TOGETHER WITH

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

My daughter and I have a tradition of visiting Boulevard Park for a steamer (coffee for me), on rainy mornings if we have time before work and school. On our latest visit, I was interested to see that construction has begun on the beach to the southwest of the Woods Coffee.

Access was always messy, so that will likely improve, but it was fun to find bricks and debris from the old Fairhaven Hotel washing out of the bank. Apparently it was used for fill when the park was built. 🤷 I’m excited to see what Bellingham Parks will do with this space.

Have fun, and stay safe out there!

~ Evan

Nature, Community, Sasquatch, UAP

Photos From the Hoods

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Moon Phases

Events, Updates & News Around Town

Get off the Hamster Wheel

Dinosaur Kale In The Rain

A note from Chloe Knox, marketing director for the Bellingham Farmers Market, came this week with a friendly reminder that, despite the chill and drizzle of late fall, the market isn’t winding down just yet.

Stalls at Depot Market Square will continue to be loaded with locally grown produce, artisan foods, handmade gifts, and crafts every Saturday through December 20!

Now in its third decade, the Bellingham Farmers Market is home to more than a hundred vendors each Saturday from 10 am to 2 pm, offering everything from root vegetables and wildflower honey to jewelry, ceramics, and fresh pastries. While it’s hard to beat a farmers market for summertime fun, the Bellingham Farmers Market plays a special role through the darker months, connecting neighbors and sustaining our local food economy.

This season, Chloe is asking for volunteers to help help share information with shoppers about the market’s food access programs, which are facing significant funding cuts. These initiatives, including SNAP EBT, Market Match, and the Senior and WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Programs, make it possible for more families to enjoy local, nutritious food. Volunteers are needed for upcoming shifts on December 6, 13, and 20 from noon to 2 pm. If you’re interested connect with Chloe at [email protected].

The history buff in me gets tickled by all the lectures hosted by the Whatcom County Historical Society, but this one sounds especially fascinating. Tomorrow night, November 13, historian and journalist Anna Diehl will lead a presentation titled Early Roads of Whatcom County at the historic Roeder Home. The talk explores the region’s earliest routes and highways, tracing the evolution of travel from the days before Interstate 5, when the Guide Meridian and Chuckanut Drive shaped how communities connected across our region.

Part of the Historical Society’s regular programming, it begin at 7:30 pm and is free to the public with seating for about 50 attendees. If you’re curious about Whatcom County’s past, or who simply enjoy hearing stories rooted in our place, this sounds like a fascinating night of history brought to life.

After the first workshop sold out, the Whatcom Museum is offering a second opportunity to learn from master weaver Lisa Telford in Introduction to Weaving: Cedar Berry Basket Necklaces. Taking place this Saturday, November 15, from 9 am to 4 pm, the one-day class is an opportunity to create a miniature basket necklace using locally harvested red and yellow cedar bark.

Telford, a Gawa Git’ans Git’anee Haida artist with more than 25 years of weaving experience, has exhibited her work across major institutions including the Portland Art Museum and the National Museum of the American Indian. Her pieces, rooted in traditional Haida methods and contemporary expression, are also featured in the Whatcom Museum’s People of the Sea and Cedar exhibition. Workshop registration includes materials and museum admission. Grab a spot before this one sells out.

Local Read: Check out Anna Diehl’s recent article in WhatcomTalk, Everything Must Go! Waxing Nostalgic for Bellingham’s Age of Downtown Department Stores. Diehl revisits the city’s once-bustling retail heart, tracing its evolution from the grandeur of Montague & McHugh in the 1890s to the more familiar Wahl’s, Woolworth’s, and The Bon Marché.

It’s a look at how Bellingham’s department stores represented an era when shopping was as much a social experience as a necessity, complete with tearooms, escalators, and seasonal displays. I love the photos, local history, and architecture. It’s a fascinating read.

⛏️ Volunteer Opportunities This Week:

• Saturday - Cordata Park: Support riparian and meadow restoration efforts at one of Bellingham’s newest and most popular parks! Work with the City, and NSEA to remove invasive plants and planting native trees and shrubs near East Bear Creek. Register to participate.

• Sunday - Whatcom Humane Society’s Wildlife Rehabilitation Center: Help Whatcom Million Trees Project and the Whatcom Humane Society as they continue converting a 12-acre former hayfield into a complex forest of native trees and undergrowth! Noon to 3 pm. Register to participate.

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Food & Drink

Hamsters Gotta Eat

Performance Arts This Week

Dance of The Hamsters

LIVE ARTS & FILM

iDiOM Theater
Twelfth Night | Wed-Sun

New Prospect Theatre
Phoebe in Winter | Thurs-Sun

Mt. Baker Theatre
Warren Miller's Sno-ciety (film) | Fri

The Shakedown
Cvnt Coven: Faerie-Tales (pole dance) | Fri

BAAY Theatre
 Finding Nemo Jr. | Fri-Sun

Bellingham TheatreWorks
Bigfoot | Fri-Sun

FireHouse Arts & Events Center
 A Very Queer Ballet: TRANScendence (dance) | Fri, Sat

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

Bellingham Circus Guild
VAUDEVILLINGHAM | Sat

The Blue Room
Cabaret in the Fog (cabaret) | Sat

FireHouse Arts & Events Center
 Nika And Madison (film) | Sunday

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 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 Nomads are playing at Zeeks tomorrow night, November 13, at 7 pm. They are an instrumental ensemble that play hypnotic grooves, borrowing from Ethiopian jazz and Latin rhythms. This is music for the soul and the feet. John Meloy (saxophone), Mars Lindgren (trombone), Adrian Clarke (guitar), Roger Yamashita (bass), John Butorac & Steve Jones (percussion).

Don’t miss Backcountry Essentials biggest event of the year, its annual Ladies’ Night. It’s an evening of style, laughter, and local connection. From outdoor fashion and raffles to after-hours shopping and good company. Doors open at 6:00 pm, with festivities running until 9:00 pm

The Climbing Film Tour returns for its fifth season, bringing a selection of short adventure films to Bellingham’s American Alpine Institute. This year’s lineup spans stories of grit and wonder, from a 72-year-old Australian climber defying age on a 5.13b route to young athletes redefining what’s possible on rock across Jamaica, Colorado, and Australia. Screening begins tomorrow at 7:00 pm. Tickets

Western Washington University’s Jazz Faculty Recital brings together an exceptional lineup of faculty musicians for an evening artistry. Trombonist Conner Eisenmenger, pianist Cat Toren, and trumpeter Kevin Woods will be joined by bassist Joel Kruzic and drummer Christian Casolary for a dynamic performance in the Performing Arts Center Choir Room (PAC 016). The concert begins at 7:30 pm tonight, November 12, and is free and open to the public.

WEDNESDAY

An Evening of Solo and Chamber Music for Percussion, The Social Lounge at Hotel Leo – The Western Washington University Percussion Ensemble, directed by Patrick Roulet, presents an engaging program of solo and chamber works for marimba, vibraphone, and percussion. Part of the Western Arts Wednesdays series, the free performance begins at 7:00 pm and includes food and drinks available from Amendment 21.

Ballroom Line Dance Event with the Kickers, Chuckanut Bay Distillery – The South Fork Country Kickers lead an evening of line dance lessons for all ages, featuring a mix of styles and steps in the distillery’s upstairs ballroom. Runs 6 to 9 pm, with soft-soled shoes or socks only.

Wednesday Music & Trivia →

THURSDAY

Allen Stone Benefit Concert, The Resilient Project – Soul and R&B artist Allen Stone headlines The Resilient Project’s first annual benefit concert, an evening of powerful music supporting mentorship programs for underserved youth. The performance begins at 7:30 pm, with 100% of proceeds benefiting The Resilient Project’s community initiatives. Tickets

Thursday Music & Trivia →

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