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24-26

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Dennis and Amanda Cavitt named 2026 Garibaldi Days Grand Marshals

Local business owners

Dennis and Amanda Cavitt have been selected as the Grand Marshals for the 2026 Garibaldi Days celebration.

The Cavitts have been active in the Garibaldi business community since 2015, when they followed Dennis’s parents in full-time migration to the coast.

This summer marks the tenth anniversary of their flagship enterprise, the Garibaldi Portside Bistro.

“We did not even know we were being considered,” said Amanda Cavitt. “The honor came as a surprise to us. For us, the honor is a mirror reflecting the relationship we have with Tillamook Bay and with our customers, both local and abroad. It’s also a reminder that we have to keep polishing that mirror every day to keep seeing clearly.”

Dennis Cavitt, a Portland native and Cordon Bleu-trained chef, spent his childhood making annual camping trips to Garibaldi at the Old Mill RV Park and Barview Jetty County Park.

Amanda Cavitt, originally from Alaska, is an accomplished artist with several years’ experience teaching for Headstart. Together, the couple began drafting their Bistro business plans in 2012.

The couple originally intended to launch a food truck to travel along U.S. Route 101 to various regional music festivals. However, they opted to establish permanent roots

near family, opening the Garibaldi Portside Bistro in a small marina cottage in the summer of 2016.

The menu was built around smoked meats to differentiate the business from existing local seafood establishments.

To achieve this on a restrictive initial budget, family and friends, led by Dennis’s father, Bob, a retired Intel engineer, helped the Cavitts construct a custom fire brick and iron rack commercial wood smoker.

(Bob Cavitt still eats at the establishment for free.)

In October 2018, the Cavitts purchased the former Troller building to increase operations. The new location, in the heart of the Garibaldi Marina with bay views on three sides, provided more than five times the seating capacity of the original cottage. The renovation of the 40-year-old structure required significant structural work and was completed with more volunteer assistance from locals, friends, neighboring business owners and the indomitable Bob, who donated time, labor, and materials to help complete the project in 2019.

In addition to the restaurant, the Cavitts have owned and operated the Barview Jetty Store for approximately five years. To contend with local housing challenges, the couple also owns multiple residential properties in Garibaldi that serve housing for their employees.

Both currently hold local civic positions.

Most importantly, the Cavitts have raised three incredible children: Kyler and Kayla, who were best friends from having grown up so close together in age, and Kitt, whose upbringing has mostly been along Tillamook Bay. All three have been muchadored fixtures on all the Cavitt endeavors. In 2024, following the sudden death of their son, Kyler, the Cavitts established a memorial initiative called Kyler’s Big Heart. The organization raises funds for life-saving equipment, specifically purchasing Automated External Defibrillators

(AEDs) for local first responders.

The next Kyler’s Big Heart fundraising event is scheduled for August 29, 2026, at the Port of Garibaldi Event Tent. The event will feature musical performances by Jacquie Roar and Stee. Both singers were featured contestants on Season 24 of the NBC television program “The Voice,” where Roar finished the competition in fourth place, and Stee reached the top nine. For more information regarding the August 29 event, visit portsidebistro.com/kylersbig-heart/.