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

Have fun, and stay safe out there!

~ Evan

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

Broadway is back at Mount Baker Theatre for a Centennial Season filled with unforgettable stories, spectacular music, and plenty of reasons to take your seat in the historic Main Stage.

The six-show lineup brings Waitress, The Wiz, Beetlejuice, Hadestown, Clue, and Shucked to Bellingham from November through April. From Tony Award-winning musicals to laugh-out-loud favorites, this season offers something for longtime theatre lovers and Broadway newcomers alike. Make a night of it and experience the magic of live theatre close to home.

I learned about a new nonprofit this weekend after stumbling across this fabulous photo shared on Facebook. Depicted is the Hillyard Studebaker & Cadillac dealership. 👇 I’m guessing this is circa 1930? My car people will correct me. 😁🚗

You may recognize the location as the modern-day WorkSource building at the corner of Prospect and West Champion. It’s the one across from the always-enticing Seifert & Jones Wine Shop, and kitty-corner from what I still think of as the triangle building, where Faithlife did, and maybe still does, have a headquarters. 👇️ If you look closely at the background of the old photo, you can spot the Lottie Building and a much more sparsely built Lettered Streets neighborhood.

The nonprofit that posted the image is called PNW MOVES, which stands for the Pacific Northwest Museum & Organization for Vehicle Experiences & Stewardship. Someone did some serious head-scratching to come up with that acronym. 😆 The group has a pretty neat idea: create a museum here in Bellingham showcasing the transportation history of the Pacific Northwest, “from hand-carved canoes and mid-century family haulers, to rotating displays featuring the most iconic vehicles of yesterday and tomorrow, to the region’s role in aeronautics, fishing, and global shipping.”

It sounds like the project is still in its early stages, with no name, location, or opening date identified yet. If the idea excites you, founder Brian Corey, a Western Washington University grad and Bellingham business owner, and the organization’s board have several ways to get involved listed on their website.

Election Alert: Bellingham City Club’s third and final election forum is coming up on Oct. 21, and the Port races make this one especially important. Whatcom County voters approved expanding the Port Commission from three members to five last year, so Positions 4 and 5 are brand-new seats and the winners will join the commission shortly after the November election is certified. That means the Port is heading into a genuine governance transition at the same time it is overseeing everything from the airport and working waterfront to reimaging the future of the waterfront redevelopment. Importantly, all Whatcom County voters get to vote in both new Port Commission races in the general election, regardless of which Port district you live in. City Club asks that you reserve tickets by Sunday, Oct. 18.

This year’s Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebration at Lummi Nation School puts young people at the center of the evening. The theme is “Answering the Call of our Ancestors,” with Native youth councils and student speakers from Lummi Nation School, the Nooksack Education Department, Bellingham Public Schools, and Western Washington University reflecting on what earlier generations have passed down and what it means to carry that forward now.

Doors open at 5:30 pm tonight, Oct. 12, with a community dinner catered by Seawolf Surf n Turf, followed by the main program from 6 to 8 pm. Afterward, the evening shifts into singing, dancing, and a Coastal Jam hosted by the Lhaqtemish Singers. The event is free, family-friendly, and open to everyone in Whatcom County.

LOCAL READS

City of Blaine seeks new owner for Plover ferry
By Milo Whitman · The Northern Light
Blaine is seeking a nonprofit to take ownership of the historic Plover ferry after spending about $135,000 to run it for 15 weekends in 2025. Milo reports that rising costs, limited insurance coverage and a tight tourism budget pushed the city toward ending direct operation. Read more →

· · · · · · · · · · · · ·

World Cup’s tourism upsides, of a sort
By Frank Catalano · Franksplaining Business
Whatcom County hotels saw June occupancy fall 4.5% from a year earlier, while July rose 1.3% and average daily rates increased in both months. Frank explains why the expected World Cup lodging surge never arrived and how weaker Canadian travel likely limited any cross-border spillover. Read more →

· · · · · · · · · · · · ·

Everson awarded funds to build flood wall around sewage treatment plant
By Jason Upton & Adam Rideout Redeker · My Bellingham Now
Everson received a $500,000 state grant to design a flood wall around its wastewater treatment plant after December 2025 flooding left the facility completely underwater. Jason and Adam report that the city hopes to finish design work in 2027 and begin bidding construction in 2028. Read more →CIVIC CORNER

Monday
Blaine City Council, 6:00 pm, Council Chambers

Tuesday
Blaine Public Works and Park Advisory Board, 9:00 am, Council Chambers
Whatcom Co. Finance & Admin. Committee, 9:00 am, Meeting - Council Chambers
Whatcom County Council Committee of the Whole, 1:00 pm, Meeting - Council Chambers
Everson-Nooksack Wastewater Steering Committee, 5:00 pm, City Hall
Bham Transportation Commission, 6:00 pm, Pacific Street Operations Center
Whatcom County Council, 6:00 pm, Council Chambers (Hybrid)
Everson City Council, 7:00 pm, City Hall

Wednesday
Greenways Comm. & Parks & Rec. Adv. Board, 7:30 am, PSOC – Pacific Street Ops Center – Room 114
Ferndale City Council Committee, 8:00 am, City Hall
Education Funding Town Hall & Candidate Forum, 5:30 pm, Horizon Middle School
Ferndale Planning Commission, 6:00 pm, City Hall Annex

Thursday
WTA Board Meeting and Board Workshop, 8:00 am, WTA offices
Bham Sehome Hill Arboretum Board of Governors, 4:00 pm, Location TBD
Port of Bham Int. Airport Advisory Committee (BIAAC), 4:00 pm, ARFF Station
Whatcom County Community Conversations Event — District 3, 5:00 pm, Deming Library
Bham Planning Commission, 6:00 pm, City Hall

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Monday
Clayton Beach: Join Salish Sea Alliance at Clayton Beach. You will remove invasive species to prepare the site, then plant native trees as part of the restoration project. Register

Wednesday
Galbraith - Stick (Pig 2): Join Whatcom Mountain Bike Coalition to build and maintain trails. You will help keep the local trail system running. Register

Saturday
Birchwood Park/Squalicum Park: Join Recreation Northwest Trails Coalition and its partners for trail stewardship near Birchwood Park and Squalicum Park. You will help care for the Bay to Baker Trail as part of the fall work parties. Register
Cordata Park: Join Bellingham Parks Volunteer Program at Cordata Park. You will remove invasive plants and plant native trees and shrubs near East Bear Creek to support riparian and meadow restoration and celebrate Orca Recovery Day. Register
Lower Kenny Creek: Join Whatcom Land Trust, Whatcom Conservation District, and Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association to plant native trees and shrubs that build a riparian buffer and support healthy Chinook salmon habitat. You will also mulch the plants and remove invasive species, helping improve conditions for the salmon that Southern Resident orcas depend on. Register

Sunday
Whatcom Humane Society Wildlife Rehab Center: Join Whatcom Million Trees Project to plant trees at the Whatcom Humane Society Wildlife Rehab Center. You will help continue a multi-year reforestation project on a 12-acre former hayfield and plant a future forest. Register

Uisce Irish Pub
Guffawingham w. Andrew Rivers (comedy) | Mon 8:30 pm

Beach Cat South Paw
Adam Tiller (comedy) | Tues 8:30 pm

Rumors Cabaret
Damn Queer Comedy (comedy) | Tues 7:00 pm

Arntzen Hall
Comedians of WWU (comedy) | Wed 7:00 pm

Honey Moon
Opera Night (opera) | Wed 6:30 pm

Lucas Hicks Auditorium
Stand Up for a Cause (comedy) | Thu

Lucas Hicks Auditorium
Laughing Hamster Comedy Festival Finale (comedy) | Sat

Mainstage Theatre, Western Washington University
Masks Play III: Return of the Masks (theatre) | Fri, Sat, Sun

Mount Baker Theatre
Randy Rainbow: National Freakin' Treasure (comedy) | Fri

Mount Baker Theatre
Maria Bamford (comedy) | Sun

Bellingham Circus Guild
Vaudevillingham (circus) | Thu

The Upfront Theatre
Various performances

Salsa & Bachata - Viking Union - Mon 7 pm
Bellingham Embodiment Collective - Majestic Ballroom - Mon 6:30 pm
Country Line Dancing - Corner Taphouse in Fairhaven - Mon 6:30 pm
Contact Improv - Aikido Peace Education Center - Mon, class 5:30, jam 7 pm
Cuban Salsa - Cof& - Tues 6 pm
Taster Tuesdays (hip hop) - Lost Giants Cider Co - Tues 6 pm
Contemporary Dance - Aikido Dojo - 6:30 pm
B’ham Hop Swing - Hotel Leo - Wed 7 pm
Intermediate Hip Hop - Lost Giants - Wed 6 pm
Tango Practica - The Majestic - Wed 6:30 pm
Revolution Fusion - Karate Church - Thurs 7 pm
Dance for people with PD and other neurological conditions - Firehouse Arts Center - Thurs 11 am
Ballroom, Latin and Swing - Cordata Senior Center - Fri 6:30 pm
Foundations: Hip Hop, House, Shuffle - Lost Giants - Fri 5:45 pm
Ballroom, Swing, Latin - The Majestic - Fri 6:30 pm
Square Dance - CTK Downtown (Norway Hall) - Sat 6 pm
Sunset Silent Disco - Zuanich - Sat 5:30 pm
Beginner Ballet - Karate Church - Sat 10 am
Beginner Contemporary - Karate Church - Sat 11:30 am
Dance Fusion - BSAC - 10:30 am
Salsa Collective - The Majestic - Sun 5:30 pm
Open Floor Conscious Dance - Bellingham Fitness - Sun 10:30 am

Bellingham guitarist Sean Hall joins international touring guitarist Calum Graham and local guitarist Jacob Seyer at Beach Cat Southpaw’s Oasis Room tonight, October 14, at 7 pm. The three-guitar bill is built around acoustic playing that pushes past the usual singer-songwriter setup, with each musician bringing a different approach to the instrument.

Hobo West performs at the FireHouse this afternoon, October 12, from 3:30 to 5 pm. The duo pairs Phil Paige on guitar and vocals with Bob Bowne on bass and vocals. They met while spending time in the Palm Springs area, found common ground in their musical tastes, and began performing together around the Coachella Valley. The afternoon show is not ticketed, though cash donations are welcome.

The Admiralty Lounge hosts Russell Thompson tomorrow, October 13, from 7 to 9 pm for an evening of original songs built around personal stories and human connection. Thompson is drawn to songwriters who tell truthful stories with heart and soul, and that same approach shapes his own work.

Colorado five-piece Desiderata comes to The Shakedown tomorrow, October 13, for a 21+ show with Harbor Seal and California Death Worm. Doors open at 7:30 pm, with music at 8. Desiderata’s sound pulls from soul, funk, indie-pop, disco, and rock.

A-Song-A-Week: Songwriting Workshop Series, Fairhaven Amtrak Suite – Songwriter and touring musician Jenner Fox leads a 7 to 9 pm workshop with writing prompts, song analysis, sharing, optional feedback, and plenty of time to work on new material. Register

Movie Trilogy Mondays, Stones Throw Brewery – Free screenings from 7 to 9 pm feature the original Star Wars trilogy on the backyard projector, with all ages and outside food welcome.

Monday Music & Trivia →

Karaoke Night, Schweinhaus Biergarten – Weekly karaoke from 8:30 to 11 pm is hosted by Paige, with sign-ups open to all skill levels.

Fabulous Fall Planting with John Christianson, Squalicum Boathouse – Horticulturist and Christianson’s Nursery co-owner John Christianson shares fall and winter planting advice from 7 to 8:30 pm, with a focus on perennials and shrubs that can establish roots before winter. Tickets

Tuesday Music & Trivia →

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