🐹 Alley Nocturne ✨✨

Good morning, Bellingham. This is your Monday update from The Hamster Wheel.

Have fun, and stay safe out there!

~ Evan

Nature, Community, Sasquatch, UAP

Photos From the Hoods

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Whatcom Weather

The Raindrop Report

Events, Updates & News Around Town

Get off the Hamster Wheel

Nocturnal Alley Lanterns

In March of last year we looked at several proposals in front of the Bellingham Art Commission, one of which has come to fruition in the form of Stainless Steel and LED lanterns installed in the Lightcatcher Alley at the Whatcom Museum. 👇️ 

I for one think they are fabulous. They give off a Celtic anime vibe. 🤷 Random… maybe. But fun and whimsical? Yes!!

Just imagine if the city made it a priority that all alley adjacent buildings sport an assortment of illuminated lanterns. 😁 That’s a downtown after dark experience I’d vote for.

The lanterns, designed by Islando Sparks and Heather Sparks, are made from stainless steel, hand cut (by the Femme Metal Collective) with “intricate imagery featuring Cascadia bioregional nocturnal flora and fauna.” They are illuminated from within to cast prismatic patterns of shadow and light on the surrounding wall surfaces.

Over the weekend, I got a note from Marla Bronstein, music coordinator for the Elizabeth Park Concert Series, announcing that she has begun scheduling the 2026 summer season and hopes to nail down the lineup over the next few weeks.

Local bands interested in performing at one of the Thursday concerts between June 18 and August 20 should email [email protected] with their availability and a current press packet. Submissions are due by mid-February to be considered for this season.

One of my favorite Bellingham traditions kicks off today with the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association’s transferring salmon eggs to the library aquarium. Hopefully they will continue the tradition of livestreaming the developing fry over YouTube. 🤞 

If you’ve got kids, wrangle them down to the Children's Department in the Central Library at 4:00 pm.

CIVIC CORNER

Monday
Blaine City Council, 6:00 pm, Council Chambers, agenda
County Council Oath of Office Ceremony, 3:00 pm, Council Chambers, zoom

Tuesday
County Council, 9:15 am w. regular meeting at 6:00 pm, Council Chambers, agenda, zoom
Transportation Commission (Bham), 6:00 pm, Pacific Street Operations Center, agenda, zoom

Wednesday
Parks and Recreation Advisory Board (Bham), 7:30 pm, Pacific Street Operations Center
Civil Service Commission Meeting (Bham), 2:00 pm, City Council Chambers

Thursday
Keep Washington Working Act Work Group, 5:30 pm, Mayor's Boardroom (City Hall)
Mount Baker School District Community Listening Session, 6:00 pm, District Office Boardroom

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Wednesday
Stream Team: Help Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association (NSEA) maintain older sites that need love. Meet at NSEA’s campus by 8 am and your group leader will shuttle everyone to the site. You can expect to be back to NSEA at 12 pm. Register.

Saturday
Squalicum Creek: Join the City and the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association (NSEA) as well as other community partners for their annual Martin Luther King, Jr., Day of Service Community Work Party at Willow Spring in Squalicum Creek Park. They will plant native trees and shrubs to restore fish and wildlife habitat and improve water quality to benefit salmon and other native species. Register to attend.

Food & Drink

Hamsters Gotta Eat

Performance Arts This Week

Dance of The Hamsters

LIVE ARTS & FILM

Uisce Irish Pub
Guffawingham (comedy) | Mon 9:00 pm

Mount Baker Theatre
TINA – The Tina Turner Musical (theatre) | Tues

Mount Baker Theatre
Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival (film) | Thurs

Blue Room
Tanael Joachim (comedy) | Thurs

iDiOM Theater
The Illusion (theatre) | Thurs-Fri

Bellingham Circus Guild
Vaudevillingham (circus) | Thurs

FireHouse Arts & Events Center
Biosphere (theatre) | Fri-Sun

New Prospect Theatre
You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown (theatre) | Fri-Sun

Corner Taphouse
Southside Comedy Hour (comedy) | Fri

iDiOM Theater
Serial Killers (theatre) | Sat

Mount Baker Theatre
Stop Making Sense (film) | Sat

Pickford Film Center
Desert Angel (film) | Sat

Odd Fellows Temple Room
Bang Bang Burlesque x Cabaret Atelier (cabaret) | Sun

The Upfront Theatre
Various performances

PARTICIPATORY DANCE

Salsa & Bachata - Viking Union - Mon 7 pm
Bellingham Embodiment Collective - Majestic Ballroom - Mon 6:30 pm
Contact Improv - Aikido Peace Education Center - Mon 7 pm
Beginning Cuban Salsa - Cof& - Tues 6 pm
B’ham Hop - Crystal Ballroom - Tues 8 pm
Taster Tuesdays (hip hop) - Lost Giants Cider Co - Tues 6 pm
Int. Cuban Salsa - Cof& - Tues 7:15 pm
Tango Practica - The Majestic - Wed 6:30 pm
Country Night - Stemma West - Wed 6 pm
Flow Fusion - Karate Church - Thurs 7 pm
Line Dancing - Bar 211 - Fri 8 pm
Sunset Silent Disco - Zuanich - Sat 4:00 pm
Salsa Collective - The Majestic - Sun 5:30 pm

Events & Nightlife

Spinning Into The Night

FEATURED

Andy Bunn brings his finely honed blend of country, bluegrass, and storytelling to the Admiralty Lounge on Tuesday, January 13, from 7 to 9 pm. Known for his work with the High Mountain String Band and his solo album Hickory, Bunn crafts songs rooted in family, place, and time.

Mount Baker Theatre presents Tina – The Tina Turner Musical tomorrow, January 13, at 7:30 pm. This Broadway sensation traces Turner’s remarkable rise from humble beginnings to the global stage, set to her most beloved hits and choreographed with electrifying energy. Written by Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright Katori Hall, the production captures the fire, soul, and unshakable spirit that made Tina Turner one of the most dynamic performers in music history. Tickets.

Kulshan Brewing’s Sunnyland Taproom hosts Pour It Forward tomorrow, January 13, from 11 am to 9 pm, benefitting the Whatcom Community Foundation’s Resilience Fund. The fund provides rapid emergency assistance—money, food, and shelter—to neighbors facing unexpected crises, from floods to natural disasters. Ten percent of all sales go directly toward local relief and recovery efforts.

MONDAY

An Evening of Mindfulness with Tim Burnett, Village Books in Fairhaven – Founder and senior teacher of Mindfulness Northwest, leads an evening exploration of how mindful awareness can enhance well-being, reduce stress, and strengthen compassion. The free event begins at 6:00 pm; registration is recommended.

Community Puzzle Day, Stones Throw Brewery – A weekly gathering where visitors collaborate on a shared puzzle in the taproom, with hidden prizes and plenty of conversation along the way. Stop in anytime between 12:00 and 9:00 pm to add a piece, enjoy a beer, and see the picture come together.

Monday Music & Trivia →

TUESDAY

Tuesday Trivia, AB Crepes – A weekly trivia night hosted by the AB Crepes crew, featuring changing themes, fun prizes, and plenty of friendly competition. Games run from 7:00 to 10:00 pm.

Tuesday Music & Trivia →

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