Today is Mardi Gras, also known as Fat Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday, and Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Grass Valley is celebrating with a waffle sale–a tradition that goes back 104 years. Church member and organizer Wendy Willoughby says it’s a mosty European tradition to eat pancakes the day before Lent begins, so the priest suggested that idea to the ladies guild in 1916…

And the tradition was born. They only made two dollars that year,. but now they sell all you can eat waffles, complete with a slice of ham and eggs. Reverend Seth Kellerman says the proceeds go to a wide variety of area non-profits…

Emmanuel Episcopal is located at 235 South Church Street in Grass Valley. The waffles are served in two sessions–lunch from 10:30am to 1:30pm, and dinner from 4:30 to 7:30pm.

–gf