Bellingham Alive

Whatcom Genealogical Society
2025-05-12 14:00 - 16:00 (America/Denver)
Ancestry DNA – a presentation by Peg Mertl
Join us for an enlightening presentation on Ancestry.com DNA.
Peg is an accomplished Ancestry DNA researcher and collaborator and serves as a volunteer at the local Family History Center.
May 12, 2025, 2 pm
2007 Cherry St. Ferndale, WA
Contact information: whatcomgenesoc@gmail.com
WGS Web: https://www.whatcom-gen-soc.org

Life Drawing Bellingham
2025-05-13 18:30 - 21:00
Life drawing from the live model – All levels welcome!
– $20 at the door, Cash/Card/Venmo
– Doors at 6p / Poses begin at 6:45p
– Materials & Snacks provided
– Short to long poses
– More details at www.lifedrawingbellingham.com
These are uninstructed events for anyone who enjoys or is curious about drawing from a live model. First-timers always welcome!
We provide a welcoming and supportive environment so that everyone can get into their creative flow.
The poses are timed, starting with shorter poses to warm up, gradually building up to longer poses, with breaks throughout.
** Stay up to date & Follow us on instagram @lifedrawingbellingham + Join our mailing list at www.lifedrawingbellingham.com **

All Voices Pop Up Chorus
2025-05-13 19:00 - 2025-06-17 20:30
Did you sing in school or in the church choir or love to sing in the shower? Then join the All-Voices Pop-Up Chorus put on by the Mount Baker Toppers. Learn to sing 4-part acapella harmony from award-winning teachers for six weeks and then perform A Night of Acapella on June 21st at the Fairhaven Green. It’s free and it’s fun. Ages 12-99 welcome! Stop by The Majestic on May 13th and check it out!
https://topperschorus.org/

Dine Out for Maple Alley Inn
2025-05-14 00:00 - 2025-05-21 23:59
5/14/25 – 5/21/25
One of Whatcom County’s longest-running community fundraising events, Dine Out for Maple Alley Inn is a weeklong celebration to support local restaurants, strengthen the community, and help end local hunger. All you have to do is visit any of the restaurants at oppco.org/dineout, and a portion of your purchase will go to support Maple Alley Inn, Opportunity Council’s hot meals program. Enjoying meals in your community can provide free hot meals to those who need them.
About Maple Alley Inn:
Since 1987, Maple Alley Inn has been dedicated to serving healthy and sustaining meals and fighting hunger in Whatcom County.  Offering all that a family meal provides, Maple Alley Inn has historically served a diverse community of low-income families, people experiencing homelessness, veterans, isolated seniors, individuals in recovery, and others by offering the chance to come together, dine in dignity, offer companionship, and share their stories. Meals are prepared from scratch and feature organic vegetables from the Maple Alley Inn Community Garden.
Contact anneliese_deleon@oppco.org or 360-734-5121 ext. 1333 for more information.

Spring Wine Release
2025-05-14 18:00 - 22:00
Join winemakers to introduce two new wines: Vintage Port and Rose of Cabernet Franc!
At 6PM on Wednesday, May 14th: 1678 Boblett Street in Blaine (exit 275) — free pizza, live music, wine tasting and a special announcement!

The 2025 La Conner Guitar Festival presents... Tracy Spring's workshop::"Unpacking Great Songs"
2025-05-16 12:00 - 13:30
A great lyric. A lovely bridge. An unexpected melodic line or chord structure. What caught your ear or captured your heart? We’ll bring our favorite songs to this workshop and learn about songwriting by exploring the great moves that someone else made. Bonus points if you bring a song you love, and then play a song you’ve written that incorporates one of those great moves! No prior songwriting experience is required to participate; just bring a favorite song to share with the group.
Tickets: $30 advance/$35 at the Box Office (Maple Hall, 104 Commercial St., La Conner, WA
https://laconnerguitarfestival.com/workshops

Kat Eggleston and Tracy Spring in Concert
2025-05-17 11:30 - 13:00
The 2025 La Conner Guitar Festival presents a special late morning concert with songwriters and long-time friends Kat Eggleston and Tracy Spring on Saturday, May 17, 11:30am-1:00pm. The two women will “swap tunes” back and forth in an intimate concert setting: the Club House of the Swinomish Yacht Club, (310 N. 1st St.) Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the Festival Box Office (Maple Hall, 104 Commercial St.)
https://laconnerguitarfestival.com/late-morning-concerts
Kat Eggleston is a singer, guitarist, songwriter, and playwright who has performed and taught internationally for more than thirty years, creating many solo and collaborative recordings of original and traditional music that have been distributed world-wide.
A seasoned performer as well, Tracy Spring has played in folk venues and festivals throughout North America and Australia, often combining her musical life with social justice work. With folk, blues and jazz influences, she displays a style all her own.

Skagit Symphony - Timeless Elements:Fire
2025-05-17 19:30 - 21:00
Skagit Symphony – Timeless Elements: Fire
Saturday, May 17th, 2025, 7:30pm
McIntyre Hall, 2501 E College Way Mount Vernon WA
“Music is the spark that lights the fire of the soul.” Skagit Symphony starts the festivities by setting off Handel’s Fireworks. Marta Szlubowska dazzles with Tchaikovsky’s violin concerto, and Erica Montgomery will Raise the Roof on our brand-new set of timpani. We bring our final evening concert to a close with the magic of Stravinsky’s Firebird.
For more information email info@skagitsymphony.com, visit our website https://www.skagitsymphony.com/fire or call 360-848-9336
For tickets visit https://purchase.mcintyrehall.org/ChooseSeats/1201

Wild Brushstrokes: An Expressive Acrylic Workshop
2025-05-24 10:00 - 16:00
TICKETS: https://www.lifedrawingbellingham.com/workshops
An Expressive Acrylic Workshop
Saturday, May 24 • 10AM–4PM
at Karate Church, 519 E Maple St, Bellingham, WA
$150 – All materials included
This is expressive painting—where the photo reference fuels instinct, and every choice is a potential to turn up your inner voice.
I will teach you how I paint from a photo reference of a wolf: My approaches, my mindset, and the practical tools to make expressive painting an ongoing part of your life.
Together, we’ll explore how to paint powerfully, intuitively, and expressively using acrylics. I’ll show you how to use a refrence photo with real energy—not to replicate it, but to unlock bold color, emotional mark-making, and deeper creative instincts.
This workshop will include informative lecture, live demos, one-on-one guidance, and an encouraging space where it’s safe to push yourself and explore what you haven’t dared to try before.
Whether you’re picking up a brush for the first time or finding your way back to painting, this is your chance to move past hesitation—and have a real encounter with creative potential.
What You’ll Learn:
– How to begin or renew your personal painting practice
– Color theory & mixing for emotional impact
– Expressive brushwork techniques that bring a portrait to life
– How to move beyond literal photo reference and tap into feeling
– The mindset of intuitive, self-guided creativity
You’ll Leave With:
– Your very own expressive wolf portrait
– The tools and knowledge to keep painting on your own
– A new relationship to color, instinct, and mark-making
– A deeper glimpse of your creative self
About the Instructor:
Cameron is a classically trained painter and expressive portrait artist known for his energetic, intuitive brushwork. A graduate of the New York Academy of Art, he now teaches and paints in Bellingham, where he also runs Life Drawing Bellingham, a weekly art community rooted in connection, growth, and experimentation. (See more of his work at www.mccoolart.com)

Digital Photography: Take Better Pictures with your Cell Phone!
2025-05-24 14:30 - 16:30
The great thing about phone cameras is that they’re always with us. But we’ve all cursed them for failing to get that once-in-a-life-time picture. In this two-hour-long class, I will help you to better understand the strengths and weaknesses of the little lensed miracle that lives in your phone. And that understanding will help you to capture more pictures that you love.
I will use an iPhone in class but people with other brands of phone are welcome. Cell phone cameras can vary considerably from phone to phone, so the focus of the class is not on specific camera settings. Instead, the class will focus on ideas and strategies for using the phone creatively.
Class Fee: $30
Ages: Teens and Adults 13+
Registration Deadline: 5/23 12 PM
Materials to Bring: Cell phone with a working camera

Ski to Sea
2025-05-25 07:30 - 18:00
Ski to Sea is the original multisport relay race, from Mt. Baker to Bellingham Bay. Organize your team of 3-8 racers and join us on Memorial Day weekend! Teammates and spectators await finishing racers in Bellingham’s scenic Marine Park and can experience the Historic Fairhaven Festival, the all-day street party just up the hill.
Returning racers tell us their favorite parts of Ski to Sea are camaraderie and community. From organizing your team to training, racing, and trading stories at the finish line beer garden, Ski to Sea is all about teamwork. It is also about our incredible community of over 700 volunteers who work together to make this event unforgettable, year after year, since 1973. Price: $684-$734.
Contact: Aurielle Buermann
Email: info@skitosea.com
Phone: (360)-746-8861
Websites: http://www.skitosea.com
https://www.facebook.com/skitosea/
https://twitter.com/skitosea?lang=en
Volunteer

Results

Women on the Water
2025-05-26 13:00 - 16:30
On May 26th, from 1:00-4:30PM, join the Community Boating Center for a gathering of woman-centered boating! This is the perfect event for beginner and experienced boaters to enjoy keelboat sailing, dinghy sailing, and kayaking in a safe and supportive environment.
All participants will have the same experiences, rotating through stations. Registration names are purely for group management.

Outsiders Inn presents Jon Fosse's "deathvariations"
2025-05-29 19:30 - 2025-06-07 20:30
Outsiders Inn Theater presents the West Coast Premiere of Nobel Prize Winner Jon Fosse’s riveting drama, deathvariations, directed by Greg Berry and featuring Karen Edland, Sar ‘Roman’ Feltman, Robert Frederiksen, Byron Priebe, Emily Riley, Anwyn Thompson.
When her daughter dies, a woman digs through her past, unearthing each of the losses in her life. She comes to find that death, her frequent visitor, may not be her enemy. Jon Fosse heightens the language of the everyday to reveal the power behind what we leave unsaid and what remains unseen.
“a taut, gripping exploration of—among other things—our frequent and tragic inability to recognize what’s right before us “
-NYTHEATRE.COM
Two weekends, 7 shows:
Thursday, May 29, 7:30pm; Friday, May 30, 7:30pm; Saturday, May 31, 7:30pm; Sunday, June 1, 7:30pm.&
Thursday, June 5, 7:30; Saturday, June 7, 2pm & 7:30pm,
EXPLORATIONS ACADEMY, 1701 Willis St., Bellingham, WA
https://www.facebook.com/outsidersinnseattle/ OR https://www.instagram.com/outsidersinntheatreco/

BMC matinee program with baritone Richard Hodges and pianist Jay Rozendaal
2025-06-04 10:30 - 11:30
BMC June program features baritone Richard Hodges, renowned opera performer, composer and educator, and Jay Rozendaal, a world-class voice coach and pianist who calls Bellingham his home, in a special performance to close its 109th season.
They present a varied program that covers a wide scope of styles and genres. It includes works by Verdi, Ravel, Gershwin and Margaret Bonds.
Join us for a matinee concert on Wednesday, June 4, at 10:30am, at Trinity Lutheran Church, 119 Texas St. in Bellingham. Free, open to all, and family friendly. This is BMC’s gift to the community! More information on https://bellinghammusicclub.org/

Music at St. Paul's Presents: A Musical Prayer for Peace
2025-06-04 19:00 - 21:00
The music program at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church presents a performance at 7pm on Wed. June 4th of The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace, by Karl Jenkins. Featuring trumpet, percussion, flute/piccolo, cello, organ, and choir, this piece was first performed in 2000 by the London Philharmonic Orchestra. It is an anti-war piece based on the Catholic Mass, featuring lyrics from a wide variety of religious traditions. Childcare is available.
Tickets are $25/adult and $15/student, and can be purchased here: https://music-stpauls.org/events

How Queer!
2025-06-05 18:00 - 2025-07-23 21:00
Voxel Gallery presents How Queer! an exhibition that celebrates the vibrant, diverse, and powerful voices of 2SLGBTQIA+ artists in our community. As we honor Pride months, we invite you to explore the stories, struggles, and triumphs of those who are shaping the world with their art. This collection reflects on themes of love, identity, social justice, resilience, and personal journeys.

BMC Night Beat presents baritone Richard Hodges, pianist Jay Rozendaal, and special guests
2025-06-05 19:30 - 21:00
BMC June evening program features baritone Richard Hodges, renowned opera performer, composer, and educator—and Jay Rozendaal, a world-class voice coach and pianist who calls Bellingham his home—in a special performance to close its 109th season.
The program includes works by Verdi, Vaughan Williams, Margaret Bonds, Nathaniel Dett, and Dr. Hodges. Special guests: soprano Heather Dudenbostel joins Hodges and Rozendaal for a Mozart aria and a song by Stephen Sondheim, and Eli Schille-Hudson comes in to perform a song cycle for baritone and guitar by John Rutter.
Full-length BMC Night Beat is on Thursday, June 5, 7:30pm at First Congregational Church, 2401 Cornwall Ave. in Bellingham. No ticket purchase required; we suggest a $20 donation. All are welcome and students are always free!
Find out more about BMC’s season and endeavors on https://bellinghammusicclub.org/

Ted Gibson Retrospective: Photography, Children's Lunchboxes and more!
2025-06-06 18:00 - 20:30
Ted Gibson Retrospective:
Photography, Children’s Lunchboxes, and Dick & Jane Drawings
Exhibit dates: June 6 – July 26, 2025. Artwalk and Public Celebration: June 6, 6 – 8:30 PM
Dakota Art, 1322 Cornwall Ave. Bellingham, WA 98225
Regular Hours: Mon-Sat 10AM-5PM
Facebook Event, Artist Website: https://www.tedgibson-art.org/
Contact:
Mary Jo Maute, Ted’s Life Partner & Bellingham Artist. mjmaute@gmail.com, (360) 224-4313
Alan Weydert, Dakota Art, aeweydert@gmail.com. (360) 676-8918
Documentarian and political artist, Ted Gibson’s (1944–2024) collection of histories of “ordinary people,” are being presented together for the first time at Dakota Art Gallery! Revealing Gibson’s lifetime of creative passion and profound insights, this retrospective exhibit includes 40 archival photographs showing the magic found on the highway, in quiet places and at special events, along with several series of works, most notably his Children’s Lunchboxes and a collection of drawings with apropos quotations called Dick and Jane in Retrospect which juxtapose trite Americana with scenes from the dark side of American Capitalism.

Waterfront Artist Studio - Artwalk
2025-06-06 18:00 - 21:00
Artist studio open for Artwalk.
Lots of great artists.

Shoestring Circus in Bellingham
2025-06-06 19:00 - 2025-06-22 21:00
Shoestring Circus returns to Bellingham! Their big top tent will be back at the Waterfront Pump Track from June 6th – 22nd with a brand new show for all ages! Join incredible circus artists from around the country for a one-of-a-kind show where skill, comedy, and creativity come together under the classic big top tent. Every year has sold out so snag your seats early to the circus of the summer and enjoy high-flying contortionists, World Record breaking jugglers, Broadway acrobats, and more!
Shoestring Circus was formed in 2022 by four performers and friends with a passion for circus arts. With multiple sold out tours they continue to reach more towns in Washington state with their unique style of spectacle, skill, and story. You can also catch them in Olympia, Orting, and other locations in Washington state from June to August!
Tickets and Information at shoestringcircus.com
Shoestring Circus is an all-human production.
Showtimes:
Friday, June 6th – 7pm
Saturday, June 7th – 1pm, 5pm, 8pm
Sunday, June 8th – 3pm, 6pm
–
Thursday, June 12th – 7pm
Friday, June 13th – 5pm, 8pm
Saturday, June 14th – 5pm, 8pm
Sunday, June 15th – 3pm, 6pm
–
Thursday, June 19th – 7pm
Friday, June 20th – 5pm, 8pm
Saturday, June 21st – 1pm, 5pm, 8pm
Sunday, June 22nd – 1pm
Admission:
$16 – Child General seating (ages 3-13)
$33 – Adult General seating (ages 13+)
$48 – Front Row seating

Twin Sisters Mobile Market - Deming
2025-06-07 09:00 - 2025-10-25 15:00
Come shop at your local mobile farmers market featuring Whatcom grown/raised produce, meat, seafood, eggs, and more!
Where: Deming Quick Stop, Shell Station
When: 9:00am – 3:00pm
Saturdays, June 7th-October 25th

Weekend Meditation workshop
2025-06-07 09:30 - 2025-06-08 17:00
Awakening the Third Eye meditation workshop
Take a plunge into deeper aspects of yourself through meditation, vitality management and techniques for daily life that allow you to stay present and centered.
In these chaotic and turbulent times, having tools to stay grounded, connected and clear is needed more than ever.
June 7 – 8
9.30 – 5pm each day
Reg price $285
Early bird (before May 8) $225 Student or Refresher $125
For more info, email ATEBellingham@gmail.com
or register at https://forms.gle/Lkkjsifxd83qVmSm6

San Juan Island Studio Tour
2025-06-07 10:00 - 17:00
Discover the 34th annual San Juan Island Studio Tour o June 7-8, 2025 from 10am -5pm. explore 22 studios featuring 67 artist showcasing fine art paintings, pottery, jewelry, and more.This is a free, self guided event spans scenic San Juan Island. www.sanjuanislandartists.com #SJIArtistStudioTour

Twin Sisters Mobile Market - Kendall
2025-06-07 10:00 - 2025-10-25 14:00
Come shop at your local mobile farmers market featuring Whatcom grown/raised produce, meat, seafood, eggs, and more!
Where: North Fork Library
When: 10:00am – 2:00pm
Saturdays, June 7th-October 25th

Wander to Wander 1K
2025-06-07 10:30 - 13:00
Mark your calendars for the Wander to Wander 1k on Saturday, June 7th, 2025! Learn more and Register at https://www.whatcomdrc.org/wander-to-wander
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. At the finish, enjoy a pint of beer or root beer (included with all registrations), food trucks, and the fanfare of this exciting race!
Costumes are encouraged. All ages, abilities, as well as pets are welcome. We hope you will join in the fun and support the WDRC! This event is ADA accessible and volunteers will be available to support racers who need assistance.
-General Registration: $20
-Day-of Registration:$25
-Kids 10 and Under: Free!

Blueberry Jam: Contra Dance
2025-06-07 19:00 - 22:00
June 7 Contra Dance: Orcas Island Odd Fellows Hall 7:00-10:00 pm.
Blueberry Jam is the passion project of Sky Leuba, a local Bellingham musician who grew up just across the border in Langley, BC. It features a somewhat rotating cast of musicians with the aim to provide a platform to introduce local musicians to the dance scene and have a jolly good time. The music is well established in tradition, but with a propensity for some improvisation, arrangement, as well as the infusion of original piano compositions that speak to Sky’s formative education in classical and jazz. $10-$20 sliding scale. The caller will teach the dances–easy to learn, fun to dance with people of all ages. All are welcome.

Blast from the Past Car Show & Sine
2025-06-08 09:00 - 15:00
Join us for our Annual Car Show & Shine, hosted by the American Legion Post #43 Featuring Ryan Evans, custom car painter from tv’s Counting Cars! Entry fee $20 per vehicle.

Twin Sisters Mobile Market - Birchwood
2025-06-08 09:00 - 2025-10-26 14:00
Come shop at your local mobile farmers market featuring Whatcom grown/raised produce, meat, seafood, eggs, and more!
Where: Northwest Pawn Parking Lot
When: 9:00am – 2:00pm
Sundays, June 8th-October 26th
