🐹 Turkey Rapture 🦃🦃

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

With Thanksgiving behind us, let the season of retail Christmas music commence! 😆 

Have fun, and stay safe out there!

~ 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.

Whatcom Weather

The Raindrop Report

Events, Updates & News Around Town

Get off the Hamster Wheel

Samish Park (Mostly) Reopens

Samish Park holds a special place in my heart. For years, weather permitting, my daughter and I have set up camp on a small sandy beach where we could cast bobbers up against the bridge piles, and read out loud about adventures in Narnia, Middle-earth, and Wildwood. Then, back in the summer of 2024, Samish Park was closed while Whatcom County Public Works began replacing the North Lake Samish Bridge. It was a real bummer. 😆 The new bridge opened in September of this year, and this week the park reopened with restorations complete!

I am looking forward to seeing how Whatcom County Parks and Rec have transformed what was already a lovely town-adjacent destination. This is a great season to explore the park. It gets pretty hectic there in the midsummer months, but spring and fall are quiet and lovely, and you’ll sometimes have the park to yourself in the winter!

The most recent announcement indicates that work is continuing on a stretch of the lakeside trail between the pedestrian bridge and the fishing dock. To reach the fishing dock, jump on the upper trail from the north end of the parking lot. They provide a handy map showing the closure.

Local Read: This week, Pat Grubb, the Publisher and Managing Editor of The Northern Light, published an eye-opening investigation examining How the Port conducts public business in private. Drawing from a year’s worth of public records requests, Grubb reports on patterns of contract structuring, missing documentation, and an unusually high frequency of closed-door executive sessions. Pat and his team at The Northern Light pull no punches in this exceptional piece of local investigative journalism. I strongly endorse giving it a read.

Holiday Markets & Bazaar

Fruitcake For Hamsters ✊

Holiday Makers Market, Bellingham Cruise Terminal (Sat, Sun 12-5)
The market features 50 local makers offering everything from handcrafted soaps and sustainable goods to tasty treats, cozy textiles, candles, and jewelry.

Up-Cycled Arts Market, Structures Brewing (Old Town) (Sat 2-7)
Discover one-of-a-kind gifts crafted from reclaimed, recycled, and repurposed materials, all made by local artists who turn waste into wonder.

Holiday Pop-Up Market, FireHouse Arts & Events Center (Sat 1-6)
A festive holiday bazaar, with wall-to-wall handmade goods and specialties by local artisans and vendors, with live music by Pam Wooster and other favorite local musicians.

Holiday Craft Bazaar, Bellingham Riding Club (Sat 10 am)
An amazing group of vendors coming in with everything from coffee trailer, food truck, crafts, sourdough, holiday wreathes and much, much more.

Artisan Market, 201 E Chestnut St (Sat 10-2)
A creative corner artisan market featuring local Whatcom County artists every Saturday from 10 am to 2 pm. This event is free and supports local small businesses and artisans.

Farmers Market, Depot Square (Sat 8-4)
A one-stop shop for holiday gift giving and groceries! All locally grown and handmade products.

Holiday Bazaar, L&L Libations (Sat 10-3)
A perfect place to pick up fun handmade and vintage gifts!

Shop Small Saturday, Downtown Bellingham (Sat 9-8)
Find unique and delightful gifts at Downtown Bellingham's 50+ boutiques, shops, and stores stocked with special finds and one-of-a-kind items. Many retailers will have special sales, extended hours, events, giveaways, and more on Shop Small Saturday.

Night Market, Downtown Blaine (Fri, Sat 4-9)
Kick off the Holiday Season with a Night Market, Tree Lighting at 4:45pm on Saturday, November 29th and stroll the Luminary Walk.

Winterfest, Historic Fairhaven (Sat 12-close)
Kick off Winterfest with the annual lighting of the Village and a day full of holiday cheer.

Artist Open Studio, Morgan Block Fairhaven (Fri, Sat 11-4)
The Morgan Block Artist Studios and Galleries will be open this weekend with many artists holding open studios.

Food & Drink

Hamsters Gotta Eat

Because it’s fun to be a lookie-loo

Crash an Open House

1371 W Axton Road (Open Sat 12-3 pm)
To be honest, I almost skipped the Open House section this weekend because the pickings were thin. Then I saw this 1900 Victorian beauty. 😍 So much love and attention has been given to the wood details in this home. I tip my hardhat in respect. 👷 Absolute attention to detail. Love it! Listing.

1211 14th Street (Open Sat 1-3 pm)
Here’s one built a few decades later in the heart of Fairhaven. It has an interesting mix of trim and flooring. Possibly some original surfaces with newer additions added. Overall beautifully maintained and that location!! Listing.

Performance Arts This Week

Dance of The Hamsters

LIVE ARTS & FILM

New Prospect Theatre
Bellingham Improv Festival | Fri-Sat

FireHouse Arts & Events Center
A Christmas Carol | Fri

Bellingham Theatre Guild
Sister Act | Fri-Sun

The Claire
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever | Fri-Sun

Majestic Ballroom
Last Rites | Fri-Sat

The Upfront Theatre
Various performances

PARTICIPATORY DANCE

Dance Fusion - Senior Activity Center - Sat 10:30 am
Contra - Fairhaven Library - Sat 6 pm
Sunset Silent Disco - Zuanich - Sat 4:00 pm
Salsa Collective - The Majestic - Sun 5:30 pm
Open Floor Movement - Presence Studio - Sun 10:30 am

Events & Nightlife

Spinning Into The Night

FEATURED

Historic Fairhaven welcomes the season with Winterfest. Kicking off on Saturday, November 29, at noon. Enjoy holiday cheer with Santa photos, horse-drawn carriage rides, a pop-up market, and the Winterfest Art Walk. As dusk falls, gather for live music, fire dancing, and the annual lighting of the Village Green.

Back by popular demand, Mystery Dance Theatre’s Last Rites, an immersive murder mystery told through movement, at the Majestic Ballroom. The performance follows a family unraveling after a death, as hidden truths and tensions emerge through dance and atmosphere. The show happens throughout the various rooms and spaces which you’ll be invited to explore, with two chances to figure out who done it. Tickets.

Hungry for something RAD? On Saturday, November 29, from 11 am to 2 pm, the Railroad Avenue District is serving up RAD Bites — a self-guided tasting tour featuring small bites from over a dozen downtown locations, including Fiamma Pizza, AB Crepes, Pye Hole, Little Cheerful, and Mallard Ice Cream. Tickets are $15 for adults ($5 for kids 12 and under) and include tastings at all participating restaurants, with proceeds benefiting the Bellingham Food Bank.

Honeymoon Meadery hosts The Turkey Rapture with Jay Irwin & The G.P. Sunsets on November 28 from 8 to 10 p.m. This “day-after-Thanksgiving” show mixes witty storytelling, soulful originals, and a touch of fiddle and accordion-fueled harmony.

FRIDAY

The Naughty Blokes, Stones Throw Brewery – Catch The Naughty Blokes bringing their high-energy rock to Stones Throw from 6–8 pm. Free show with food trucks, craft beer, and good company, plus the debut of new guitarist and vocalist Lee Pence.

Laughs at Larrabee Comedy Night, Larrabee Lager Company – Enjoy a night of stand-up comedy from 8–9:30 pm. Headliner Swastik Bhat joins Corinna Lee Allen, AJ Norris, and host Nikki Kilpatrick for an evening of laughs, handcrafted pizza, and local lager.

Friday Music & Trivia →

SATURDAY

Blaine’s Holiday Harbor Lights, Downtown Blaine – Celebrate the season from 10 am–5 pm with Santa visits, a festive street fair, carriage rides, live music, and a tree lighting at sunset. A full day of family fun and holiday cheer by the waterfront!

Saturday Music & Trivia →

SUNDAY

Caroling at Cordata, Cordata Presbyterian Church – Join in the holiday spirit on Sunday, November 30th at 4 p.m. for an outdoor evening of carols, cocoa, and candy canes. Enjoy Christmas trivia, sing classic tunes, and celebrate the season rain or shine. Free and family-friendly.

The Jazz Project: Jamie Findlay Trio | FireHouse Arts & Events Center – The acclaimed Jazz Project series continues with guitarist Jamie Findlay joined by Brent Jensen on saxophones and Chris Symer on bass. Enjoy an intimate evening of world-class jazz from 4–6 pm, presented by the Washington State Arts Commission.

Sunday Music & Trivia →

Advertise in the #1 Newsletter in the Ham 
Want to include a note in the Wheel? Learn more

Hakuna matata

To All Our Readers

Thanks for reading today’s edition. If you found something helpful, please share it with a friend and encourage them to click here to subscribe. 🙏

Reply to this email if you have news to share, or if you’d like to send me a love note. 💘