🐹 At The Beach 🏖️🏖️

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

Have fun, and stay safe out there!

~ Evan

Puzzlers: A new game section is in the works. The first games are three daily Sudoku puzzles that range from easy to hard. I’m still debugging the solver-based difficulty validation and I need your feedback. Try solving a Sudoku and let me know how it goes.

Or, hit reply to send me photos via email. 📧

This weekend Bellingham hosts the 2026 Youth PRIDE Parade and Festival, an opportunity for LGBTQIA+ youth and youth allies to walk together through a short, one-mile parade route while the community stands along the sidelines and cheers them on.

This year, the parade starts, and ends, at the intersection of Halleck and Cornwall Ave across from Bellingham High School. The route follows Cornwall to Flora, then returns to Halleck by way of Commercial and Young St. 👇 There are tons of sidewalks along the route for parking and viewing but with an estimated 1,500+ attendees expected you’ll want to give yourself time to find the perfect spot.

The parade runs from 11:00 am until 11:30, followed by a festival in the parking lot at Bellingham High School that lasts until 2:00 pm. The festival will include tables for community organizations to share resources, music and performances, a makerspace, a youth art market, and food trucks for lunch.

If you're looking for something to do with the kids this Saturday, or an excuse to spend a few hours wandering the shoreline, Birch Bay’s annual Day at the Beach runs from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, with guided intertidal walks, beach naturalists, hands-on activities, and booths hosted by local environmental organizations.

The event is free, and it’s being held on the stretch of beach across from the BP Heron Center in Birch Bay State Park. It’s a chance to explore tide pools, learn about local marine life, and spend some time basking in the sun on one of our prettiest (and most accessible) beaches.

Local Journalism News: On Wednesday, Cascadia Daily News executive editor Ron Judd announced over Facebook that he is “no longer Executive Editor [at CDN] as of today,” due to “irreconcilable differences with ownership.” Ron heaped praise on the paper’s news team, which he described as “one of the best in America — something recognized by our peers in various contests and other means.”

Later in the day, Cascadia Daily News published an article confirming this change, and attributing it to disagreements over the direction of the company’s newly launched quarterly magazine, Cascadia Daily Life. The article, written by Murrow Fellow Sophia Gates under what the paper described as “unique circumstances,” also included comments from newsroom leadership describing the dismissal as “shocking and sudden.”

Without Ron’s leadership at what is now, if we’re being honest about it, the only substantive newspaper in Bellingham, our local news landscape would be much poorer. Ron leaves very big shoes to fill.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Friday
Baker Lake: Join the Whatcom Trails Association for annual maintenance and fun projects on the east bank of Baker Lake. You'll stay in a tree-lined campsite, wake up to views of Mount Baker, the sound of cascading water, and loons calling across the glacier-fed lake water. Register

Saturday
Sehome Hill Arboretum: Join the city, WWU E.R.C., & WWU L.E.A.D. to kick off the Arboretum Day 2026 celebration by removing invasive species at a trail entrance near the southern entrance of the Sehome Arb at Western Washington University. Register

Sunday
South Bay Trail: Join Whatcom Million Trees Project for this student-led project for the L.E.A.D. (Learning, Environment, Action, Discovery) seminar at WWU, in removing ivy at South Bay Trail. Register

Smith Rd between the Guide and Northwest (Sat 8 am)
So much treasure at this one! Piles of vinyl records, archery and fishing gear, collectibles, clothing, and tools. And that’s just what I see in the photos.

1152 Ellis Street (Open Sat 11-1 pm)
June and I were noticing this cute row of historic homes on Ellis on the way home from our last Boomers run. This one is really sweet. It looks well-maintained, with some original fir floors that would sparkle with a little attention. Plus, check out the size of that monkey-puzzle tree in the front! 🐵 Listing

1237 Ginger Place (Open Sun 10-1 pm)
I can’t remember the last time I saw a near-town listing for below $300K that wasn’t a full gut and reno. This is a sweet opportunity for someone. It’s a clean-looking manufactured home on an acre just a few miles from town. Lots of light, a big outbuilding, and tons of parking! 🚐 Listing

Bellingham Waterfront
Shoestring Circus (circus) | Fri-Sun

New Prospect Theatre
The Problem Party (theatre) | Sat, Sun

The Upfront Theatre
Various performances

Contra - Fairhaven Library - Sat 7 pm
Sunset Silent Disco - Zuanich - Sat 7:30 pm
Salsa Collective - The Majestic - Sun 5:30 pm
Belly Dance - Karate Church - Sun 1 pm
Open Floor Conscious Dance - Bellingham Fitness - Sunday 10:30 am

The Jansen Art Center’s Schimmel Showcase series continues this morning, May 29 at 11 am, with a performance by Milica Jovanović & Daughters in the Chamber Hall. The morning concert highlights the center’s Schimmel grand piano, an instrument known for its resonant sound. Coffee, tea, and pastries will be available, and donations are welcome for the one-hour recital in downtown Lynden.

The Van Zandt Community Hall marks its grand opening this Saturday, May 30, with an evening of live music from Robert Sarazin Blake and the High, Wide & Handsome Band. The event begins with a community potluck at 6 pm, with music following later in the evening at the historic hall.

View many of the 75,000 specimens that make up the largest public insect collection in Western Washington! The WWU Department of Biology and WWU Entomology Club are hosting an Insect Collection Open House on Saturday from 1-4 pm. This event is free, family-friendly, and open to the public. Murder hornets included!

The Bellingham Symphony Orchestra presents Fireworks: An American Celebration on Sunday, May 31, at the Mount Baker Theatre. Look forward to Jessie Montgomery’s Hymn for Everyone alongside Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story and Brahms’ Double Concerto in A minor. Tickets

The New Prospect Theater hosts An Evening with MaSango tonight, May 29 at 7:30 pm. Featuring Zimbabwean musician and producer Zivanai Masango alongside vocalist and storyteller Helen, the performance blends traditional Southern African music with contemporary songwriting. Tickets

Birds of a Feather Bash, Bellingham Cruise Terminal – A fundraiser from 6 to 8:30 pm benefiting Wild Whatcom features music, dancing beneath a giant goose disco ball, food from Frelard Tamales, avian activities, a silent auction, and optional bird-inspired attire. Tickets

Author and Screenwriter Howard Rodman, Village Books – The Los Angeles novelist, screenwriter, and former Writers Guild of America West president appears at 6 pm to discuss new editions of his novels Destiny Express and The Great Eastern, drawing on a career that spans fiction, film, television, and screenwriting education. Reserve a seat

ReMade Opening Reception – WWU Industrial Design, Ideal – From 6 to 9 pm, Western Washington University industrial design students present limited-run consumer products created from salvaged materials, with the opening reception offering a first look at the annual ReMade project and the opportunity to meet the designers behind the work.

Friday Music & Trivia →

Money Stories: Coping Skills to Manage Financial Stress, Whatcom Dream Conference Room – A workshop from 10 am to noon with financial therapist Susan Fee explores the emotional side of money management through coping strategies, stress interruption techniques, and discussions around financial decision-making and healthy thought patterns. All donations benefit local nonprofit Whatcom Dream. Register

Finding Yourself in Art, The Lightcatcher – A free creative writing workshop from 11 am to 12 pm with author Tara Campbell invites you to explore selected works from the exhibition Personal to Political: Celebrating the African American Artists of Paulson Fontaine Press through guided observation and poetry-inspired writing exercises. Register

Race to Alaska 2026 Meet the Fleet Dock Party, Squalicum Harbor – From 4 to 7 pm at Guest Dock Gate 3, attendees can tour boats competing in this year’s Race to Alaska, meet the crews, and learn more about the human-powered and wind-powered adventure race.

Northwest Motorcycle Classic 2026: Art of the Motorcycle, NW Washington Fair – From 10 am to 3 pm, the Washington Vintage Motorcyclists present an indoor and outdoor showcase of vintage cruisers, café racers, superbikes, and motocross machines, and a swap meet benefiting local animal rescue services.

Bellingham Roller Betties Roller Derby Bout, Lynden Skateway – From 5 to 9:30 pm, the Bellingham Roller Betties host their season championship featuring a matchup between West Sound Roller Derby and a home team, followed by the final bout to determine whether F.L.A.S.H, Cogblockers, or Tough Love takes the season 18 title.

Whatcom Craft and Flea, Rome Grange – A community market from 10 am to 5 pm featuring handmade goods, secondhand art supplies, vintage finds, and small local vendors brings together artists, makers, and sustainable shopping under one roof.

Saturday Music & Trivia →

The Not Creepy Gathering, WinkWink Boutique – A structured social event from 6 to 8 pm focuses on conversation and community connection outside of dating apps and bar scenes, welcoming adults of all ages and orientations for an evening centered on curiosity, openness, and meeting new people. Tickets

RAD Bites Festival, Railroad Avenue District – A self-guided food and drink tour from 12 to 4 pm features small bites from more than a dozen downtown restaurants, with participating spots including Fiamma Pizza, The Horseshoe, Mallard Ice Cream, Gruff Brewing, and Sweet As Waffles offering special tastings throughout the afternoon. Details

The Bellingham Fix It Fair, Kulshan Roosevelt Taproom (K2) – A free community repair event from 12 to 3 pm offers clothing mending, small appliance repair, knife sharpening, jewelry repair, shoe polishing, and other volunteer-run services, with donations accepted for repairs.

Sunday Music & Trivia →

Advertise in Bham’s #1 Newsletter
Email me to include a note in The Wheel

Thanks for reading today’s edition. If you found something helpful, please share it with a friend and encourage them to click here to subscribe. 🙏

Reply to this email if you have news to share, an event you’d like me to know about, or to send me a love note. 💘