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

We finally got that rain. Thank goodness! Maybe it will be enough to kickstart our lawns out of dormancy. 🦗 

Have fun, and stay safe out there!

Nature, Community, Sasquatch, UAP

Photos From the Hoods

Tag @bellinghamsterwheel on Instagram or reply to this email to get your photos in The Hamster Wheel.

Fairhaven Summer Repertory Theatre

In Search of a Common Language

June & July 2025

Bellingham TheatreWorks presents Fairhaven Summer Repertory Theatre - In Search of a Common Language. Audience members will experience the intimacy of being in the round at the Firehouse Arts and Events Center, sitting with the actors while they explore a hilarious satire, a lyric look at the past, and a heartfelt comic hug. All three plays have multiple scenes where the characters desperately want to communicate with each other but are faced with a language barrier.

This summer’s offerings promise to explore how language is deeply aligned with culture and identity, and how it can lead to unexpected interpersonal challenges. In Search of a Common Language begins June 24th and runs through July 20th.

Weather Forecast

Monday: 72°F 🌡️ 54°F | ⛅ Partly Sunny | 🌧️ 9% | 💨 SSW 7 mph

Tuesday: 74°F 🌡️ 57°F | ⛅ Partly Sunny | 🌧️ 38% | 💨 SSW 1 to 6 mph

Moon Phases

Events, Updates & News Around Town

Get off the Hamster Wheel

Chuckanut Drive Reopens

I’ve you’ve lived in Bellingham for any length of time you’ve most likely bumped into a closure or two on Chuckanut. But this one was epic!! The Washington State Department of Transpiration (WSDOT) has announced that the latest closure caused by a large rockfall on April 22nd has been lifted at last.

Recapping the work completed since the closure, WSDOT described their crews having “removed 3,600+ tons of debris, including 15+ SUV-sized boulders & replaced 125 ft of guardrail,” and had “scaled it to remove loose rock and install anchors to stabilize the hillside." I’ll be curious to see what steps were taken to stabilize this section of sluffing greenschist, as it’s been calving for some time.

I’m sure this has been a tough spring for all the restaurants along Chuckanut and nearby Edison. Consider heading sound along the coast if you’re looking for an outing this week and stopping at one or more along the way. Oysters at Taylor Shellfish followed by a glass of wine at Slough Food? Yum! 🦪 + 🍷 = 😁 

In other news…

🐱 The Whatcom Humane Society has a whole lotta sweet black kitties. They posted yesterday that “21 cats and kittens that were surrendered to [them] at the end of the day Saturday,” from a home in the north county. Look at all those little stinkers. 👇️ 

Consider giving a home to one of these cuties if you’ve been thinking adopting a feline. They will be “vaccinated, wormed, treated for fleas, tested for feline leukemia, microchipped and SPAYED & NEUTERED,” and then looking for a warm lap to call their own.

😷 The Whatcom County Health and Community Services announced the first identified case of measles (in 2025) in Whatcom County on Friday. They indicated that “The individual is currently isolating at home and is not believed to pose a continued risk to the community. Exposed individuals are being contacted through WCHCS, and the risk to the public is considered low at this time.” They are “working to identify possible locations that the individual may have visited, and reach out to anyone who might have been exposed.”

🏙️ The Bellingham City Council meets today, June 23nd at 10:30 am, with the Regular Meeting at 7 pm. The agenda is available online. This public meeting is held at Council Chambers on the second floor of City Hall or can be watched online.

🚜 The Whatcom County Council meets tomorrow, June 24 at 8:30 am, with the Regular Meeting at 6 pm. The agenda is available online. This public meeting is held in the Council Chambers at the County Courthouse or can be watched via Zoom.

Local Business Updates

Haggling With Local Folk

Showcase Your Artwork

We got a note over the weekend that the Majestic Art Café, located below the Majestic Ballroom, is now open to artisans to share their work on site. The café is billed as “like a restaurant, but instead of food you purchase creative community experiences,” which include an art market, mini-paint sessions, and a regular Saturday morning Art Social.

Britni Davis, seen below alongside her artwork 👇️ , manages the café and is the point person for organizing creative events.

You can reach Britni at (425) 953-6187, or check out the Majestic Art Café website.

COMPASS

Alāna Mey

Real Estate Specialist

A new study by Construction Coverage ranked Bellingham #1 among small U.S. cities for the highest home price-to-income ratio—meaning home prices here are nearly 12x the median household income. That’s well above the national average of 5x and highlights both the region’s desirability and the affordability challenge many buyers face.

This isn’t just a statistic—it’s a daily reality for locals trying to enter the market. If you’re feeling uncertain about how to achieve homeownership, you're not alone.

Whether it’s getting creative with financing, or simply understanding a better strategy, I’m here to help you plan ahead with honesty and intention.

Selling your home? Let’s make sure it’s priced to stand out—so you get great results without unnecessary time on the market.

Food & Drink

Hamsters Gotta Eat

Performance Arts This Week

Dance of The Hamsters

LIVE ARTS & FILM

Uisce Irish Pub
Guffawingham | Mon 9:00 pm

iDiOM Theater
48-Hour Theater Festival | Sat & Sun, 7 & 9 pm

Mount Baker Theater
Chapters: Tell Me a Story | Fri t 6:30 pm

Bellingham Theatre Guild
A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder | Thurs-Sat 7:30 pm, Sun 2 pm

New Prospect Theatre
Carrie: The Musical | Fri-Sun 7:00 pm

FireHouse Arts & Events Center
Bellingham TheaterWorks Summer Repertory Theatre
Translations | Tues & Fri 7:30 pm
The Foreigner | Wed & Sat 7:30 pm
The Language Archive | Thurs 7:30 pm, Sun 5 pm

The Upfront Theatre
Various performances.

PARTICIPATORY DANCE

 Salsa & Bachata 
Salsa & Bachata - Viking Union - Mon 7 pm
Beginning Cuban Salsa - Cof& - Tues 6 pm
Int. Cuban Salsa - Cof& - Tues 7:15 pm
Salsa Collective - The Majestic - Sun 5:30 pm

 Tango  
Urban Salon Tango - The Majestic - Mon 7 pm
Tango Practica - The Majestic - Wed 6:30 pm

 Other  
B’ham Hop - Crystal Ballroom - Tues 7 pm
Sunset Silent Disco - Zuanich - Sat 8:00 pm
Country Night - Bar 211 - Fri 7:30 pm
Open Floor Movement - Presence Studio - Sun 10:30 am
Family Dance Party - Boom! - Sun 10 am

Events & Nightlife

Spinning Into The Night

Feature an Event. Reach out. 
Tell us about an event. Use this link.

FEATURED

A Tuesday night of featured artists and open mic magic at ʻOno Kitchen & Bar with incredible voices from our community. This month is the return of the Women's Showcase! Performers include: Krista Stahl, Cathy Taylor, Dianne Ardoursel, Chandra Lyles, Rose Gallant, and Katey Wallace.

The All Comers Track & Field meet for the whole family. A Monday evening of track and field events for children and adults. The meet starts with the youngest participants in the 50-meter dash and the 50-meter hurdles, height adjusted for the age group of 4 and under. Throughout the event join in shot put, javelin/mini-javelin, 200m, 400m, etc. Register to run.

MONDAY

Seminar Series: T.S. Eliot – Tradition and the Individual Talent, The Fairhaven Program - Join the The Fairhaven Program for a discussion of T.S. Eliot's essay "Tradition and the Individual Talent". The essay is widely anthologized and also available freely online. Read the essay before you arrive and come prepared with a short question about the reading. The cost is 'pay what you can'. Read the essay and register.

Monday Music & Trivia →

TUESDAY

Shire Archery Practice, Intalco Unit Archery Range - Join the Shire of Thornwold for an evening of archery practice at one of the prettiest spots in the count. Arrows start flying at 7 pm.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer Trivia, Uisce Irish Pub - Are you ready to seek out and destroy vampires, demons and other forces of darkness? Well, this is your chance. Bring your pals to Uisce Irish Pub at 7 pm for Buffy the Vampire Slayer Trivia. $2 to play, teams up to 6 people.

Tuesday Music & Trivia →

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Hakuna matata

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Have a great Monday!!