For more than 60 years, Meerkerk Gardens has been shaped by generations of care, preserving its unique woodland landscape while honoring the vision of those…
The Lynden market was originally founded in 2011 with the goal of supporting local artisans and farmers. It usually hosts around 20 vendors, but since vendors are not required to commit to an entire season, the market shifts each week. The market was founded by the…
The Ferndale Market began in 2007 and has since grown into a market of more than 30 vendors. Each vendor hand-selects their products, whether it’s produce or artisan crafts, to sell to community members. The market also offers an opportunity for youth vendors. On the second Friday of each month, vendors under 18 are allowed to vend for free. The goal is to promote the importance of local, nutrient-rich, produce and supporting…
F or weeks, I had mentally prepared myself to dig my stepfather’s grave. The first shovelful of sod was the hardest. I placed the first piece carefully to the side…
The Fairhaven market was created just a few years after the downtown Bellingham market and was soon brought under the same management umbrella. Now, visitors can find many of the same vendors found at the downtown market in the intimate atmosphere of the Village Green. Purposely timed for the lunch break, stop in for a well-earned lunch and a grassy seat in the sun. The market also hosts a…
When two Western Washington University students came together in the 1990s, they had no idea that their small idea of a market would sprout into one of the…
Take a mid-week break at the Sedro-Woolley Farmers Market. The pint-sized market is ideal for mid-week stocking-up on local ingredients and for an hour or two of relaxing. Their goal to revitalize the community by offering customers locally produced food and artisan products is being realized with an array of products offered by local vendors. Known For The music. Every week features a new artist who keeps the atmosphere festive and prompts visitors to break…
Going strong for 30 years, the Mount Vernon Farmers Market has been operating since 1987. Today it’s a vibrant event with live music, an array of vendors, and the occasional cooking competition. Known For The strong sense of community. Market-goers are loyal and vendors are especially friendly. It’s so popular and community-oriented that the market opened a second day of the week, Wednesday, outside the Skagit Valley Hospital, to address requests for more shopping. Northwest Touch Known for being helpful…
The Bow Little Market launched in July 2010 with the motto, “Where the little guy is a big deal.” Held in…
The Anacortes Farmers Market has been operating at the Depot since 1989. The market’s goal then holds true today: provide locally produced food and promote healthy eating within the community. Today, between 70 and 75 vendors draw about 3,000 visitors every summer Saturday, and for good reason…
Founded in 1987 by a group of island farmers who wanted a venue to sell their goods directly to the public, the mission of the San Juan Island Farmers Market has remained unchanged for 30 years: “Provide an outlet for agricultural products that are grown, harvested, or processed in San Juan County.” Today, vendors offer an array of locally produced, high-quality goods. Visitors are also entertained by live, local music and…
The Lopez Island Farmers Market prides itself as being as local as possible. They adhere to a hierarchy of home-growing when picking vendors: first priority goes to Lopez Island-produced food and products, second to the San Juan Islands, then the state of Washington. This ensures a truly local feel to the market…
It’s no surprise Orcas Island Farmers Market, like the Lopez Island and San Juan Island farmers markets, values locality. All the food and products are grown and made on Orcas Island. Being on…
Celebrate fickle season with a versatile wine menu There’s an old saying around the Pacific Northwest this time of year: “If you don’t like the weather, just wait a minute.” April is one of those crazy, capricious months where the calendar says spring, but the weather doesn’t always agree. Hail, windstorms, the possibility of frost, and of course, plenty of rain can overrun any chance of sunshine that’s trying to warm us up and snap us…
Cosmos Bistro and Portteus Winery On March 4, a sold-out crowd at Cosmos Bistro experienced a range of wines from Portteus Winery, paired with out-of-this-world small plates created by Cosmos owner Cinnamon Berg, during Bellingham Alive magazine’s…
Max Dale’s Steak & Chop House In 1951 Max and Pauline Dale wanted to open a burger place within a sophisticated setting. Max Dale’s Steak & Chop House began serving exceptional burgers in a dining room of white-clothed tables and chandeliers overhead. In 1976 the restaurant experienced a severe fire. The insurance claims adjuster, Tony Pickering helped the Dales work…
Kitchen Remodel Helps Ease a Drab Winter’s Chill This home, a one-time 1930s beach cabin, got so cold in winter that its owner would routinely flee to Mexico for three months. But after six years of annual escapes, it was time to put…
Animal Prints Rev Up a Room It might be safe to say that while keeping the color palette tame on this project, we got…
Spruced Hair and Brow Studio Last summer, Brooke Becnel, along with the help of her loyal stylists, opened Spruced Hair and Brow Studio in Fairhaven. Opening a modern, hip…
Pelican Bay Books There are numerous places you can go to find a book: the library, a chain bookstore, an independent bookstore, even a thrift sale if you don’t mind rummaging. But a used bookstore is special—a kind of book sanctuary favored by the most avid readers. A well-run bookstore stocks books of every genre, and hard-to-find works. Books are meticulously reviewed for stray marks and missing pages. The staff is knowledgeable and…
Documentaries, directors in focus at Cascadia International Women’s film festival Since high school, Natalie Fedak has had stories she’s wanted to tell. She started off writing screenplays and for…
The other day someone asked me, “Do you eat salad every day?” To which I replied “I do. Don’t you?” I sometimes forget that most people don’t…
Pelindaba Lavender Farm THE SHOP Many locals are familiar with the purple fields of Pelindaba Lavender Farm on San Juan Island, but don’t know about its offshoot retail stores. They sell the same wonderful lavender products as their on-site gift store, the Gatehouse Farm Store. Each outlet carries the same high-quality, on-site-grown, harvested, and handcrafted goods, but each store has its own character. Opened in March 2012, the Pelindaba Lavender store in downtown La…
Tomas Vrba and the Tomas Vrba Studio Every day before he leaves his home in Everett, Tomas Vrba tells his two young children, “Daddy is going to…
Moorea Seal Have you ever walked into a store and thought it must have been designed with you in mind? For me, that store is Moorea Seal, a hidden gem in the heart of Seattle’s Belltown district. Moorea Seal offers a beautifully curated selection of accessories and objects, highlighting handmade items from artists across the U.S. and…
Good to Go Meat Pies At Good to Go Meat Pies in Everson, you get some history baked in with the shop’s hearty pasties. Owner and founder Holly Bevan-Bumford hung up a picture of her great-grandfather’s confection shop in the dining area. Bevan-Bumford’s grandmother, Audrey, was just a little girl when…
Apricot Lane Boutique Apricot Lane Boutiques have made their way up to our corner of Washington. The Bellis Fair store opened on Nov. 17 as the first Apricot Lane in the state, said owner Michelle Alke. While Apricot Lane is a franchise, the company has only about 80 stores nationwide, keeping it a community-oriented business, Alke said. Visitors can expect to find affordable jewelry,…
Max Higbee Center helps disabled youth and adults recreate F or more than three decades, the Max Higbee Center has been committed to providing recreational services to developmentally disabled youth and adults. Western Washington University professor Max Higbee, recognizing a recreation gap for developmentally disabled people in the community, started an informal program that in 1984 became a nonprofit organization soon renamed…
Flavored, fermented tea is as popular as a home brew, too Kombucha has been everywhere lately, from lining the shelves at your local Fred Meyer, to the Culture Café at Kombucha Town opening in Bellingham’s own historic Herald Building. Haggen even offers kombucha growler fills for the trendy fermented tea. Making your own kombucha has become a popular hobby among people who’d rather do the work themselves rather than buying it in stores. Though it seems like…
Emily O’Connor From grant writing and public speaking to dealing with finances and program development, Lydia Place’s executive director Emily O’Connor does it all. “I do a little bit of everything,” O’Connor laughs….
Graham Kerr isn’t downsizing, he’s actualizing. There’s a difference: Kerr already lives by the notion that we should stop purchasing new things. Instead, give away…
