🐹 The Chicken Coop 🐣🐣

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

The sunshine is on cruise control… dancing rays as far as the eye can see. I think we hit the tipping point. 😎 

Have fun, and stay safe out there!

~ Val & Evan

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.

Weather Forecast

Friday: 74°F 🌡️ 54°F | 🌤️ Mostly Sunny | 🌧️ 0% | 💨 SW 1 to 7 mph

Saturday: 77°F 🌡️ 58°F | ☀️ Sunny | 🌧️ 0% | 💨 NW 1 to 6 mph

Sunday: 81°F 🌡️ 57°F | ☀️ Sunny | 🌧️ 0% | 💨 SW 1 to 6 mph

Moon Phases

Events, Updates & News Around Town

Get off the Hamster Wheel

Celebrating Nightlife Downtown in the Ham

On the first Friday of each month, the Downtown Bellingham Partnership hosts a downtown-wide celebration of local art, dining, shopping, and live music in the city center. To help your journey, they publish printable and digital maps each Wednesday before the event. Here’s the map for tonight’s festivities.

Several Hamster Wheel readers reached out with additional information about stops on the tour:

Shelby Sneva, a longtime member of the Waterfront Artist Studios, mentioned that they will be celebrating their building (1220 Central Avenue) turning 100 years old, with new artwork, The Waterfront Jazz Trio, and a table of old-time photographs with owner Martha Bray to talk about the buildings origins.

“This building, owned by the Bray family and occupied by Troia Foods and 16 artists upstairs was originally the Washington Chick Cooperative Association.” wrote Shelby “The building built in 1924 was strategically located across from the Granary and train rails that ran through the booming waterfront. Our upstairs studios still have reminders of the once housed chicken coop, with drains in our sloped floors and electrical outlets set towards the ceilings for hosing off cages. We would love to share this history with the community!” 👇️ 

Martha Bray, mentioned above, will also be celebrating the launch of her new book, Tragedy to Triumph: Rebuilding a Traumatized Heart, during the event. Martha describes how her book is about “my husband's death by vehicular homicide in Anacortes in Sept of 2022. The subsequent coping and grief as I sold our Bellingham business that had been in the family since 1958. (Dairy Distributing) and then my ridiculous online dating adventures as I navigate my new life as a 60-year-old widow.” Be sure to visit with Martha about her book while you’re there!

Deborah Lutz, sent a note that Road2Home, a nonprofit serving community members experiencing homelessness in Whatcom County, will be holding an art sale fundraising event at 310 W Champion. “Donations of various art mediums have been provided by community artists to raise funds to support Road2Home's mission.” They hope you will stop by to visit and see what catches your eye! All proceeds benefit Road2Home.

As a side note, Deborah’s artwork is on display in Boundary Bay’s main dining area during June, so be sure to stop by, grab a pint, and checkout her creations!

Overall is sounds like a fun night in the Ham!! 🎨 🥳 🎶 

In other news…

👩‍🚒 This Saturday (June 7th), is the Safe Kids Washington Safety Fair at Barkley Village from 10:00am to 1:00pm.

Bring your kiddos to see fire engines, police vehicles, rescue boats, a helicopter, and more at this annual family event. There will be activities for everyone!

Garage & Estate Sales

Your Source For Vintage Can Openers

Grandiose Estate Sale (Thurs, Fri, Sat 10-3 am)
An epic estate sale with decades of treasures artistically and lovingly collected and displayed. 👆️ The volume and variety of items is rarely seen. map 

• 5788 Hannegan Rd, Fri, Sat, 8 am, map

• Van Horn Lane near Hoff, Fri, Sat 9 am, map

• 1530 E Bakerview, Fri, Sat, 9 am, map

• 240 S. Forest St, Fri, 4 am, map

• 2400 Donovan Ave, Fri, Sat, 9 am, map

• 2331 Cherry St, Sat, 9 am, map

• 3454 Noah's Way, Sat, Sun, 8 am, map

• 2312 37th St., Sat, Sun, 8 am, map

• 3802 James St #6, Sat, Sun, 10 am, map

• 2200 Greenview Circle #39, Sat, 9 am, map

• 1311 32nd Street, Sat, 10 am, map

Food & Drink

Hamsters Gotta Eat

Because it’s fun to be a lookie-loo

Crash an Open House

4489 Sucia Drive (Open Sat 3:30-5:30 pm, Sun 3-6 pm)
I can’t help myself when these gorgeous Sandy Point homes pop up. Looking west over the San Juan Islands and the Strait of Georgia, with lots of windows and light. This one comes with an ADU. Listing.

20 Longshore Lane (Open Sat 11-2 pm, Sun 1-3 pm)
Here’s a Gate 1 beauty. There’s a lot to love about this house. The location is wicked, with access to the beach, marina, and dog park. But the real kicker in my book are the bi-fold doors that open the living area to a glorious lake-view deck. That’s where I’d spend every morning reading the news and sipping on coffee. 😉 Listing.

Performance Arts This Week

Dance of The Hamsters

LIVE ARTS & FILM

iDiOM Theater
The Cherry Orchard | Thurs-Sat 7:30 pm

Mount Baker Theater
Whose Live Anyway? | Sat 7:30 pm

WWU
An Enemy of the People | Fri, Sat, Sun 2 & 7:30 pm

WWU
BFA Dance Concert | Fri, Sat 7:30 pm; Sat 2 pm

New Prospect Theatre:
Witch With Her Skirt On Fire | Sat 8 pm

The Upfront Theatre
Various performances.

PARTICIPATORY DANCE

 Salsa & Bachata 
Salsa Collective - The Majestic - Sun 5:30 pm

 Other  
Sunset Silent Disco - Zuanich - Sat 8:00 pm
Line Dancing - El Rey - Fri 7 pm
Line Dancing - Alsan Depot - Sat 3 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

This Friday’s art walk includes the “immersive experience project” hosted by Paper Whale, where vacant buildings in the downtown center are transformed into community art spaces. The space at 215 Prospect street (with art by studio octoeyes), is hosting an after-hours event with a live DJ, @mr_noodyl playing chill, downtempo, wind-down tunes from 8-11 pm.

A genre-bending night of high energy, mystical melodies, and indie garage rock at Ramble Tamble. A night of gypsy folk magic.

A fun way to meet other families and feel connection through dance. This is a creative movement class. Class topics change weekly. Class is by donation. Pre-register as class size is limited. No payment is required. Register the whole family.

Be prepared to get your groove on with a crowd of dorky dance-fiends who will scoop you up and pull you into the bootylicious, bass-heavy, bumpin'-rumpus THROW down! No experience required. Sparkles, sequins, and body-paint encouraged; hot-pants, tube tops, feather boas, random animal masks… you get the idea. Saturday, 8 pm, at Red Star Taco Bar.

FRIDAY

First Friday, Downtown B’ham - With fresh programming each month, First Fridays provide opportunities to engage with Downtown Bellingham. Dozens of businesses host artists, feature signature dishes, become a stage for musicians. Join the crowds.

Immersive Experience Project, Downtown B’ham - A series of four pop-up art installations located within vacant storefronts in downtown Bellingham. Be transported to alternate realities meant to captivate your senses, like a glowing forest of neon fungi or a towering stack of old-school TVs. Brought to downtown by Paper Whale.

Friday Music & Trivia →

SATURDAY

Scottish Gathering, Marine Park & Semiahmoo Spit - Enjoy a highland dancing championship, competitive Scottish athletics, bagpipes/drums, and bagpipe bands. A magical day for all ages.

Farmers Day Parade, Lynden - One of the longest running parades in the Northwest. Watch as an eclectic menagerie of cars, bands, tractors, trucks, horses, and more salute the Agriculture Industry of Whatcom County! Check the route.

Saturday Music & Trivia →

SUNDAY

Wander to Wander 1K - This Bellingham-based fun run benefits the Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center and is hosted by Wander Brewing. Beginning with donuts at the WDRC office, participants will ‘wander’ (or sprint) along the route to Wander Brewing. Jog to support WDRC.

Bellingham Symphony Orchestra: Titans!, MBT - A program featuring Beethoven and Mahler. The title “Titans!” says it all. Celebrate the season finale and get a sneak peek at the programming for the 50th season. Tickets available.

Sunday Music & Trivia →

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Hakuna matata

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Have a great weekend!!