Outside of the Viking Union, students and buses pass throughout the day. Rarely is there not a buzz of people, each following their own schedule to and from classes. Among the bustle sits Vendor’s Row, one of the only opportunities for local businesses to consistently market themselves on campus.
Looking around Western’s campus, you’ll find easily recognizable shops, from Subway to Starbucks. Elsewhere, university-run markets sell processed snacks and pricey ready-made lunches. Sometimes it can be difficult to justify making these types of purchases.
During weekdays, the booths lining the edge of the Viking Union are populated with local restaurants, such as QQ Li’s Chinese Cuisine and The Burrito King. Clubs oftentimes run bake sales or advertise at a table. It’s not uncommon to see an artist or jewelry maker selling their products, either.For many students, it’s a breath of fresh air. Jenny Nostrand, a senior at Western, is grateful for the different food options available.
“It just feels better to eat than it would if I just got a cup of ramen,” Nostrand said, holding a box of tacos from The Burrito King. “I feel like the food just isn’t as good out of the Viking Union…The sushi’s really expensive. Like 15 bucks, are you kidding me?”
A California roll costs $9.99 at the Viking Union Market. The nearest grocery store selling sushi, Haggen, marks a California roll at $7.49. Fred Meyer has them priced at $6.49.
Many of the refrigerated meals, like sandwiches and wraps, don’t have visible prices at the Viking Union Market. The only way to find the price of these items is at checkout, where you’ll discover that many of the items are marked at $10 or more.
Some aspects aren’t as measurable as quality or price, though. Students enjoy the connection that Vendor’s Row allows.
Reed Francis, a junior at Western, has spent the past two years building The Vintage Club, a pop-up thrift store that occasionally appears outside the Viking Union. He started at the end of his freshman year, in the spring of 2023.
“I did one pop-up, and it was kind of illegal,” Francis said. “I didn’t have a business license. I didn’t have any of the qualifications…(we) just pulled up to Red Square and did it, bro. We made it happen.”
Despite the legality, people connected to the student-run premise of Francis’ pop-up. Over the summer, he got a business license, connected with the Viking Union staff and started running a booth at Vendor’s Row.
The Vintage Club was instantly popular with students. “Every time we do it, it’s almost a unifying experience,” Francis said. “I hate to be corny when I talk about stuff like this, but it truly does build community. It totally brings everyone together.”
The opportunity wouldn’t have been possible without the help of the administration at the Viking Union, though. Francis got help from Hayden Winn, the event services reservations coordinator. For the past four years, Winn has worked with vendors and helped them through the application and set-up process.
“Hayden is amazing; just letting us do our thing, helping us (with) what we need to follow the guidelines,” said Francis. The process has been simplified for vendors, requiring them to follow a set of guidelines and pay a fee for renting the space.
The COVID-19 pandemic affected Vendor’s Row significantly, and some former vendors were unable to return as restrictions cleared. Despite the slow recovery, Winn believes that the future is bright for the space.“There are exciting prospects on the horizon with some new vendors coming in,” Winn said. “We are currently in a time of transition and many people behind the scenes who care very much are working towards building up a robust and vibrant Vendor’s Row.”
Yan Chen, who owns the QQ Li’s Chinese Cuisine booth, is grateful for Winn’s continued assistance. “She’s helped me a lot,” said Yan. “She’s really great and friendly.”
QQ Li’s has been a staple of Vendor’s Row for over 15 years, and Yan was there from the start. Since moving from New York to Bellingham in 2005, she and her husband have worked long days, both at the booth and their location off-campus, at 505 32nd St.
“The only thing that I feel sad (about) is when the people graduate,” Yan said. “For the people graduating, they are happy, but for me, I don’t get to see the people anymore.”
“Sometimes when they graduate... they will stop by my restaurant and get food,” Yan said. She recounted a story about a student who graduated around 2010. After college, he stayed in Bellingham, keeping in contact with Yan. “He’d stop by my restaurant very often, and every time I see him…we just talk.”
Yan has a clear love for the community at Vendor’s Row. She said she loves to see students setting up booths, noting her love for the music that bake sales often play.
Vendor’s Row has been an underappreciated staple of Western’s campus for a long time, giving students the chance to buy local and giving business owners like Yan and Francis the opportunity to connect with them.
Liam Britt (he/him) is a second-year visual journalism major and opinion writer for The Front this quarter. Liam also writes for The Rage, a student-run magazine at WWU. In his time away from work, Liam enjoys going to music venues, skateboarding with friends and getting creative in the kitchen. You can reach him at liambritt.thefront@gmail.com.
