This story first ran Nov. 26, 2014, in the Siuslaw News.

Thanksgiving Day is a rare day at Holiday Bowl, the venerable bowling house in Florence at the corner of 27th and Highway 101.

All 12 lanes will be shut down.

"We close only three days out of the year," manager Dusty Anderson says. There's also no bowling on Christmas Day or the Sunday during the Rhododendron Festival in May.

"There's no reason to be open because the parade (for the festival) goes right by us," Anderson says.

Otherwise, Holiday Bowl rocks from noon to 10 p.m. daily for the young and the young at heart alike, as it has since it opened in the late 1950s.

And it remains a relatively inexpensive outing, whether you can slip in for a quick game by yourself, or take the family.

"You're talking less than 20 bucks for a family of four," Anderson says. It's $3 each for mom and dad, $2.50 each for two kids under 18 and $2 each for shoes, or $19 for a great family outing.

And then there is the meat of his business, the leagues. Eight legacy leagues fill up 90 percent of the lanes much of the week, and they are well into their 35-week season that began in September and ends in early

May. A summer season runs from late May to late August.

"It's never too late to get in a league, and we try to keep two or three lanes open at all times for open play," Anderson says.

There's something for all ages and skill levels, and Holiday Bowl remains a great venue for those who want to get out of their house and mingle with other people wanting a good time.

"I love this house, it's warm, friendly and fun," says Dan Frazier, 51, who has been knocking down strikes and picking up spares there since 1979, when he was in a junior league. "I've been bowling for more than 30 years, and I've probably got 30 years of bowling left in me."

Frazier is enjoying Sunday's Social League with his wife of four years, Dea Messner-Frazier. He also has rolled in men's leagues, mixed leagues and open leagues over the years. League players feed a kitty that provides prize money instead of trophies at season's end.

"It's not about the money, it's about having fun," Frazier says. "It's a cheap source of great entertainment."

For Anderson, it's about both, making money to stay in business, and taking time to enjoy the game he has excelled in since he rolled his first ball at Holiday Bowl 44 years ago. He has a thriving business and seven career 300 games to show for it.

And he has seen the future, and it is youth.

"Dusty is real good about recruiting kids to bowl," Frazier says. "He can come off as cranky, but he's pretty amenable to people. He's a good guy."

Anderson runs a youth league on Sundays, and he is the longtime volunteer coach of the Siuslaw Vikings bowling team.

"(Bowling) is a hard sell to kids because there are so many other things to do," Anderson says. "But it doesn't conflict with other sports. They practice on Sundays, and they compete on Sundays."

There's another incentive for high school team members. All practice time is free for those who bowl leagues.

"It's a great way to get him out of the house," says Ken Hill of his 15-year-old son Patrick, who competes for the Vikings.

Anderson doesn't ignore bowlers on the other end of the age spectrum. Two of the eight established adult leagues are for those age 55 and older, the Senior Citizen League on Wednesdays and the Senior Trio League on Fridays.

"Those leagues are full," Anderson says. "But there's always room for more."

To keep the Holiday Bowl fun and relevant, it also offers pool, video games and access to the state lottery."There's enough business to stay in business, with the lottery and everything else," Anderson says. "If it were just bowling, it would be close.

"It makes it hard to take vacations."

But at least he gets Thanksgiving Day off, for giving thanks.