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

Have fun, and stay safe out there!

~ Evan

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The voice behind one of public radio’s funniest hours is coming to Bellingham. Peter Sagal, longtime host of NPR’s Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!, brings his quick wit, sharp observations, and signature storytelling to the Mount Baker Theatre stage.

Expect a lively evening exploring politics, culture, comedy, and life behind the microphone. The event also includes an audience Q&A, giving you the chance to hear directly from one of America’s most engaging humorists.

There is a surprisingly long history tucked into women’s underwear, and the Whatcom Museum is pulling some of it out of storage this week. Tomorrow, September 10, costume designer Diane Johnston will give a talk, Hidden Layers: Women’s Undergarments and How They’ve Shaped Ladies’ Liberties, at Old City Hall on how women’s undergarments have reflected changing ideas about modesty, beauty, comfort, and freedom. Johnston has spent 35 years designing theatrical costumes and holds an MFA in costume design.

The museum is pairing the talk with a display of Victorian undergarments from its permanent collection in the Old City Hall Rotunda Room, which should make some of those changing expectations a little easier to picture.

It also lines up nicely with the museum’s current Vivid Victorian 👆 exhibition on Whatcom County fashions from 1860 to 1900. The talk runs from 5 to 6 p.m. and is free, though advance registration is required.

The coolest cats in the Ham are gathering, and you’re invited. The Northwest Mushroomers Association’s September meeting, hosts author Eva Gordon who will talk about her new book, Animal Mycophiles: Critters that Hunt, Farm, Self-Medicate & Get High on Fungi. Gordon, a former science educator, digs into the partnerships between animals and fungi, including creatures that eat them, spread them, use them medicinally, and, yes, occasionally seem to enjoy their psychoactive effects.

The Northwest Mushroomers Association got its start in Bellingham in 1989, and its monthly programs are aimed at helping people better understand the fungal world around us. This one is open to the public and starts at 6:30 pm tomorrow, September 10, at Whatcom Community College’s Syre Student Center, room SSC 104.

The annual Greek Festival at St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Church kicks off tomorrow, September 10, for four days of Greek food, music, dancing, and delicious baklava. The festival has been a Bellingham tradition since 1984, with much of the food prepared by members of the church, including spanakopita, souvlaki, gyros, loukoumades, Greek coffee, and other favorites served under the big outdoor tent.

There is more going on between meals, including live Greek music, dance performances, a taverna serving Greek beer and wine, shopping, and guided tours of St. Sophia. GreekFest runs from 11 am to 9 pm Thursday through Saturday, then 11 am to 7 pm Sunday.

LOCAL READS

The battle of Sudden Valley’s invasive waterlilies
By Jenny Lam · Salish Current
Sudden Valley plans to treat invasive fragrant waterlilies at Lake Louise with a glyphosate-based herbicide after years of manual removal, as dense mats crowd shoreline habitat and dissolved oxygen has fallen. Jenny explains why the treatment timing and Lake Louise’s connection to Lake Whatcom have raised questions among residents. Read more →

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Magic Rocks: Trevor’s Magic Rocks
By Lauren Brigolin · I Love Bellingham Blog
Trevor’s Magic Rocks has opened in the former Fairhaven Gold space at 1302 12th Street, filling the shop with polished stones, jewelry, lapidary work, and classes in cutting, drilling, and wire wrapping. Lauren explains what lapidary artists actually do and how the new storefront makes that craft visible in Fairhaven. Read more →

CIVIC CORNER

Wednesday
Bham Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, 7:30 am, Pacific Street Operations Center

Thursday
Whatcom County Planning Commission, 6:00 pm, Northwest Annex
Bham Community Development Advisory Board, 6:00 pm, City Hall
Whatcom County Flood Control Zone District Advisory Committee, 7:00 pm, Civic Building
Whatcom County Public Health Advisory Board, 7:00 am, Whatcom County Health Department
Whatcom County Justice Project Finance and Facility Advisory Board, 3:30 pm, Civic Building

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Wednesday
King Mountain Community Garden: Join Bellingham Parks Community Gardens to care for King Mountain Community Garden. You can weed and mulch paths and tend the Victory Garden by weeding, watering, and harvesting produce to donate. Register

Thursday-Friday
Olsen Creek: Help Washington Trails Association implement a multi-use recreation opportunity just outside of Bellingham. Thursday, Friday

Saturday
Salish Coast Trail: Join Recreation Northwest Trails Coalition for trail work along the Salish Coast Trail at Interurban. You will remove invasive species and litter, spread mulch or wood chips, plant native plants, and learn stewardship practices in partnership with the City of Bellingham. Register

Mercato delle Bontà
Jokes on the Waterfront Starring Nathan Hart (comedy) | Fri 8:00 pm

Lucas Hicks Auditorium
The Lament of Morin, Mumphries, Halstom, and Rose (theatre) | Fri, Sat

The Upfront Theatre
Various performances

Tango Practica - The Majestic - Wed 6:30 pm
Revolution Fusion - Karate Church - Thurs 7 pm
Beginner Ballet - Karate Church - Sat 10 am
Beginner Contemporary - Karate Church - Sat 11:30 am
Dance Fusion - BSAC - 10:30 am
Salsa Collective - The Majestic - Sun 5:30 pm
Open Floor Conscious Dance - Bellingham Fitness - Sun 10:30 am

Seattle-based pianist and composer Francesco Crosara brings his quartet to the FireHouse tonight, September 9, from 6:30 to 8:30 pm as part of the Jazz Center of Bellingham series. Crosara blends jazz improvisation with classical training and Latin influences, joined by Alexey Nikolaev on tenor sax, Farko Dosumov on bass, and D’Vonne Lewis on drums.

New Orleans singer-songwriter Andrew Duhon brings his blend of folk, blues, and country to The Shakedown on Wednesday, September 9, with doors at 7 pm and the show at 7:30 pm. He performs with bassist Myles Weeks and drummer Jim Kolacek, longtime collaborators who add three-part harmonies to Duhon’s story-driven songs.

Flagship Romance and The Rough & Tumble share the stage at the FireHouse tomorrow, September 10, from 7 to 9 pm as part of their six-month Rough Romance U.S. Tour. Flagship Romance pairs married singer-songwriters Shawn Fisher and Jordyn Jackson with alternative folk arrangements and acoustic guitar. The Rough & Tumble, Mallory Graham and Scott Tyler, lean toward folk-rock, roots, and Americana.

Wild Hearts performs at Zeeks Pizza Bellingham tomorrow, September 10, starting at 7 pm. Bellingham musicians Cathy Taylor and Kathy Bastow met at a local open mic before forming the acoustic duo, building their sets around vocal harmonies and guitar. Their repertoire mixes original songs with covers drawn from folk, country, bluegrass, and rock, often reshaped with their own arrangements.

Bellingham Music Club opens its 111th season with the Bellingham String Trio at Trinity Lutheran Church tonight, September 9, from 10:30 to 11:30 am. Violinist Shu-Hsin Ko, violist Yuko Watanabe, and cellist Coral Marchant will perform works by Boccherini, Beethoven, and Leó Weiner. Details

Flower Market, Ohio Street Work Studios – The North Sound Flower Cooperative hosts a market from 9 am to noon with locally grown, seasonal cut flowers from regional farms, open to both the public and floral professionals.

Jess Ray & John Van Deusen: The Quiet Tour, First Presbyterian Church – An intimate acoustic show begins at 7:30 pm with storytelling, audience-requested songs, and guitar and piano performances from both singer-songwriters; doors open at 6:45 pm.

Wednesday Music & Trivia →

The Invincible Czars: Faust & Nosferatu, Pickford Film Center – A 6 pm double feature pairs Faust and Nosferatu with live musical accompaniment by The Invincible Czars. Tickets

Thursday Happy Hour Jazz with Cheryl Hodge, Hotel Leo – Cheryl Hodge performs jazz from 4 to 6 pm during a free weekly happy hour set in downtown Bellingham.

Stacy Carlson: The Gyre, Village Books – Author Stacy Carlson discusses her new novel from 6 to 7 pm, a historical tale of faith, folklore, and survival set in the far northern Arctic. Reserve a seat

Thursday Music & Trivia →

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