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

I’ve been working on a new garage sale page and it’s finally come together enough to include in today’s edition. There’s now a page where sales are listed with whatever photos and details I can find. There’s a map view. Plus a form to submit your own! Please let me know if you run into any bugs with the page so I can get them fixed.

Have fun on the sale-trail!

P.S. - There is so much going on this weekend that I was nowhere near able to cover it all. I apologies if you sent me details about an event and it didn’t make it into the newsletter. Keeps sending and I’ll do my best to include the next one. 🙏

~ Evan

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

Happy World Book Day! 📚✨

What better way to celebrate than with some exciting news! Whatcom Writers & Publishers (WWP) is bringing their annual book sale to Bellis Fair on Saturday, May 16th!

Come meet local authors, support the writing community, and maybe discover your next favorite read (or two 😉).

There are two fun opportunities to take in some art this weekend. The Whatcom Artist Studio Spring Tour runs through the weekend, and Habitat’s annual Trashion Show is being held this Saturday evening.

I wasn’t able to find out a ton about the Spring Studio Tour, but judging by photos in the list of artists, there are going to be beautiful creations to peruse. The spring tour is smaller than the fall event, but there are 26 artists listed so there’s plenty of adventure to be had. Scroll to the bottom of the website to find a map of participating studios. 👍

Next on the list is the Habitat for Humanity Whatcom County annual Trashion Show, held this year at the Bellingham Circus Guild. They’ve dubbed it the Haute Couture: Earth Edition. I have yet to make one of these but it looks outrageously fun. 😁 Local designers create stunning runway looks using recycled, repurposed, and discarded materials resulting in a one-of-a-kind fashion show that celebrates creativity, community, and environmental stewardship. As of my writing this, tickets are available.

Washington State Ferries posted this gorgeous photo on X. It felt like the start of an adventure to me. I hope some of you are packing your duffle for a tromp around the peninsula. And I hope it looks just like this when you set sail! ⛵

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Saturday
Rock Hill Park: Join the City and the York Neighborhood Association in removing Himalayan Blackberry and sprucing up the Butterfly Garden. Register
Schell Creek: Join NSEA and the Whatcom Conservation District in stewarding Schell Creek by picking up pet waste and litter and removing some invasive species in the riparian zone and surrounding greenspace. Register
Miyawaki Mini-Forest at WWU: Join Whatcom Million Trees Project, L.E.A.D, WWU Students for Ecological Restoration, City of Bellingham, and Washington Trails Association to help with the next stage of development of Bellingham’s first Miyawaki mini-forest. Register
Natural Delights Trail: Join the Whatcom Mountain Bike Coalition for a trail day at Natural Delights Trail. Register

Sunday
Cougar Ridge Trail: Join the Whatcom Mountain Bike Coalition for a trail day at Cougar Ridge. Register

5810 Mission Rd (Sat, Sun 9 am)
It looks to me like there’s a little bit of everything at this sale. From antiques, to bikes and motorcycles. Fun stuff for kiddos and plenty for us grownups too. 🙂 map

The Bellingham Dockside Market is open tomorrow (Saturday), from 10 am to 2 pm at the Fishermen's Pavilion in Squalicum Harbor. It is the last market in the Pavilion until the fall.

While you shop, enjoy the sounds of the Bellingham Youth Jazz Band, playing live from 11 AM to 12 PM. Their lively jazz sets are the perfect soundtrack for a market stroll—so grab a bite, linger a little longer, and support these talented young musicians!

2115 Valley Highway, Deming (Open Sun 1-2:30 pm)
What’s not to love about these old county craftsman. Three beds, three baths, sitting on more than an acre. Plus Acme is the darling little river valley community. Listing

1310 Ellsworth Street (Open Fri 4-6 pm)
I’m not sure how the numbers would pencil out on this one, but what a rad house-hacking opportunity if they do. It’s a duplex with an extra lot, tucked just behind the old School District building on Dupont. I’ve always thought this was a sweet nook. Listing

Nooksack Valley High School
Footloose (theatre) | Thurs, Fri

Bellingham Circus Guild
Vaudevillingham (circus) | Fri

Sehome High School
Anything Goes (theatre) | Fri, Sat

Squalicum High School
One Act Play Festival (theatre) | Fri-Sun

BAAY
Honk! JR. (theatre) | Fri-Sun

Mount Baker Theatre
Michael Carbonaro (magic) | Sat

iDiOM Theatre
All Our Tragic (theatre) | Sat, Sun

Blaine Performing Arts Center
World Wildlife Dances (dance) | Sat, Sun

The Upfront Theatre
Various performances

Foundations: Hip Hop, House, Shuffle - Lost Giants Cider Co. - Fri 6 pm
Potluck & Square Dance - Fairhaven Library - Sat 6:00 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

Erin Ingle headlines Southside Comedy Hour at Corner Taphouse tonight, May 15 from 8 to 9:30 pm, joined by comedians AJ Norris, Brett Emerson, and Lucy Tolefson. The evenings host is Nikki Kilpatrick and Venus Comedy Productions.

FireHouse Arts & Events Center hosts Steve Webb & The Kooks tonight, May 15 from 7 to 9 pm for an evening of live reggae, ska, and calypso benefiting the Bellingham Food Bank. Songwriter Steve Webb opens with his Unomaband before The Kooks take the stage. The concert also features drummer Jordan Rain of Yogoman Burning Band, with proceeds going directly to local food assistance programs.

5CC Wrestling presents It’s Gonna Be May on Saturday, May 16 at the Bloedel Donovan Multipurpose Room, with doors at 4:30 pm and matches starting at 5 pm. The evening features live professional wrestling with championship matches, local wrestlers, and guest performers from across the Pacific Northwest and Canada.

Whatcom Chorale presents Songs of Solace on Saturday, May 16 at 3 pm at Christ the Servant Lutheran Church in Bellingham. The concert brings together works by Bach, Brahms, Boulanger, and Vivaldi, alongside Bruckner’s Mass in E minor, performed with the Whatcom Chorale Sinfonia Wind Ensemble. Soprano Kim Markworth is featured on “Domine Deus, Rex Coelestis” from Vivaldi’s Gloria, joined by oboe and organ accompaniment. Tickets

Skylark’s Beer Garden Grand Reopening feat. Kyle’s Cosmic Country Band, Skylark’s Hidden Cafe – A 6 pm reopening celebration brings live country and Americana music from Kyle’s Cosmic Country Band, along with food and drinks in the newly reopened Fairhaven beer garden.

2026 Spring Powwow, Carver Gym – A two-day gathering beginning Friday at 5 pm features grand entries, drum contests, dancing competitions, food trucks, artisan vendors, and cultural celebrations hosted by WWU NASU, with free admission and events continuing through Saturday afternoon.

That’s What She Said, The Commons – A women-centered storytelling event from 5:30 to 7:30 pm featuring personal stories told live and from memory, with themes ranging from relationships and fear to humor, family, and personal change in a format inspired by shows like The Moth Radio Hour. Tickets

The Sweet Goodbyes Benefit Concert, Center for Spiritual Living – The Sweet Goodbyes perform from 7 to 8:30 pm in a benefit concert supporting the Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center, with proceeds helping fund local conflict resolution services across Whatcom County.

Backcountry Essentials 20th Anniversary Party, Backcountry Essentials – A 5 to 8 pm community celebration marking 20 years of the downtown outdoor shop, featuring live music, drinks, snacks, giveaways, and a raffle with gear and prizes from brands including Black Diamond, Patagonia, and Kavu.

Dan Erickson Artist Talk, WWU Performing Arts Center Mainstage – A free public conversation from 4 to 5:30 pm with WWU alumnus and Severance creator Dan Erickson explores his path from Western’s theatre program to Emmy-winning television writing and production, including the origins of Severance in a student play staged on campus.

Jan Peters, Steve Itterly and Andy Simmons, Welcome Road Wine & Coffee – A free 6 to 8 pm performance featuring blues and swing music from the 1920s and ’30s, with live acoustic sets paired with wine, coffee, and espresso drinks at the winery café.

Friday Music & Trivia →

Saint James Festival of the Arts, Saint James Presbyterian Church – An afternoon festival from 3 to 5 pm featuring live music, poetry readings, and a silent auction of original artwork by local artists and performers, with donations supporting the church retreat program.

Blaine’s Spring Block Party, Downtown Blaine – A free community festival from 10 am to 5 pm celebrating Asian & Pacific American Heritage Month with live music, cultural performances, local vendors, kids activities, a beer garden, food vendors, and a downtown street fair.

Saturday Music & Trivia →

Community Grief Lodge, Full Bloom Sanctuary – A community grief ritual from 2 to 7 pm offering space for collective grieving, singing, movement, and emotional reflection, informed by communal grief tending traditions and open to anyone interested in exploring grief in a supportive group environment. Tickets

Meadows Montessori Spring Festival, Meadows Montessori School – A free community festival from 10 am to 2 pm with live music, artisan vendors, children’s activities, face painting, barn animals, and a bake sale at the Meadows Montessori campus in Ferndale.

Sunday Music & Trivia →

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