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La Conner businesses bounce back after painful pandemic closures

More than 10% of the town's businesses closed permanently during the pandemic. Now, some are coming back.

LA CONNER, Wash. — There is new life blooming in La Conner after a dreadful pandemic that killed a dozen businesses and threatened many more, including Chris Jennings' yarn store that she has run for 35 years.

"It was devastating," she said. "We kept thinking it'll just be two weeks to flatten the curve."

Two weeks stretched into two years, leading to a dozen small businesses closing permanently in La Conner. That may not sound like a lot, but they comprised more than 10% of the town's businesses.

Chris had to lay off her entire staff and run everything by herself in order to survive. At times she had to rely on the kindness of strangers.

"I did have a few random contributions come in the mail," she said. "A couple of times it made me cry that someone would take the time and care that much to send a check." 

All of the economic uncertainty of the past two years appears to be behind her right now, and for most of her neighbors in the tiny town of fewer than 1,000 people. La Conner's mayor reports 2021 was the best year on record for tax revenue and 2022 is shaping up to be just as strong.

The annual Tulip Festival is back - bringing a million tourists and 60 million into the Skagit Valley this spring.

Not only have all of the businesses that closed been replaced, but new ventures are moving into town, and others are expanding.

"I'm just breathing a sigh of relief every day. I'm really just happy to see La Conner thrive once again," said Heather Carter, executive director of the La Conner Chamber of Commerce. 

Carter credits an extensive "shop local" campaign targeting tourists and townspeople alike with helping save the town.

"We came together as a community. We came together as a business community and cultivated our partnership with town government and the citizens that live here. We all just worked together to survive," Carter said.

One thing that has not bounced back is tourism from Canada. Canadians comprise about 30% of La Conner's tourism industry, and they have been slow to travel south,

Back at the yarn shop, the tangles of the past two years are finally being straightened out and Chris can smile again. 

"It just feels good," she laughed. "It feels good to have a positive outlook, again."  

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