🐹 Ragfinery's New Digs 🧵🧵

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

Have fun, and stay safe out there!

~ Evan

Nature, Community, Sasquatch, UAP

Photos From the Hoods

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Whatcom Weather

The Raindrop Report

Events, Updates & News Around Town

Get off the Hamster Wheel

Second Sundays at the Roeder Home

I received a lovely note this week from reader Edith Tate, letting us know that this Sunday (and second Sunday’s monthly thereafter), the Whatcom County Historical Society will open the doors of the Roeder Home for guided tours from 1 to 4 pm. This is a cool chance to glimpse inside one of Bellingham’s more impressive historic residences. Tour groups will be limited in size, with participation on a first-come, first-served basis. Tours start on the hour at 1, 2, and 3 pm.

The Roeder home was designed by Alfred Lee, the architect behind Old Main and the Whatcom Museum of History and Art. Its design blends Bracketed Gothic and American Stick Style elements, (yeah, I had to Google those too. 😜) with brick and stucco exterior walls and entrances trimmed in Chuckanut sandstone. From the photos I’m finding it looks like the interior was mostly trimmed out in oak, which is a little unusual for an early Bellingham home. Good question for the tour. 

After remaining in the Roeder and then Keyes families for decades, the home was gifted to Whatcom County Parks in 1971 and now operates as a public landmark and educational space. The photo above is from just after the home was built. I notice they got rid of the pond 👆️… which is a bummer. Always been a sucker for a koi pond. 😆 

Beginning this coming Monday, January 12, the City will begin pruning the honey locust trees lining Railroad Avenue, part of its ongoing effort to maintain Bellingham’s urban canopy.

The work, expected to last two to three weeks, will involve temporary sidewalk and parking closures to make room for pruning equipment and ensure safety for workers and pedestrians. The familiar string lights will come down during the process but will be reinstalled.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Saturday
East Meadow: Help Bellingham Parks and Rec improve wildlife habitat in the Samish Neighborhood by weeding and mulching. Registration.

Local Business Updates

Haggling With Local Folk

Ragfinery Reopens in New Digs!

Ragfinery has been sorely missed since a fire destroyed their North Forest St. storefront in December of 2024. But today at 10 am, the doors reopen in their brand spankin’ new storefront at 115 Unity St!

Yes, that’s a crummy Google Earth screenshot with leaves on the trees. 🤷 My arrows added.

Be sure to stop by the new location today or Saturday when you’re downtown. They’ve been collecting donations for several weeks and it sounds like they’ve got a full shop ready for perusing.

They’re continuing to accept donations, though this weekend may be a bit hectic. Give them a week or two to find their footing in the new shop and then consider bringing them quality fabric items that conform to their Donation Guide.

Food & Drink

Hamsters Gotta Eat

Because it’s fun to be a lookie-loo

Crash an Open House

1724 Iron Street (Open Sat 10-12 pm, Sun 1-3 pm)
I’ve always liked what I think of as the lower York neighborhood. The two or three blocks just above Meador are filled with a charming mix of home styles similar to Sunnyland or Columbia. This home’s a great example that’s been nicely renovated and has a big ol’ carport in the back. Listing.

5947 Lawrence Road, Everson (Open Sat 12-2 pm)
The front of this home reminds me a little of a Russian nesting doll. 😁 It’s cute, and I’d be curious what led to each little extension. Also, it’s on a rad property with close to an acre and a 1600 sqft shop. Nice! Listing.

Performance Arts This Week

Dance of The Hamsters

LIVE ARTS & FILM

iDiOM Theater
The Illusion | Thu-Sat

Mount Baker Theatre
Daniel Tosh (comedy) | Sat

New Prospect Theatre
The Swamp Is On Fire | Sun

FireHouse Arts & Events Center
Documenting Grace - An Evening of Shorts (film) | Sun

The Upfront Theatre
Various performances

PARTICIPATORY DANCE

Contra - Fairhaven Library - Sat 7 pm
Sunset Silent Disco - Zuanich - Sat 4:00 pm
Salsa Collective - The Majestic - Sun 5:30 pm

Events & Nightlife

Spinning Into The Night

FEATURED

Songwriter and working cowboy Forrest VanTuyl performs at New Prospect Theatre tomorrow, January 10, from 7:30 to 9:30 pm, joined by San Juan Island folk-rock band Shadow Basket. VanTuyl’s unique approach to songwriting is equally indebted to the transcendental spareness of Emmylou Harris’ Wrecking Ball as to his own experiences working with cattle and horses in the prairie and canyon country of Oregon and Washington.

An evening of short films: Dancing in Silk, Blind Dancer, and From There to Here brings three remarkable dance-focused films to the Firehouse Arts and Events Center on Sunday, January 11, at 3 pm. Each explores the transformative power of movement, culture, and identity across the globe. Dancing in Silk traces the revival of Khmer classical ballet in California’s Cambodian-American community. Blind Dancer follows Lisa, a blind librarian from Oslo, as she travels to Brussels to dance with the world-famous blind dancer Said Gharbi. The final film, From There to Here, spotlights Kolkata Sanved, a nonprofit in Kolkata, India, that uses dance as a means to help survivors of human trafficking, and domestic violence.

Kady Fox is a singer-songwriter based on Orcas Island, WA, known for her powerful voice and deep bluesy vibes. She’s bringing a mix folk, blues, and soul to Stones Throw on Saturday at 6 pm.

Ignorati, Arson Union, and Fogbodies ignite Make.Shift for the venue’s first show of 2026. Fogbodies return from the crypt with a new vocalist and their signature death rock revival. Arson Union make their debut with a sound that nods unapologetically to Hot Snakes-style post-hardcore energy. Headliners Ignorati deliver their rough-edged, smoke-thick punk straight from Bellingham’s basements. Music runs 8:30 to 11:30 pm.

FRIDAY

Cori Winrock, Village Books in Fairhaven – Poet and essayist Cori Winrock reads from Alterations, her lyrical work exploring loss and possibility through the language of textiles and text. The event begins at 6:00 pm. Reserve a seat.

Haveyouseenthiswoman, Sweet Illusion, Sunday Lemonade, Blue Room – A night of local sound featuring Haveyouseenthiswoman’s alt-rock edge and Sweet Illusion’s soulful, blues-infused grooves led by vocalist Jacqueline Stefanoff, joined by Sunday Lemonade for an energetic finish. Music starts at 8:00 pm.

Friday Music & Trivia →

SATURDAY

Hindsight 2025, 2626 Meridian Street – A full-day local music festival featuring 20 Bellingham bands across two stages, with raffles, a silent auction, food and coffee trucks, and a beer garden. Proceeds benefit the Bellinghome School of Music and the Joy of Music School. Music runs from 12:00 to 9:00 pm. Details.

Saturday Music & Trivia →

SUNDAY

Lake Samish Runs, Lake Samish – The 47th annual event from the Greater Bellingham Running Club features 13.1- and 6.5-mile courses around the lake, both chip-timed and nearly flat. Races begin at 9:30 and 9:40 am, with limited parking and a cap of 300 runners. Registration.

Sunday Music & Trivia →

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