Lynden Farmers Market
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…
Ferndale Market
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…
When the Bells Stop Ringing
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 and stared at the clump of dirt and grass. The solemnity of the moment was inescapable—I was about to prepare his final physical resting ground here on earth. The emotions of death are unlike any other, I thought to myself as my shovel hit a root from a…
Fairhaven Wednesday Market
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 summer concert series featuring free, local talent. Known For The…
Bellingham Downtown Market
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 biggest farmers markets in the state. With the help of community member Del Lowry, the group worked together to bring vendors and farmers to the market. Opening day in June 1993 hosted almost 50…
Sedro-Woolley Farmers Market
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…
Mount Vernon Farmers Market
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…
Bow Little Market
The Bow Little Market launched in July 2010 with the motto, “Where the little guy is a big deal.” Held in the Belfast Feed Store, the market caters to smaller farmers and producers trying to get their businesses started, which means new and unusual finds for consumers. They have about 30 vendors to shop from, meaning less…
Anacortes Farmers Market
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 — live music, plenty of food vendors when you want…
San Juan Island Farmers Market
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,…
Lopez Island Farmers Market
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 and a dedication to boosting the community’s economy. Known For Plenty of art and artisan goods,…
Orcas Island Farmers 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 a small island, the market…
Spring Bouquet
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…
Sips of the Season
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 Spring Sips of the Season. Dan “The Wine Guy” Radil explained to attendees why certain wine pairings are successful, what to do if you’ve made the wrong choice, and how Portteus became one of the state’s wine…
A Prime Dining Experience
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…
Freezing Cabin
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…
Cheetah-Chic Living
Animal Prints Rev Up a Room It might be safe to say that while keeping the color palette tame on this project, we got wild with the style. Prior to our makeover, we were welcomed with a pet-soiled off-white carpet with poorly placed furniture. My client rarely used this room and wished to make improvements in order to entertain during holidays. Her dream was to have an inviting space with a…
Shaping Up For Spring And Summer
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 salon was not necessarily Becnel’s plan, but she always knew she wanted to work for herself, and so Spruced was born. The salon is clean, open,…
A Beloved Bookstore Grows
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 passionate about…
Spotlight Film
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 last three years, she’s been producing,…
Food Thoughts: the Art of Mindful Eating
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 eat a pound of vegetables a day. A lot of people don’t even really give much thought to what they eat on any day. And I get it, because I was once like that too. We are living in a time when almost 10% of Americans have Type II…
Stay Calm and Breathe in the Lavender
Pelindaba Lavender Farm THE SHOP Many locals are familiar with the purple fields of Pelindaba Lavender Farm on San Juan…
Carving Beauty Out of The Ordinary
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 play.” A professional large scale…
Whimsical to Practical Jewelry, Gifts, More
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…
Hearty Pasty Fills the Soul
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…
Affordable Style, Appealing Fashion
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…
Playing Around
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 for its founder. Since…
Crazy For Kombucha
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…
Wonder Woman
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. And “everything” doesn’t just stop at the workplace. In…
Graham Kerr Wants to Leave “Galloping Gourmet” Behind
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 things we don’t need anymore. It’s an act he’s coined “out-doldrum,” taking an active role in revitalizing your sense of purpose…