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

Last night, a pair of exceptionally vocal owls hopscotched their way through the Columbia neighborhood. It was quite the symphony of hoots and calls! 🦉 Last I heard, they were announcing their arrival at Lorraine Ellis Park. I hope they return for an encore tonight!

Have fun, and stay safe out there!

Nature, Community, Sasquatch, UAP

Photos From the Hoods

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Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association

Salmon Sunset Soirée

Saturday, October 11th

Raise a glass to healthy watersheds and thriving salmon! You're invited to a joyful evening of community, connection, and conservation at NSEA’s Annual Gala Cocktail Party. This highly anticipated event brings together supporters, friends, and local leaders who are passionate about protecting Whatcom County’s natural legacy.

Whether you’re a longtime supporter or new to our mission, this is your chance to celebrate the impact we've made together—and fuel the work still to come. Every dollar raised supports salmon habitat restoration, environmental education, and community outreach programs across our region.

Weather Forecast

Wednesday: 71°F 🌡️ 52°F | ☀️ Sunny | 🌧️ 1% | 💨 NNW 1 to 6 mph

Thursday: 65°F 🌡️ 51°F | 🌤️ Mostly Sunny | 🌧️ 23% | 💨 SW 1 to 7 mph

Moon Phases

Events, Updates & News Around Town

Get off the Hamster Wheel

Call of the Orcas

Jessica Plumb 👇️, an award-winning filmmaker who calls the Olympic Peninsula home will be in Bellingham tomorrow, September 25th, for a screening of her three latest films focused on two iconic, threatened species of the Pacific Northwest: The southern Resident Orcas, and the Chinook Salmon they need for survival.

Hosted by Western Washington University's Salish Sea Institute, Whatcom Community College, and Whatcom Watersheds Information Network, the 5:30 pm screening in the WCC Pavilion, room 201, will be followed by a conversation and Q&A with the Filmmaker.

The films are:

• Call of the Orcas: exploring the efforts to save the endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales in the Pacific Northwest.

• Managed to Extinction: exploring the interconnected crisis of Southern Resident orcas and their essential Chinook salmon prey in the Salish Sea.

• Shared Waters, Shared Crisis: exploring the interconnected ecosystems of the Salish Sea and the joint extinction threat faced by Southern Resident killer whales and Chinook salmon.

In other news…

🧒 Bellingham Parks and Rec posted an update earlier this week that progress is being made on the new playground at Bloedel Donovan Park. It’s looking awesome!

With a completion date planned for late October, “the equipment features a total of 43 play features, of which 11 elevated features are ramp accessible to wheelchairs, 3 are accessible from transfer station, and 25 features are ground based. New playground components include climbing, sliding, swinging, traversing, and imagination play.”

📚️ Fellow book lovers alert!! The fall Friends of the Bellingham Public Library Book Sale starts tomorrow, September 25th, and runs through Saturday.

Most books are $2, with all genres available. Books are full price Thursday and Friday, then half-price on Saturday through 1 pm, and $5/bag on after that. The sale it in its normal location in the Central Library Lecture Room across from the children’s section downtown. Doors open at 10 am each day. 

⛏️ Volunteer Opportunities: There’s one outdoor work party this week.

• Lakeway Community Garden: Join the Bellingham Parks Community Gardens program in tending to community spaces at Lakeway Garden in preparation for fall. All ages and abilities welcome. Participants under age 16 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Tools, gloves, and instructions are provided. Register to participate.

Food & Drink

Hamsters Gotta Eat

Performance Arts This Week

Dance of The Hamsters

LIVE ARTS & FILM

New Prospect Theatre
Molly’s Comedy Cabaret | Wed

iDiOM Theater
No Man's Land | Thurs, Fri, Sat

Bellingham Theatre Guild
The Play That Goes Wrong | Thurs, Fri, Sat, Sun

New Prospect Theatre
The Shark Is Broken | Fri, Sat, Sun

The Claire
Matilda, The Musical | Thurs, Fri, Sat, Sun

The Upfront Theatre
Various performances.

PARTICIPATORY DANCE

Tango Practica - The Majestic - Wed 6:30 pm
Flow Fusion - Karate Church - Thurs 7 pm
Dance Fusion - Senior Activity Center - Sat 10:30 am
Contra - Fairhaven Library - Sat 6 pm
Salsa Collective - The Majestic - Sun 5:30 pm
Open Floor Movement - Presence Studio - Sun 10:30 am

Events & Nightlife

Spinning Into The Night

Feature an Event. Reach out.

FEATURED

Eight Bells was forged in 2010 in Portland, Oregon by guitarist and singer Melynda Jackson as a collaborative genre-bending metal songwriting project. A continuation of her previous dark psych project Subarachnoid Space. Eight Bells will play tomorrow night, September 25th, alongside Old World Astronaut, and Kyn at the Shakedown. Tickets.

Make it an outing, and head up to the Blaine Library tomorrow, September 25th, during open hours (10 am to 8 pm) for the latest exhibit in the Summer Exhibition of local artists. This installment hosts Maria Monks and Jim Agnello.

Maria Monks began her journey to becoming a painter later in life. She studied under many notable artists in a variety of different locations, plus participated in multiple workshops with other fine artists. She is currently incorporating soft oil techniques into her growing palette of skills.

Jim Agnello is a dedicated artist who has resided in Blaine for 40 years. After a severe stroke left him unable to use his right hand, he began drawing with his non-dominant hand. Since then, he continues to create art daily.

You may know Robin Wallbridge and Kent Rogers from bandZandt or bandZandt Combo, but as a duet, they are Meinhardt Merry. They love to play music together and have a new album called Life, full of original songs and surprises. Catch them tonight, from 6 to 8 pm, at Stones Throw in Fairhaven.

WEDNESDAY

Western Wednesday, Red Square to Depot Market Square - Join thousands of Western Students in this annual tradition by walking the 20 minutes from WWU’s Red Square to Downtown Bellingham’s Depot Market Square. Once there, the downtown community will be ready to greet you with entertainment, music, food and more. 4:30 pm to 9:00 pm.

Blue Drinks, Community Boating Center - Blue Drinks is a networking meet up, hosted by the Working Waterfront Coalition of Whatcom County, for anyone interested in our waterfronts. Join the community in learning about waterfront news, stories, updates and more. There will typically be a short presentation on a waterfront topic followed by an open time to connect, learn and share about our shores and waterfronts. Learn more and register.

Wednesday Music & Trivia →

THURSDAY

The Final Happy Hour BBQ, Boundary Bay Brewery - One last hurrah! Look forward to beer, food, music, and trivia, keeping the good vibes going with a free and family-friendly event! Doors open at 4 pm, with music from Robert Sarazin Blake and a range of different musical guests playing from 5 to 7:30 pm.

Boost Biodiversity in Your Garden with Insect-Friendly Habitat, Whatcom Museum - In Amy Campion’s engaging and informative talk, you'll learn about keystone plants, the fascinating creatures that show up when you welcome them in, and the importance of your garden’s habitat. She will give detailed information about eight simple steps that you can take to increase biodiversity and create a more insect-friendly habitat in your garden. Buzz over to grab a ticket.

Thursday Music & Trivia →

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Hakuna matata

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Have a great Wednesday!!