🐹 Cranksgiving 🦃🦃

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

Garage sales have diminished and holiday markets are ramping up. The Holiday Markets & Bazaar section is back. Be sure to shoot me a note if your church, business, or nonprofit is hosting a holiday-themed community market.

Have fun, and stay safe out there!

~ Evan

Nature, Community, Sasquatch, UAP

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Moon Phases

Events, Updates & News Around Town

Get off the Hamster Wheel

Salish Sea Poetry Festival

Today marks the start of the inaugural Salish Sea Poetry Festival, a celebration of words and creativity, mostly in downtown Bellingham, that runs through Sunday. The festival features readings, workshops, poetry walks, film screenings, and a poetry slam with some of the Pacific Northwest’s most celebrated poets and spoken word artists.

Events are taking place in a variety of local venues, from the Whatcom Museum and Bellingham Public Library to downtown haunts like the Brandywine, Structures, and UpFront Theatre. Highlights include a poetry crawl through downtown (tonight), hands-on writing and collage workshops (Saturday), and a performance by Washington State Poet Laureate Derek Sheffield (also Saturday).

Between events, bop down to Village Books in Fairhaven, where works by participating poets will be featured, or stop by nearby cafés and breweries for poetry-inspired menus. Find the full list of participating venues and the event guide.

The Port of Bellingham announced this week that dredging is complete at the I&J Waterway site that sits adjacent to the U.S. Coast Guard Station and Bornstein Seafoods. If you’re a harbor trail walker like me, you’ll recognize this project by the large American Construction crane visible after you hook around the south end of the Bellwether (also visible in the photo below) 👇️ .

The I&J Waterway has a long history of industrial use, with past mill and processing operations leaving behind contaminated sediment that required extensive remediation. Next, crews will move on to installing new piles and building a replacement dock as part of the final phase of construction, with the project expected to wrap up by February 2026. The cleanup is part of the broader Bellingham Bay Action Team initiative, a multi-agency effort led by the Department of Ecology to restore and protect the health of the bay.

Kulshan Community Land Trust (Kulshan CLT) invites the community to an in-person class on Saturday titled Affordable Homeownership in Bellingham, which will focus on better understanding shared equity homeownership. During this session, Kulshan CLT staff will explain how their model works, who qualifies for their affordable homeownership program, and how to apply.

Founded in 1999, Kulshan CLT is a nonprofit community land trust that makes homeownership permanently affordable by separating the ownership of land and home. You own the house, while the land remains in trust to ensure lasting affordability for future buyers.

The class runs from 2 to 4 pm in the SkillShare Space at the Bellingham Central Library. Details.

Volunteer Opportunities This Week:

• Friday - Saxon Riparian Corridor: Join Whatcom Land Trust (WLT) in planting native trees and shrubs to improve habitat that benefits salmon, birds, and other native wildlife. Register

• Saturday - Kendall Creek: Join NSEA convert a portion of Kendall Creek from lawn to riparian forest. Help increase the riparian buffer along Kendall Creek which supports all Pacific salmonid species and builds upon the benefits created by other nearby restoration projects. Register

• Saturday - Rutsatz Salmon Reserve: Help WLT prepare the Rutsatz Salmon Reserve to thrive through the wet winter. Plant native trees and shrubs to restore habitat and remove invasive blackberry that has started to overtake earlier plantings. Register.

• Saturday - Sehome Arboretum: Help City of Bellingham restore the southern entrance of the Sehome Arb near Western where they will be focusing on pollinator-friendly native plants near the new House of Healing. Register.

• Saturday - Whatcom Creek: Join NSEA for a salmon spotting event at Maritime Heritage Park from noon to 3 pm. Info

Holiday Markets & Bazaar

Fruitcake For Hamsters ✊

Trinkets & Treasures Craft Fair, Ferndale High School (Sat 9-4)
80+ vendors & artisans, food trucks and live holiday music by FHS Band, FREE Admission.

Bake Sale & Treasure Hunt, Saint Sophia Greek Orthodox Church (Sat 11-5)
Baked goodies and gently-used thrift items.

Holiday Art Tour, Lummi Island (Sat, Sun 8-5)
More than 14 artists and craftspeople are offering their work at 7 locations around the island. Enjoy paintings, drawings, prints, notecards, jewelry, photography, sculpture, glass, woodwork, pottery, metalwork, stonework, quilts, clothing, knitwear, and more. Get the map.

Annual Holiday Bazaar, Bellingham Covenant Church (Sat 9-4)
Over 50 local vendors offering a wide variety of handmade items. Free entry and parking.

All Things Holiday Pop Up, 7989 Trapline Rd, Everson (Fri, Sat 10-3)
Shop racks full of beautiful holiday décor.

Holiday Open House, Haven + May (Sat 11-5)
Shop festive arrivals, sip something warm, and soak up all the cozy holiday magic at Haven + May.

Food & Drink

Hamsters Gotta Eat

Because it’s fun to be a lookie-loo

Crash an Open House

2602 Woburn Street (Open Fri 3-6; Sat, Sun 1-3)
Here’s a first. I typically yawn when I look at newly built homes. The designs are boring, the finishes are all the same. But this 2000 square foot home has it’s own fun and funky character. A little modern, a little western, a little mid-century, with a splash of PNW rustic. Listing.

1027 21st Street (Open Fri 12-4 pm)
Here’s another lovely example of an early southside home. It was built in 1900, but someone has done a lovely job modernizing it without loosing it’s historic character. It’s quaint and green from the street, but the inside photos pop with a modern white on white design. Love it! Listing.

Performance Arts This Week

Dance of The Hamsters

LIVE ARTS & FILM

iDiOM Theater
Twelfth Night | Thurs-Sat

New Prospect Theatre
Phoebe in Winter | Thurs & Sun

BAAY Theatre
Ferdinand and the French Fry Factory | Fri, Sat

The Upfront Theatre
Various performances

PARTICIPATORY DANCE

Dance Fusion - Senior Activity Center - Sat 10:30 am
Contra - Christ the King (previously Norway Hall) - Sat 7 pm
Sunset Silent Disco - Zuanich - Sat 4:00 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

The award-winning Formosa Quartet performs a free concert at Western Washington University’s Performing Arts Center Concert Hall on Sunday, November 9, at 3 pm. Known for their “spellbinding” performances and innovative approach to chamber music, the ensemble of Jasmine Lin, David Bernat, Matthew Cohen, and Deborah Pae, brings a program featuring A Quartet of Trees by Angelique Poteat, Britten’s String Quartet No. 1 in D major, and Shostakovich’s String Quartet No. 2 in A minor.

Cranksgiving, starting at Café Velo – Join Pedal Bellingham on Saturday for an alleycat-style charity ride benefiting the Bellingham Food Bank. Riders will bike to local grocery stores, purchase food donations, and finish at Structures Old Town by 4:00 p.m. to turn in receipts for prize drawings.

Celebrate the sounds of soul with the Motown Cruisers at Zeeks Pizza tomorrow, November 8, at 7 pm. Performing together for over 25 years, this high-energy tribute band delivers nonstop hits from legends like The Temptations, Stevie Wonder, Tina Turner, and James Brown. Expect a night of dancing, timeless grooves, and feel-good Motown classics in a lively, all-ages setting.

Step back into the golden age of dance with the Winter Chorus Girl Academy, a four-week class series hosted by The Rhythm Belles beginning this Sunday, November 9, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at 3815 Baker View Spur in Bellingham. Learn original vintage chorus girl choreography to Ella Fitzgerald’s “I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm,” with an optional performance opportunity in December. No prior dance experience is needed.

FRIDAY

K-Pop Glow, Lynden Skateway – A high-energy night of skating to nonstop K-pop hits under neon lights, with free glow necklaces included. 7:00–10:00 pm.

Yogoman Burning Band, Bar 211 – Bellingham’s own high-energy dance band blends soul, reggae, funk, dancehall, dub, and jazz. 9:00 pm start.

First Friday Concert Series with Swil Kanim, Wildflower Funeral Concepts – Enjoy an evening of storytelling and soul-stirring music as violinist and storyteller Swil Kanim relaunches Whatcom County’s beloved First Friday tradition in an intimate, acoustically rich setting. 7:00–8:30 pm, free admission.

Friday Music & Trivia →

SATURDAY

25th Annual Nordic Fest, Ferndale Events Center – Celebrate Scandinavian culture with the Daughters of Norway at this annual festival featuring live entertainment, traditional Nordic baked goods, crafts, gifts, and a Bunad Parade. From 10 am to 4 pm at the Ferndale Events Center.

Special Contra Dance, Christ the King – An evening of live contra dance music with nationally touring duo Countercurrent (Alex Sturbaum and Brian Lindsay) and caller George Marshall from Massachusetts. The night kicks off with a beginner lesson at 7:00 pm followed by dancing until 10:00 pm at Christ the King (formerly Norway Hall).

Ciderfest, Bellewood Farms & Distillery – Celebrate Pacific Northwest cider makers at Bellewood Farms’ annual Ciderfest, featuring tastings from local craft cideries, live bluegrass from Queen’s Bluegrass, food and beer, and Bellewood’s own apple spirits. The event runs from 12–5 pm.

Saturday Music & Trivia →

SUNDAY

Marissa Meyer: The House Saphir, Village Books in Fairhaven – #1 New York Times bestselling author Marissa Meyer at Village Books’ Readings Gallery to celebrate her latest fairytale retelling, The House Saphir, a gothic reimagining of the Bluebeard legend blending romance, mystery, and magic. The event begins at 6:00 p.m. and includes an author talk and book signing. Tickets

Project Santa Claus Cruise, 4255 Meridian St. – The Fourth Corner Elites Car Club hosts the 36th Annual Project Santa Claus Cruise, a car parade benefiting local families in need. Gather near Best Buy around 10 am to decorate your ride in holiday style, then join a police-escorted cruise to the Whatcom County Courthouse for cocoa, cookies, and Christmas cheer. Donations go directly to Project Santa Claus to support kids and families this season.

Sunday Music & Trivia →

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