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- 🐹 Last Jams of Summer 🎶🎶
🐹 Last Jams of Summer 🎶🎶
Good morning, Bellingham. This is your Friday update from The Hamster Wheel.
Oh my gosh, sorry for the wrong weather and moons on Wednesday. 🤦 I doubled-checked this one. 🌖 😉 🌖
Have fun, and stay safe out there!
Nature, Community, Sasquatch, UAP
Photos From the Hoods
Begonias - 📷 by Lynne Henderson
Longhorn Beetle (Rosalie Batesi) - 📷 by Joni Fischle
Crow at Lake Padden - 📷 by Jessica Hamerski
Tag @bellinghamsterwheel on Instagram or reply to this email to get your photos in The Hamster Wheel.
Weather Forecast
Friday: 80°F 🌡️ 60°F | 🌤️ Mostly Sunny | 🌧️ 4% | 💨 SSW 1 to 5 mph
Saturday: 77°F 🌡️ 59°F | 🌤️ Mostly Sunny | 🌧️ 28% | 💨 SSW 2 to 6 mph
Sunday: 75°F 🌡️ 58°F | 🌧️ Chance of Rain | 🌧️ 22% | 💨 SSW 2 to 6 mph
Moon Phases
Events, Updates & News Around Town
Get off the Hamster Wheel
The Last Jams of Summertime 🎶
Well hamsters, before we put the summer of 2025 in the history books, there are two more opportunities to meet up with friends and family to soak up the sun, marinate in live music, and make memories that’ll carry us into fall.
The North Cascades Bluegrass Festival is this weekend at the Deming Log Show Grounds, showcasing top bluegrass talent like The Kruger Brothers, Full Cord, and The Burnett Sisters Band. Hosted by the Whatcom Parks and Recreation Foundation and 5 Starr Jams, this event supports local parks, with main stage performances, workshops, a Saturday night ProJam, and a Beer and Cider Garden. Enjoy food vendors, crafts, and camping options. Ticketing.
Or, head for the Lookout Arts Quarry in Alger for a weekend of eclectic entertainment and delights at Sh’Bang! A Festival of Ideas. This all-ages event brings three days of live music across genres, circus acts, burlesque, puppets, and a legendary Downhill Soapbox Derby. It looks like full weekend passes are sold out, so grab a day pass to attend.
In other news…
🏖️ The Washington State Department of Ecology published a draft version of a Technical Study and Water Quality Improvement Plan related to the Drayton Harbor watershed this month, and they are looking for feedback from the public.
At 328 pages, this is a serious commitment to read!! I got about a quarter of the way through, and it’s fascinating. I’m bookmarking it for a rainy day (those are coming). 😁 The Department of Ecology requests that comments be submitted by September 26th.
🎪 Here’s one that looks wacky and fun. The Up Up Up Crane Truck Circus, a traveling ensemble dedicated to spreading happiness through high-flying, high-energy performances is performing at Stones Throw on Saturday. And, in case the name didn’t make this clear, they do all their acts on the back of a flatbed truck with a hand crank crane! 😂 Love it! Here’s a video that shows a little of their repertoire 👇.
The fun begins at 3 pm with live music by The Naughty Blokes and then the circus performances start at 6 pm. No need to pack a meal, Doug’s Burgers, as Galley2Go Fish & Chips will be onsite. It sounds like bringing your own camping chair is advisable.
🎨 If you’re heading north on I-5 this week, take a moment to hop off at the Portal Way exit and check out the new community-driven mural painted on the columns that line the freeway underpass.
Aptly named the “Day to Night Trees” mural, it depicts evergreen trees against a deepening sunset (or sunrise I suppose if you’re heading east). The design was selected by the public during a survey period in April.
The Ferndale Arts Commission posted that “2 truckloads of weeds and several large bags of garbage” were removed, and “125 hours of volunteer labor” were needed to make this project possible.
⛏️ Volunteer Opportunities This Weekend: There’s one outdoor work party this weekend.
Samish Overlook: Join the Pacific Northwest Trail Association for a trail work party at the Samish Overlook on the Blanchard State Forest on Saturday. Enjoy views of the Salish Sea and give back to one of the most beloved segments of the 1,200 mile Pacific Northwest Trail. They will be doing brush-out and tread work, starting from the overlook toward the Oyster Dome junction. No experience required. Register.
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Garage & Estate Sales
Your Source For Vintage Can Openers
785 Sunrise Drive, Lynden (Fri, Sat, Sun 10 am)
They are calling this one the Take Flight Estate Sale, and advertise a lifetime of treasures. That sounds about right. Lots of quality items from tools to glassware and a little of everything in between. Plus, a baby grand piano!
Food & Drink
Hamsters Gotta Eat
Because it’s fun to be a lookie-loo
Crash an Open House
7419 Canyon View Drive, Deming (Open Fri 3-5 pm)
Have you wanted to own a short-term rental? This might be it. Plus, it’s adorable. Advertised as “one of the top 10% best-performing rentals in the Mt. Baker Lodging portfolio,” they are selling this one furnished and ready to rent. Pretty slick opportunity for the right family to slip into a weekend getaway that pays for itself. Listing.
2500 California Street (Open Sat 12-4 pm, Sun 10-12 pm)
How cool is this one. 😍 It’s a 115 year old, hand-hewn cedar log cabin style home with 4 beds and 3 baths on over 2 acres on the south side! Phew, that was a mouthful. So cozy looking and neat part of Bellingham’s history. Listing.
Performance Arts This Week
Dance of The Hamsters
Cabaret - New Prospect Theatre
LIVE ARTS & FILM
Jansen Art Center
The Clockmaker’s Daughter | Thurs, Fri, 7 pm
New Prospect Theatre
Cabaret | Thurs 7:00 pm; Sun 3:00 pm & 7 pm
Stones Throw Brewery
Up Up Up Circus | Sat 6 pm
The Upfront Theatre
Various performances.
PARTICIPATORY DANCE
Sunset Silent Disco - Zuanich - Sat 7:00 pm
Salsa Collective - The Majestic - Sun 5:30 pm
Open Floor Movement - Presence Studio - Sun 10:30 am
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Events & Nightlife
Spinning Into The Night
Feature an Event. Reach out.
FEATURED
Beginning on Saturday, and running through September 8th, various Fairhaven businesses, including the Whatcom Art Market, will be participating in the Fairhaven Sidewalk Sale. It’s a great chance to shop local, discover unique finds, and support your favorite shops in historic Fairhaven. Shop from 10 am to 4 pm.
Tonight at 9 PM, Shemekia Copeland lights up the Blue Room with her new album, Blame It On Eve. Recorded in Nashville, it mixes bold blues with themes of women’s rights and personal joy. From the fiery Tough Mother to the soulful Heaven Help Us All, Copeland’s powerful voice shines. Joined by stars like Jerry Douglas, this GRAMMY-nominated Harlem native delivers an unforgettable show.
More than 30 artists and craftspeople are offering their work at more than 14 locations around Lummi Island during the Lummi Island Art Tour. Enjoy paintings, drawings, prints, notecards, jewelry, photography, sculpture, glass, woodwork, pottery, metalwork, stonework, quilts, clothing, knitwear, and more! This Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm. Find the tour map here.
FRIDAY
MaSango, Odd Fellows Temple Room - World renowned, award winning multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, bandleader and producer Zivanai teams up with the vibrant and multitalented Helen to form this dynamic duo. They bring you sounds from Zimbabwe and Southern Africa as well as the wider African Diaspora. Music starts at 8 pm.
Wild Things, Lake Padden Park (West Entrance) - Discover nature at a slug’s pace and explore through a child’s eyes! Designed for young children and their adult(s), Wild Things is a place-based community program visits local parks each month to see what nature has to offer. August outings (Friday & Saturday) are at Lake Padden. Registration is encouraged.
SATURDAY
Crazy About Conifers, Garden Spot Nursery - Conifers are the workhorses of any landscape, offering year-round color and interest. Join the Garden Spot as they dive into the secret life of conifers. How they grow, where they grow best, and how to add them to the landscape. 10 am class is free.
Bentley Awards Celebration, Mount Baker Theatre - Celebrate the 2024-2025 Bellingham Theatre Guild season 6:00-9:00 PM at Mount Baker Theatre’s Encore Room & Main Lobby, where you can mingle with Theatre Guild friends and family. Enjoy appetizers and drinks starting at 6:00 PM (tickets required) followed by the awards ceremony at 7:00 PM (no tickets needed, but preregister for seating)—paid tickets include food and one drink
SUNDAY
U-pick apples, Bellewood Farms - U-pick harvest runs from Aug. 30 through Oct. 31. Choose apples from trees on the 62 acres at Bellewood Farms. U-pick hours are 9 am to 4 pm.
Veronica North, Bistro Estelle - Bellinghamster Veronica North has been influenced by artists like Maggie Rogers, Hayley Williams, LIGHTS, Abby Holliday, and Taylor Swift. Veronica is a psychiatric registered nurse by day, and a hometown pop star by night. Writing all her own lyrics, listeners are invited into the depths of Veronica's personal life. On the outdoor patio at 6 pm.
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