find yourself alone this holiday season, just keep in mind it doesn’t need to be that way.

What Do You Have to Be Thankful For?

This year, the North Park Area Chamber of Commerce wants to know what you have to be grateful for. Spread the good news with a personal message for yourself or your business on the Chamber website for only $5. Contact the Chamber of Commerce for more details!  Proceeds go to supporting the North Park Chamber of Commerce and various community events throughout the year.

Food Pantry by Mountain Family Center

North Park is one of the more remote parts of Colorado, with Walden being about an hour drive in any direction from the next nearest town with a grocery store. These “food deserts” can be problematic, especially for those struggling to put gas in the tank, the elderly, or others without the time and resources to drive over mountain passes just to get the basics. 

Every month, the Mountain Family Center has a food drop, bringing a range of donated groceries to the Jackson County community on the second Tuesday, weather permitting. Most people in Jackson County qualify, and volunteers can sign up to do their part to help distribute food to those in need.

This year, the Mountain Family Center is changing things up a little by giving out Thanksgiving baskets on Saturday, November 23 from 10am-12 Noon at the Wattenberg Center. Items include turkeys, side dishes, and foods to help prepare your Thanksgiving meal.

Contact Tina for more information at 970-217-5272. To learn more about the Mountain Family Center, check out their website for schedules, types of items available, how to sign up, and how to be a volunteer!

Annual Stockman Bar Thanksgiving Dinner

Thanksgiving can be a time when family and friends gather to celebrate what they are grateful for, but there’s no guarantee you’ll be around your loved ones for the holidays. Whether you are a long haul trucker, traveling through the mountains, or whatever reason you find yourself in Walden, CO, you don’t have to be alone for Thanksgiving.

Each year, the Stockman Bar and Grill has an annual Thanksgiving feast for anyone who wants to drop in and share in the holiday spirit in an open house for the public on Thanksgiving. Not only is it a good way to make sure those who would normally be alone for the holidays are taken care of, it’s also a good way to give back to the community!

How Traditions Get Started

Many years ago, Dean and Linda Blevins decided to open the doors of the Stockman Bar so regulars could still celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday.  Linda, the Boss at the Stockman, has been putting Thanksgiving dinner together for years so that no one has to be alone or go hungry for the holidays. Each year she cooks enough turkey to feed anywhere between 70 to 100 people, and every year the tradition keeps growing.

Anyone who wants to drop by for a hot, home-cooked holiday meal is welcome.  Dinner is a traditional roasted turkey with all the fixin’s, served buffet style. Some folks get really creative with the side dishes they bring, so get ready for all kinds of surprises!

How to Get Involved

Attendees are asked to bring their own dish to contribute to the potluck event. If they can’t bring a dish, they are asked to bring their holiday spirit. There’s no charge for dinner, with the exception of drinks. Donations to the Dean Blevins Memorial Fund are encouraged, and tips for servers and staff are appreciated. The Dean Blevins Memorial Fund is a major contributor to local charities and events, including an $800 scholarship for a graduating local high school student each year. 

Taking Care of Each Other in the Community

Linda always wants to make sure that those who can’t make it to dinner are taken care of. People who are working, the elderly, disabled and housebound, and passing travelers who are far from home are all welcome. 

The Stockman Bar and Grill also provides Thanksgiving Dinner to the prisoners at the county jail and law enforcement officers who are on duty. She does this again for Christmas and Easter, every year! 

Where Do I Go?: 

Stockman Bar and Grill
441 Main Street
Walden, CO

When is Dinner?

November 28, 2024. Dinner starts at 5p.m. And lasts until the food is gone!

• You’ll need to bring: 
• Yourself 
• Your Appetite
• A Favorite Potluck Dish 
• A Charitable Donation to the Dean Blevins Memorial Fund
• A sense of holiday cheer will be provided if you forget yours
   

Nobody Should Have to be Alone for Thanksgiving

North Park is a community that sticks together in spite of many miles of distance between the different towns and neighborhoods throughout Jackson County. This year, the weather is expected to be very tough, but while the winds of winter are raging outside, we can stay warm and safe, knowing that we have each other’s backs. 

For those traveling during the holidays, North Park extends its welcome for you to be a part of our community and experience a place that hasn’t forgotten the true meaning of the holidays. Breathtaking mountain views and hospitality that has nearly been forgotten elsewhere offer an experience like no other. In spite of the harsh weather and long distances to get to other pockets of civilization, North Parkers consider themselves more than lucky. And even when times are tough, this place has helped forge people with the tenacity and perseverance to help each other along.

This year, if you find your travels have taken you off the beaten path and far from home for the holidays, you can count on North Park to be a good place to land, take a break, and a good long look at some beautiful scenery before heading back out on your next adventure. Happy Thanksgiving from your friends in North Park!