New Bistro Opens in Historic …

New Bistro Opens in Historic Mount Vernon Building | Union Block Bistro

Upon entering the Union Block Bistro, you’re immediately greeted by a friendly face. The Union Block Bistro is homey. The interior boasts a variety of colors, from lime green to black to ‘80s-disco-teal; the painted-over brick walls reflect the stories and age of the 1906 building. Although the features of the room are hard, the lighting is softened by the white linen cloth hanging over the long fluorescent lights above. Heidi…

Backyard Beekeeping | …

Backyard Beekeeping | Northwest Apiary Services

Have you ever thought of providing local pollination from your own home? Whether you want to hardly lift a finger or go all in and be one with the bees, Northwest Apiary Services makes this possible. Co-Founders Monica Burdette and Karly Kerr are beyond passionate about making beekeeping local, sustainable, and accessible. Every county and city has…

A Worry-Free Way to Wet Your …

A Worry-Free Way to Wet Your Whistle | Beverages by Boel

“I know we give people the gift of time, because we’re experts in putting together the beverage part of people’s special events,” says Boel Laxfoss, owner and operator of Beverages by Boel. Through her beverage…

Collective, Infectious Joy—…

Collective, Infectious Joy—and Great Hair! | Beauty Collective

Elspeth Palmby laughs and looks a little bit uncomfortable when I ask if she’s the owner of Beauty Collective, a small salon tucked back from the sidewalk on Fairhaven’s Harris Avenue. “Technically, yes, I own Beauty Collective—the name,” she says, “but everyone booth-rents and it’s more like a co-op.” Miranda Ridgely, Palmby’s longtime friend and fellow hairstylist, agrees with a smile….

Wine Pick of the Month | …

Wine Pick of the Month | Niccolo Coturri’s High Diving Sparkling 2023

PRODUCER: Niccolo Coturri WINE: High Diving Sparkling 2023 GRAPES: Madeleine Angevine and Siegerrbe from Lopez Island Vineyards We love this wine from our friends at Piquenique and Niccolo Coturri Wines—they’re some of the only natural wines being made in Washington state. Nic and Tess farm this organic vineyard themselves on Lopez Island, using no preservatives or chemicals in the winery and doing everything as sustainably and regeneratively as possible. This wine is sparkly, aromatic, and zesty, with notes of grapefruit…

A Taste of the Okanagan | …

A Taste of the Okanagan | Kelowna, British Columbia

Calling the Pacific Northwest home goes hand-in-hand with a perk many of us may take for granted: being just a short trip away from our neighbors to the North. Whether you’re looking for a picturesque weekend getaway or an action-packed weeklong vacation, I have a location to…

Mixing Family and Business …

Mixing Family and Business for Delicious Results | Hedlin’s Family Farm

Farming, specifically on the La Conner land his family has owned for four generations, has always been in Kai Ottesen’s blood. But that doesn’t mean he always planned on being a farmer. “I’d just graduated with a degree in English Literature from the University of Alaska Southeast…

Spring Spot Prawn & …

Spring Spot Prawn & Asparagus Risotto | Chef Matthew’s Corner

May in the Pacific Northwest is a time of abundance—farmers markets overflow with vibrant produce, and the Salish Sea offers some of the freshest seafood imaginable. One of the reasons I fell in love with this region is the unparalleled access to high-quality local ingredients—some of the best I’ve ever cooked with. Whether meeting farmers in the field or picking up seafood straight from the docks, sourcing ingredients is…

Kickin’ It With the South …

Kickin’ It With the South Fork Country Kickers

The universal appeal of line dancing has led to a recent surge in popularity and frequent appearances at local venues. The South Fork Country Kickers combine rural charm with a mix of musical genres, bringing a vibrant energy to the dance floor while providing instruction on how…

Countryside Equestrian ‘…

Countryside Equestrian ‘Hipstoric’ Farmhouse Kitchen | TANNA BY DESIGN

With a nod to the English countryside, this farmhouse design combines old and new, mixing modern pieces and antique furniture with rough-and-ready European…

8 Great Tastes | May 2025

The Black Cat is known for its vintage, classy atmosphere and it’s delicious Mexican Street Corn Dip. From red brick walls to stained-glass Tiffany lamps, this is the perfect restaurant for fancy dining in historic Fairhaven. Who knows, maybe you’ll even catch a glimpse of the ghost…

Small But Mighty: Local …

Small But Mighty: Local Seafood Truck on Lummi Island | Legoe Bay Reefnetter

Legoe Bay Reefnetter has been operating for around two years and is a one-man operation run by Kevin Castellanos. Though the menu is short, it will not fall short of your expectations. Coming from Guayaquil, Ecuador, where the salmon had to…

52 Perfect Saturdays

Ever wake up on the weekend and feel a tug to get out of the house and do something fun, but you have no idea…

New ADHD Center Opens in …

New ADHD Center Opens in Bellingham | Hallowell Todaro ADHD & Behavioral Health Center

March 3 marked the opening of the new Hallowell Todaro ADHD & Behavioral Health Center in Bellingham. The health center, an offshoot of the larger Seattle location, will initially serve as a place for new client consultations and therapy, with plans to eventually expand to patient and…

A Hub for Thrift, the Heart …

A Hub for Thrift, the Heart of a Community | Worn Again Thrift

THE SHOP The beautiful Bellingham National Bank Building on Holly Street has a stylish new tenant: Worn Again Thrift, a curated vintage store that believes secondhand apparel is a gateway to sustainability, community, and self-expression. Worn Again began as a two-person team (Owner Miles Harlow and a co-founder), buying and selling vintage on the road,…

Keeping Bellingham Blooming

Strolling through downtown Bellingham, you’ll come across many treasured local haunts. And from May through October, you’ll find yourself face to face with something unique to the summer months: enormous flower baskets hanging from downtown lamp posts. The presence of these vibrant flower baskets is the result of the Adopt a…

New Restaurant Brings Dim Sum …

New Restaurant Brings Dim Sum to the People | SOHO Bellingham Asian Kitchen & Bar

A new restaurant has moved into the previous K-Pop Chicken and Beer space in downtown Bellingham, and it’s serving up something that Bellingham’s been missing: dim sum! SOHO Bellingham Asian Kitchen & Bar serves “dim sum, Thai cuisine, and other Asian-inspired dishes in a dynamic fusion,” according to their website. It’s a new venture by married Wanida Thai Owners Surachai (Alex)…

“Meant to Be” | Melissa …

“Meant to Be” | Melissa Hatcher of Adored Boutique

Melissa Hatcher, 32, isn’t just the new owner of downtown Fairhaven’s Adored Boutique—she’s a legacy. Since Adored opened in August 2020, Hatcher has worked by the side of former owner Bridget Knutson. Helping to start up a new business during the peak of the pandemic, Hatcher was expecting the hard stuff while solely managing the boutique, but she wasn’t expecting a blast from the past. It…

Great Places to Get Flowers …

Great Places to Get Flowers for Mom | Five Faves

Flowers represent spring, which is associated with new life and motherhood—that’s part of what makes them such a popular gift on Mother’s Day. Here are some great local options for sourcing blooms for your mom this spring, because she deserves them! By the way, most of these businesses offer bouquet subscriptions…

Cornhole for a Cause

Excitement was in the air. Cornhole bags flew across the astroturf field of the Bellingham Sportsplex as players warmed up for the ensuing tournament. That was the scene at the first fundraising…

Since Time Immemorial | …

Since Time Immemorial | Teresa Taylor

Since Time Immemorial is a recurring series featuring community members whose families have been here since time immemorial. The ancestral knowledge carried by Lhaq’temish, Nooksack, and other Coast Salish peoples is knowledge about how…

The Mixing Tin | Blackberry …

The Mixing Tin | Blackberry Jalapeño Margarita

BLACKBERRY JALAPEÑO MARGARITA Red Star Taco Bar: $12 Ingredients: Jalapeño-infused blanco tequila, blackberry jam, lime, and a salt and Tajín-rimmed glass A cold winter’s night, a warm summer’s day, tequila and blackberry have come to say hey. The Blackberry Jalapeño Margarita from Red Star Taco Bar…

A Tribute to Community | …

A Tribute to Community | Blaine’s Blessing of the Fleet

Despite the constant flow of travelers passing through the Peace Arch border, the seaside city of Blaine maintains a distinct small-town charm. In the heart of downtown, residents call…

Bellingham’s Summertime Hub …

Bellingham’s Summertime Hub Comes Back to Life | Portal Container Village

The Portal Container Village at Bellingham’s Downtown Waterfront reopens on May 2, bringing with it local seasonal food, shopping, and outdoor fun. Both the Waterfront Bike Park (a.k.a the Pump Track) and its nextdoor neighbor, the Portal, began as experiments to get…

Getting Market Season Running!…

Getting Market Season Running! | EN Valley Farmers Market 5k

The team behind EN Valley Farmers Market in Everson has teamed up with the Greater Bellingham Running Club to start the summer farmers market season off with a burst of endorphins. On Sunday, May 4, at 10 a.m., runners of all ages will gather at Everson City Park to traverse a 5k course that’s accessible for strollers and young kids but also provides enough challenge and surface diversity…

Teaching Self-Care | Skagit …

Teaching Self-Care | Skagit Alexander Technique

The Alexander Technique, which was created by Frederick Matthias Alexander in the late 1800s, is a method for improving posture and movement through self-awareness, with the aim of decreasing pain and increasing mindfulness. “The way I usually describe it is that it helps you learn to do things that you do every day, but with less tension, less…

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