Photograph courtesy of Port of Bellingham
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 folks out to the undeveloped waterfront—they opened in 2019 and 2021 respectively. Kulshan Trackside Beer Garden opened with and anchors the Portal, and has become a community gathering space and locus of activity with a packed live music and events schedule. These projects at the Waterfront are smash hits, drawing tens of thousands each year.
Photograph courtesy of Port of Bellingham
“It’s a terrific project,” says Mike Hogan, the public affairs administrator for the Port of Bellingham. “So many people go down there and enjoy it, and it’s become such an important part of people’s lives.”
Hanging out at Trackside is “ a pretty quintessential summer in Bellingham experience,” says Kulshan Brewing Company’s general manager Emily Mallos. The 25,000-square-foot beer garden is family- and dog-friendly, with yard games, live music and events, and 20 taps serving frosty brews. They’ll also be opening their own food truck this year for the first time, operating within the beer garden.
Photograph courtesy of Port of Bellingham
Portal Putt mini-golf, Sun-E-Land Bikes, rotating retail and art businesses, and the rest of the container village tenants will also return for 2025. There’s a new, bigger restroom, and a new kids’ bike area called Bigfoot Bike Park. Shoestring Circus, Northwest Tune-Up, Noisy Waters Mural Festivall, and the Acid Ball Psych Rock Music Festival will all utilize the area over the summer. So, what are you waiting for? Get out to the Waterfront and have a blast this summer!
298 W. Laurel St., Bellingham, 360.393.5449, portofbellingham.com
