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Hey Mt. Vernon, hope your week’s off to a good start!

In today’s wallet-friendly edition: Underrated restaurants, a pet parade among the daffodils, and a cheeky awards-night watch party + lots of fun things to do for free.

Today’s sponsor, American Hartford Gold, is helping folks around Mt. Vernon protect their savings as gold and silver continue to gain momentum. Their free guide explains what’s driving the surge… and what to know before adding precious metals to your portfolio. Grab your free copy here.

📰 In the news

Scenic stops for food lovers: A February feature spotlights nine underrated restaurants outside Seattle, from the San Juans to Skagit Valley and Whidbey, including Anacortes’ Gere-a-Deli’s lauded sandwiches and a Whidbey pizza with postcard views — check out the full list.

Record crest held back: FEMA Region 10 has hailed Mount Vernon’s floodwall as a textbook success, crediting community buy-in for a project completed in 2018 that protects the city from Skagit River flooding — see what made it work.

High-temp composite tooling breakthrough: In a Feb. 24 report, Kaneka Aerospace and Sedro-Woolley’s Janicki Industries said a new BMI material cut lead times by more than 25% and tooling costs by over 20% — learn about the new chemistry.

Nothing prepares you for a pet emergency: I learned that the hard way after charging $10k to a credit card for life-saving surgery on my cat, Miss Stache. As soon as we got home, I signed up for Spot. It’s super affordable – and reimburses up to 90% of the bill.

Highlights this week:

• Race to finish 500-piece Birds puzzle
• Dine and bid to support NCTA
• Explore aviation with a local instructor

🫶 We got your back

K-BBQ in sandwich form: Family-owned Fat Buns Cafe brings Korean heritage-inspired sandwiches, like KBBQ beef kalbi, plus house-roasted coffee and creative pastries to downtown. When you crave bold flavor without fuss, this friendly spot delivers satisfying bites and a quick pick-me-up.

Riverfront reset, anyone? Pack a picnic and wander to Edgewater Park for Skagit River views, open fields for impromptu games, a disc golf detour, and kid-ready play spaces. It’s an easy way to breathe fresh air, reset your week, and stay close to home in Mount Vernon.

Level up playtime: Docking Bay 93 stocks more than comic books; find tabletop favorites, TCG singles, minis, quirky collectibles, and the Phoenix Nest retro arcade inside. Expect friendly gaming nights and fresh issues, recharge with low-key vibes, meet neighbors, and maybe spark your next obsession.

Why your last diet didn’t work: Sustained weight loss is nearly impossible with diet alone. Your body literally fights back by making you hungrier the moment you start restricting calories. That’s why more doctors are recommending GLP-1s. The best part? Getting them has never been easier. We compared three programs to help you find the right fit. See which ones stood out →

Your data is for sale right now: There are over 400 websites selling your info to marketers, political campaigns, and scammers. They’ve got your phone number, home address, relatives’ names… you name it. That’s how robocallers seem to know everything about you before you pick up. You can remove your info one site at a time, or pay a service to do it for you. Here’s what we recommend →

📆 Free events worth checking out

Have an event to share? BaseLocal Verified Businesses can submit them for free! Learn more about how to submit an event here →

All events are subject to change without notice. Always check official event pages for the most up to date information.

🎨 Early Enrichment @ Museum of Northwest Art (La Conner) | Wednesday (3/11) at 10:30 AM – If your tiny art critic needs more than crayons at the kitchen table, MoNA hosts morning sessions for ages 2 to 5 with hands-on art, stories, and sensory play, led by educators and volunteers. You get culture, they get glitter, everyone naps later.

🎨 Teen Art Club @ Museum of Northwest Art (La Conner) | Friday (3/13) at 3:00 PM – Got a teen who treats the kitchen table like a charging station? Point them to the Museum of Northwest Art’s Teen Art Club, a free hangout for grades 6 to 12 with teaching artists, supplies, snacks, and a creative crew. They make art, you exhale.

🕺 Scottish Country Dance Class @ Littlefield Celtic Center | Saturday (3/14) at 10:00 AM – Grab sensible shoes and head to Littlefield Celtic Center in Mount Vernon for a free Scottish country dance class. Beginners welcome, no partner or tartan required, just lively music, sets, and a dash of old-world manners. Consider it cardio with better stories, and a smile.

🐶 Pet Parade Among the Daffodils @ Tulip Valley Farms (Mount Vernon) | Saturday (3/14) at 10:00 AM – Spring at Tulip Valley Farms means pets strutting between daffodils, yours included, auditioning for Best Sniffer. A laid-back parade tied to the La Conner festivities, with family vibes, photo ops, and fresh air. Leashes and boots encouraged, dignity optional.

🏆 Night at the Awards @ Lincoln Theatre | Sunday (3/15) at 4:00 PM – Think you can call the winners before the pundits? Skip the couch for a free awards-night watch party with a cheeky red carpet, a costume contest, bingo, and trivia during commercials, and ballots for a shot at the grand prize, an annual film pass.

🌱 Nursery Potting Party @ SFEG Native Plant Nursery (Burlington) | Saturday (3/28) at 9:00 AM – Consider it gardening, but with bragging rights. Help pot native plants at the nursery so they can bulk up for next year’s restoration work, no green thumb required, just sturdy shoes, good company, and a tolerance for compost. Details and sign-up: https://www.skagitfisheries.org/event/potting-party-at-our-native-plant-nursery-2/

🎈 Sensory Indoor Recess @ Central Skagit Library (Sedro-Woolley) | Thursday (4/2) at 4:30 PM – Rainy day salvation for the under eight crowd, minus the blaring whistles. A sensory-friendly indoor recess where kids ages 2 to 8, plus siblings, can explore at their own pace in a calm, supportive space with Skagit Parent2Parent. Welcoming, judgment free, and free-free.

Wanna see more? Browse our full events calendar →

📻 Mt. Vernon report

Weather forecast

Today – High: 43°F – Low: 37°F – Precip: 98%

A slight chance of rain and snow before 10am, then rain and snow. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 43. South southeast wind 6 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch possible. Later: Rain before 2am, then rain and snow. Cloudy, with a low around 37. South wind 5 to 12 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

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Tomorrow – High: 47°F – Low: 39°F – Precip: 100%

Rain. Cloudy, with a high near 47. South southeast wind 5 to 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible. Later: Rain. Cloudy, with a low around 39. South southwest wind 14 to 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Are you quietly overpaying for car insurance? 🚗

Premiums have been climbing across Washington but most folks won’t notice until they’re hit with a higher bill when it’s time to renew.

That’s exactly what happened to me. I had the same policy for half a decade. Autopay was on, it was out of sight and out of mind. Turns out I was blindly paying way more than everyone else I knew.

If you haven’t checked in a while, you’re probably overpaying too – here’s the comparison tool I used.

This house is wild

This 4,729-square-foot Eaglemont showpiece frames Mt. Baker views and prioritizes single-level living. The main floor pairs a primary suite with garden outlooks, a walk-in closet, and Brazilian Cherry floors flowing into a chef’s kitchen. A sweeping staircase leads to a guest suite with full bath and veranda. Extras include built-ins, back staircase, fireplaces, lush landscaping, and a dreamy patio.

Take a peek inside →