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

Have fun, and stay safe out there!

~ Evan

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

Join Kulshan Community Land Trust, on May 1, for an elegant, immersive evening in support of permanently affordable homeownership in our community. The Magic of Belonging Benefit promises a night of gourmet dining, captivating entertainment, inspiring stories of impact.

In partnership with the community, KulshanCLT is building 26 new homes in 2026, with 46 additional homes beginning in 2027. This evening will celebrate the transformative power of home - and the magic created when people come together in shared purpose.

If you’re a parent, grandparent, or someone with a movie-loving kid in your orbit, this weekend’s Children’s Film Festival at the Pickford Film Center is an opportunity to set aside adulting, and share in the magic of movies on the big screen with your kiddos.

The festival, in its 20th year, features four works for children. Two with shorter runtimes, and two full feature length films.

Running 53 minutes, Little Kid Flicks 👆 is an approachable length for younger audiences, recommended for ages 3 and up. Originating from the New York International Children’s Film Festival, the program brings together eight short animated films from seven countries, with simple, self-contained stories that range from a girl recreating her grandmother’s pancakes to a frog documenting a crocodile who just wants a hug. 🐊

Eh Is For Animation 👆 offers something for slightly older kids, a 62 minute collection of Canadian animated shorts spanning more than six decades. The program mixes styles and eras, with contributions tied to musicians like Oscar Peterson, Neko Case, and the McGarrigle Sisters, giving it a different rhythm than the newer shorts.

The first of the feature-length films is Kensuke's Kingdom 👆. June and I caught the trailer for this one when we hit the Pickford to watch Project Hail Mary on Tuesday. It looks sweet. It’s an animated story about a boy and his dog who survive a shipwreck and wash ashore on a remote island. There, they encounter an elderly Japanese man who has been living in isolation since World War II, and the three slowly learn to coexist as outside threats begin to reach the island.

The weekend wraps with Grow 👇, a family comedy set in a small pumpkin farming town. The story follows a girl with an unusual connection to plants who enters a local growing competition, with help from a reluctant guardian and a cast of competitors who take their pumpkins very seriously.

You can find the list of showtimes and ticket information on the Pickford Film Center website. On Saturday, there is also an ice cream social 🍦 between screenings of Eh Is for Animation and Kensuke’s Kingdom, included with a ticket and served by Crooked Spoon.

Work continues at the site of last week’s rockfall along I-5 northbound between North Lake Samish and Fairhaven. WSDOT reported tree trimming and debris removal during daytime hours on Sunday and Monday, with crews beginning to descale loose rock from the hillside Tuesday into Wednesday.

They shared a photo yesterday that really puts the scale of this slide in perspective. Open the full size version and zoom into the top left corner of the photo to find the two workers belaying down the cliff with compressed air tools. 😬 No timeline has been announced for reopening northbound lanes.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Saturday
Lowell Park: Help the city steward this darling green space near Western Washington University. Get rid of invasive plants, add some native shrubs, and work to keep this park healthy and beautiful. Register

Sunday
Jensen Family Forest: Join the Land Trust and Whatcom Million Trees for a beautiful day at Jensen Family Forest near Custer, Washington, as they plant native trees and shrubs to enhance habitat. Register

Ants aren’t just a nuisance. In the Pacific Northwest, carpenter ants can tunnel through wood and cause real structural damage, while other species quickly spread through kitchens and living spaces. The key isn’t spraying what you see. It’s eliminating the colony at the source.

G Green Inc. Pest and Wildlife Management takes a strategic, full-system approach. Each treatment is tailored to the species, the nesting location, and the conditions attracting them, including hidden moisture issues that often go unnoticed. The goal is simple: stop the infestation completely and prevent it from coming back.

Call or text (360) 389-3599
to schedule an Inspection

3067 E Smith Road (Open Sat 12-2 pm)
This is a really interesting home. Despite its rural location, the aesthetic is modern with a mix of exterior cladding and rear sloping rooflines. Even more interesting to me is the use of fir ply for the cabinets and built-ins. It keeps the space bright and avoids the generic honey oak-vibe that so many PNW kitchens have. I like it. Listing

8112 Birch Bay Drive #18, Blaine (Open Sun 1:30-3:30 pm)
Here’s a fun one. It’s cute, it’s red, it squeezes two beds and a bath into a 750 square foot cottage, and it’s just a few steps from the wide open beaches of Birch Bay. Plus the complex has a pool. 🏊‍♀ Listing

The Claire Theatre
The Play That Goes Wrong (theater) | Thurs-Sun

New Prospect Theatre
William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar (theater) | Fri-Sun

Options High School Theater
Firebringer (theater) | Fri-Sun

BAAY Theatre
Sweeney Todd (theater) | Fri-Sun

Mount Baker Theatre
Aelita: Queen of Mars (film) | Sun

The Upfront Theatre
Various performances

Dance Fusion - BSAC - Sat 10:30 am
Contra - Fairhaven Library - Sat 7 pm
Sunset Silent Disco - Zuanich - Sat 6:30 pm
Salsa Collective - The Majestic - Sun 5:30 pm
Belly Dance - Karate Church - Sun 1 pm
Open Floor Conscious Dance - Bellingham Fitness - Sunday 10:30 am

Catch the early set with Rob Hutchings at Honey Moon Mead tonight, March 27 from 5:30 to 6:30 pm. Hutchings, a Bellingham-based guitarist and songwriter with roots in Britain, brings together elements of folk, blues, and jazz. His performance features original material shaped by personal reflection and narrative.

Join Bellingham-based Cuarto Sueño for an album release concert at FireHouse Arts & Events Center tomorrow, March 28 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. The group will perform material from their new release Brilliant Dreams, featuring a lineup of guitar, fretless bass, and percussion. Tickets

Anna Derrer of Nettles and Petals is offering an outing called All About Nettles this Sunday, March 29 from 1 to 4 pm on Sand Road near Bellingham. This hands-on class begins outdoors with guided foraging, followed by a kitchen session focused on preparing and preserving nettles. Learn how to harvest, cook, and use nettles for food and herbal applications, with recipes, tastings, and take-home materials included. Register

Hilarious Combination, Hidden Tide, and Jeff Crompton perform at Make.Shift Art Space tonight, March 27 at 8 pm, in an all Bellingham-based lineup. Organized in partnership with KZAX 94.9, the show brings together a mix of local indie and alternative acts.

Jeremy Voigt in conversation with Jeffrey Morgan, Village Books in Fairhaven – A 6 pm author event featuring local poet Jeremy Voigt discussing his new collection Something to Carry Home and Not Kill, joined by poet Jeffrey Morgan for a conversation on themes of grief, family, and connection. Reserve a seat

Friday Music & Trivia →

An Evening in the Jazz Age, Chuckanut Bay Distillery – A 7 to 11 pm 1920s-inspired event featuring live jazz, dancing, tarot readings, a vintage photo booth, and hors d’oeuvres, with a complimentary welcome cocktail and additional drinks available for purchase. Tickets

Blaine High School Safe & Sober Comedy Night Fundraiser, Great Blue Heron Grill – A 5 to 9 pm dinner and comedy fundraiser featuring a meal service, silent and live auctions, and a comedy set by Eric Haines, supporting Safe & Sober Grad Night for the Class of 2026. Tickets

38th Annual Fairhaven Plant & Tree Sale, Hillcrest Church Parking Lot – A 10 am to 3 pm outdoor plant sale featuring local vendors offering veggie starts, flowers, herbs, trees, and garden goods, with proceeds supporting Fairhaven Neighbors and local nonprofits.

Saturday Music & Trivia →

Bellingham Fix It Fair, Kulshan Brewing on Kentucky (K2) – A free community repair event offering clothing mending, small appliance repair, knife sharpening, bike repair, jewelry fixes, and more, with volunteer-led services available by donation. Noon to 3:00 pm.

Sunday Music & Trivia →

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