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…
Lynden’s Theatre Is Better Than Ever | The Claire Theatre
The Claire Theatre has been a pillar of the performing arts community in Lynden for almost four decades. After its recent remodel, the theatre has absolutely no plans on going anywhere. Originally named The Queen Juliana Theatre after a queen of the Netherlands, the theatre can seat 160 people and is…
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 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 catering company, Boel not only provides custom cocktails and mocktails, wine, beer, coffee, hydration stations, all the accouterments like ice, cups, napkins, and portable…
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…
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…
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 suggest that you may not have…
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…
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…
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…
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 elements that everyone is gravitating toward—a ‘hipstoric’ farmhouse with a curated maximalist style. What is ‘hipstoric?’ It’s a recent industry buzzword for a place that’s historic in nature and redesigned to look hipster—or a place that’s totally hipster and designed to look historic. For us, that clearly fits our modern farmhouse vibe with…
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…
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 be imported, Castellanos says, “I think maybe one or two…
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 what fun thing to do? Sometimes, you can waste a whole beautiful day languishing around trying to figure out a plan. Well, we’re here to help, with 52 ideas for a great…
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 parent coaching. Nick Mabbutt,…
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, off porches, online, and at pop-ups. They…
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…
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…
“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 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 or flower CSAs, if you’d like to keep the mom appreciation going….
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 cornhole competition hosted by United Way of Whatcom County, a local non-profit, in partnership with Upper Left Cornhole. The competition cost $50 per team of two, with a max of 48…
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 to live in our shared home in a good,…
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…
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 out greetings to familiar faces as they stroll streets lined with local restaurants, boutiques, and salons. From my seat at the Portal Way Starbucks, I can see boats of all sizes dotting the blue-green waves of the Salish Sea. These sea-faring vessels are…
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,…
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…
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 pain, less…