🐹 Saturday Haymakers 👊👊

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

One of the real joys of writing this newsletter is getting to curate and share the photos you all send in. To make more room for that, I’ve been working on a photo gallery and submission form. The gallery gives every image a home, including the many great shots I can’t always fit into the newsletter, and the submission form makes it easy to send photos my way, with a space to share the story behind the image. 👍

Keep those shutters clicking! 😁

Have fun, and stay safe out there!

~ Evan

This week, PeaceHealth announced that its long-dormant South Campus property is listed for sale. Which I think is great! It has seemingly sat empty in recent years and that has created a dead zone in what should otherwise be a vibrant intersection.

What a wonderful opportunity to put a dent in Bellingham’s housing shortage by building residential or mixed-use structures on what Cascadia Daily News reports is a “7.5-acre” campus in the middle of town! 👆

Bellingham’s hospital history is fascinating, and surprisingly political, with competing hospitals representing Catholic and Protectant visions for local healthcare. Check out local journalist and historian Matt Benoit’s excellent article in WhatcomTalk titled Examining Bellingham’s Hospital History to go down a fun rabbit hole.

The Mount Baker Highway (SR 542) will close in both directions for five days next week beginning at 6 am on Monday, Feb. 2, to allow WSDOT crews to make emergency repairs near O’Keefe Creek. Floodwaters and debris from a December atmospheric river event damaged a culvert and section of roadway near milepost 43, prompting this full closure.

During the closure, crews will repair the culvert, rebuild the roadbed, repave the highway, and install new lane striping and guardrail. The work was coordinated with Mt. Baker Ski Area, and the highway is expected to reopen late Friday afternoon, weather permitting, though additional streambed work will continue with alternating traffic after reopening.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Saturday
Harriet Spanel Park: This park in the York Neighborhood near the Loving Space School needs some love. Join the parks dept. and the York Neighborhood Association to help to remove weeds, spread mulch, and pick up litter to revitalize the space! Register to participate.
Kenney Creek: Support the continued planting of Kenney Creek, a tributary of the North Fork Nooksack River that provides spawning habitat for Chinook, chum, coho, and pink salmon, among other salmonids (steelhead, bull trout, cutthroat trout). This property is owned by the Whatcom Land Trust and NSEA is supporting the large-scale planting that will increase the riparian buffer of lower Kenney Creek. Register to participate.

3618 Westhills Place (Open Sun 12-2 pm)
I don’t often include newer homes like this. Just don’t find them particularly interesting. But this home is an absolute beauty! Check out the interior photos. So pretty! Listing.

819 High Street #101 (Open Sat 10 am -12 pm)
Here’s a sweet little condo on lower High St. Turnkey ready and only costs 300K. That’s pretty good for our crazy Bham market. 😆 Listing.

iDiOM Theater
The Illusion (theater) | Thurs & Fri

iDiOM Theater
Serial Killers (theater) | Sat

Larrabee Lager Co
Laughs at Larrabee (comedy) | Fri 8:00 pm

FireHouse Arts & Events Center
Documenting Grace Film Series - Wicket (film) | Sun

The Upfront Theatre
Various performances

Dance Fusion - BSAC - Sat 10:30 am
Sunset Silent Disco - Zuanich - Sat 4:00 pm
Salsa Collective - The Majestic - Sun 5:30 pm
Belly Dance - Karate Church - 1 pm

Haley and the Haymakers perform live at Acme Diner on Saturday, January 31, from 7–9 pm, bringing local country music to the bar with warm vocals, twang-forward guitar, and an easygoing, intimate sound well suited to a small-room setting.

Bellingham Belly Dance Party “Hafla” brings dancers and the community together for an afternoon celebration of belly dance this Saturday, January 31, from 3–5 p.m. at the Karate Church. Hosted by BELLYham, this free, family-friendly hafla invites students and professional dancers to perform, share works-in-progress, and socialize in a relaxed, supportive environment. Open to all.

The Bellingham Symphony Orchestra presents Smitten on Sunday, February 1 at 3 p.m. at Mount Baker Theatre, featuring violinist Dawn Posey in a romantic program inspired by Pride & Prejudice and the music of Mendelssohn and Farrenc. The afternoon concert includes selections by Dario Marianelli and Carl Davis alongside Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E minor and Louise Farrenc’s Symphony No. 3. Tickets.

Sharp Five Jazz Collective brings the sound of post-bop jazz to FireHouse Arts & Events Center on Saturday, January 31, from 7–9 pm, performing music rooted in the late 1950s and early 1960s hard bop tradition. Drawing from the catalogs of Horace Silver, Wayne Shorter, Freddie Hubbard, and Hank Mobley, along with modern artists who carry that same spirit, the ensemble delivers classic, swinging jazz with depth and clarity. The group features Andy Carr on piano, Mark Kelly on saxophone and flute, Andy Simmons on bass, Cary Stevens on drums, and Loch Clark on trumpet and flugelhorn. Details.

Fort Fight Friday, Bloedel Donovan Park – A hands-on, all-ages team challenge where groups of 2–4 build creative forts using provided supplies, compete for design awards, and finish the night with a friendly dodgeball showdown from 6–7:30 pm. Enroll your team.

Cathy Taylor, Selena Mac and Bob Paltrow, Honey Moon Mead & Cider - A compelling evening of solo performances and fun collaborations; originals and a wide spectrum of covers and genres. Music from 8-10 pm.

Friday Music & Trivia →

Metaphysical Faire, Karma Kards – A two-day community gathering featuring psychic and object readings, sound healing, and metaphysical vendors, offering a welcoming space for exploration, connection, and intuitive practice from 11 am–5 pm.

Roller Betties Season 18 Debut Bout, Lynden Skateway – The Roller Betties kick off their season with a high-energy roller derby event featuring BRB All Stars followed by the first public bout for new skaters, with doors at 5:00 pm and the first whistle at 5:30 pm.

Green Tea Sock Rave, The Dojo (1101 N. State St) – An all-ages contact improv dance party and fundraiser from 8:30–10:30 pm featuring bass-forward music spanning soulful techno and eclectic house mixed by MadB, with a soft mat floor, green tea provided, and space to move, rest, and groove together (suggested donation $15–25, no one turned away).

Saturday Music & Trivia →

The Walrus, The Old Edison – A classic rock show featuring the Bellingham-based band playing crowd-pleasing hits and deep cuts in an easygoing, dance-friendly bar setting, with live music running from 5:30–9:00 pm.

Sunday Music & Trivia →

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