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

I’ve been fighting off a bug all week, and the last few days it took me down. 🤒 As such, I’m behind on responding to emails. If you sent me an email, please know that I'll be in touch as soon as I’m back on my feet.

Have fun, and stay safe out there!

~ Evan

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

Across the Pacific Northwest, Indigenous communities have created museums to house cultural belongings returned through decades of advocacy and federal legislation. In this three-session course, educator and anthropologist Kathy Kuba explores how Indigenous people tell their stories in their own words—stories of people whose cultures were slated for extermination.

Through photos, historical context, and regional examples from Washington and British Columbia, participants will examine colonial collecting practices, contemporary repatriation efforts, and the role these museums play today.

The new Sunset Pond Loop Trail officially opens today, February 27 at 3 pm with a ribbon-cutting and community walk around the pond. Decades ago, as a wayward high school student looking for a place to cast a bobber, I found Sunset Pond to hold an equal ratio of abandoned shopping carts to frogs. So it’s striking how beautifully the city has transformed this flooded quarry nestled against one of Bellingham’s busiest commercial districts.

The project includes two elevated boardwalks, 279 feet and 179 feet long, built to protect sensitive wetland areas while allowing close views of the pond. It also features the first two locally fabricated steel bridges in the city’s park system, including one nearly 100 feet long. The loop connects the King Mountain, Meridian, and Irongate neighborhoods to the Squalicum Creek Trail and provides a safer route toward Barkley Village, Sunset Square, and existing east-west trail corridors.

The ribbon cutting will take place along the loop at the trail connection from Iron Gate Road. Parking is available at the James Street entrance or along Iron Gate, with the latter offering the shortest walk to the ceremony.

Runner Alert: Two runs this weekend offer a way to stay active during this stretch of unseasonably mild weather. On Saturday morning, the Love. Move. Cordata. 5K and 1 Mile Run begins at Cordata Elementary School, with routes looping through nearby streets and the trails at Cordata Park. Registration and bib pickup start at 8:15 am, the 1 mile begins at 9:00, and the 5K follows at 9:10. The event is organized by the Cordata Elementary PTO, with proceeds supporting classrooms and school programs.

On Sunday at 10:00 am, the Padden Mudfest returns to the trails above Lake Padden Park with 5K and 10K options. The courses wind along the upper horse trails, with steep climbs, roots, rocks, and, if conditions cooperate, plenty of mud, before finishing along the lakeshore. Both races start near the playground at the east end of the lake. Bib pickup is available Saturday afternoon at Backcountry Essentials or Sunday morning beginning at 8:30 am near the start.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Saturday
Hundred Acre Wood: Join the Bellingham Parks Department and Whatcom Land Trust for National Invasive Species Awareness Week as they restore wildlife habitat and protect wetlands in this serene forest on the south side of Bellingham. Register
North Fork Nooksack River: Join Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association along the North Fork Nooksack River as they return to a property to continue cutting back Himalayan blackberry and replacing it with native trees and shrubs. Register

Sunday
NSEA Native Plant Nursery: Help Whatcom Million Trees Project get a shipment of bare-root native tree seedlings and plugs safely into pots, so they can survive and grow until it’s time to plant them in their permanent home somewhere in Whatcom County. Register

Sink into bodywork that is therapeutic and deeply restorative. Each session is guided by careful attention to your body’s unique patterns, using intentional techniques to soften restricted fascia and restore natural movement. Inspired by the rhythm of water, the massage moves in waves, inviting your nervous system to settle, your breath to ease, and your body to return to a state of calm.

Sylvie’s style blends Swedish and deep tissue massage with influences from Chinese medicine, myofascial release, and craniosacral therapy. Learn more at sylviekaulanderson.com

Spring Special (March–April):
🌊Receive $25 off your session when you mention The Hamster Wheel
🌊Or, refer a friend and you’ll both receive $25 off your next massage.

4126 Caron Road, Deming (Open Sun 11-2 pm)
You’ll have to take a look at the photos to get a feel for the warm, PNW vibe both inside and outside this home. Plus, it’s in the sweet neighborhood you find if you turn west onto Potter at the old Everybody's Store, and follow it past the bridge. Listing.

18928 Bow Hill Road, Burlington (Open Sat 12-3 pm)
I don’t often look this far south, but this is such an interestingly designed home. It’s down off Bow Hill Road just east of the freeway. For a home with such a low profile from the exterior, the interior looks surprisingly airy and open. Listing

Larrabee Lager Co
Laughs at Larrabee (comedy) | Fri 8:00 pm

Lynden High School
The Prince of Egypt (theater) | Fri-Sun

New Prospect Theatre
Vox & Friends: Uncorked (cabaret) | Fri-Sun

Bellingham High School
Sister Act (theater) | Fri-Sat

Wink Wink
Love Sucks: A Vampire Valentine's Day Revue (theater) | Fri-Sat

Blaine Community Theater
Closer to Home Tickets (theater) | Fri-Sun

Mount Baker Theatre
The Dance Studio Winter Showcase (dance) | Sat

Silver Reef
3 Sisters Comedy (comedy) | Sat

iDiOM Theater
The Plague (theater) | Fri-Sat

The Upfront Theatre
Various performances

Hip Hop, House, Shuffle - Lost Giants Cider - Fri 6 pm
Dance Fusion - BSAC - Sat 10:30 am
Contra - Fairhaven Library - Sat 7 pm
Salsa Collective - The Majestic - Sun 5:30 pm

Jeffrey Lewis and The Voltage perform at Western’s Old Main Theatre on Saturday, February 28, with doors at 7 pm and opening set by Scarves. Lewis is a longtime figure in New York City’s anti folk scene, known for combining songwriting with hand drawn visual art and a conversational stage presence. Earlier that afternoon, a free 5 pm screening of Roll Bus Roll, a documentary following Lewis on tour and tracing the anti-folk movement, will be shown in VU 552. Tickets.

Tonight at 8 pm, Dolly Night brings karaoke and a Dolly Parton look alike contest to The Bourbon Restaurant and Lounge in Everson. Inspired by the Dolly-themed contest in Urban Cowboy, look for sing along country favorites and a playful costume competition.

Gabriel’s Art Kids hosts Art in the Dark tonight and tomorrow, February 27 and 28 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm, inviting families to experiment with glow paint and black light creativity. The studio will be divided into three spaces, including a neon painting area, a dance floor with family friendly music, and a craft station for glow in the dark projects. Register.

WSU Whatcom County Extension’s Gardening Green Courses begin this Saturday, February 28, with live classes in Sudden Valley and Birch Bay, offering a structured five week program on sustainable landscaping. Instructor Cheryl Lovato Niles guides participants through soil testing, water wise design, plant selection, and practical strategies to reduce fertilizer and pesticide use. Register.

Sleepy Alligators, Corner Taphouse – A 7 pm performance with two sets, acoustic and electric, from Sleepy Alligators, with no cover charge.

Jeffrey Slough and Friends, Stones Throw Brewery – Live music from 6 to 8 pm featuring original songs and interpretations of familiar classics led by singer-songwriter Jeffrey Slough.

Friday Music & Trivia →

West African Dance Class, Karate Church – A 3 to 5 pm class with live drumming led by dancers and drummers from Seattle’s One World Dance and Drum. Register.

Clothing Swap, Ferndale Library – A 12 to 4 pm community clothing exchange hosted by the Ferndale Library and Whatcom County Library System, inviting all ages to bring clean, gently used items and take home clothing and accessories free of charge.

Ultimate Frisbee Youth Try-It-Out Days, Battersby Field – A free two-hour youth clinic from 11 am to 1 pm designed for beginners and returning players, offering skill-building activities and a chance for new and experienced participants to learn together.

Distiller’s Dinner, Chuckanut Bay Distillery – From 6 to 8 pm, a multi course dinner pairing seasonal dishes with mini cocktails and a guided tasting led by the distillery team, including a first sampling of a Syrah barrel finished bourbon. Details.

Saturday Music & Trivia →

Trivia Night, Red Rum Tiki Bar – Weekly trivia from 6 to 9 pm with a $2 entry fee and cash prizes for top teams.

Sunday Night Trivia, Stemma OG – A 5:30 to 7:30 pm trivia night with $2 per person entry, teams of up to four, and prizes that include a cash pool and bar rewards.

Sunday Music & Trivia →

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