Bellingham

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Local Government

Staying up to date before the date: election day 2024

By Larson McDonagh | October 27

With ballots and voter pamphlets released to the public on Oct. 16, constituents of Whatcom County are preparing for election day 2024, the presidential election just being one of the many on the ballot. While voters prepare to receive their ballots, political organizations have long been working behind the scenes and on the front lines to ensure voters have the information they need to feel confident in their vote in this high-profile election. Yet some voters feel that the resources available aren’t enough. 

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City & County

Vote early, be happy

By Oren Roberts | October 26

Your ballot is likely already in your mail pile – so, don’t wait until November to fill it out and bring it to a drop box near you. 

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City & County

PFAS are not in the forecast

By Sabrina Diamond | October 24

As Washington enters its annual rainy season, outdoor enthusiasts will be out in droves getting all kinds of waterproof gear to keep them dry. Many of these shoppers may be unaware though that their typical cloudy-day purchases can contain harmful chemicals that pose significant risks to the environment and themselves.

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City & County

Ghouls just wanna have fun: Bellingham's haunted houses await

By Grace Aukschun-Johnson | October 23

It’s the time of the year that ghosts, goblins and ghouls start to resurface. Bellingham's haunted house scene is on display from Oct. 18 to 20 and Oct. 25 to 27.

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City & County

Whatcom County celebrates Orca Recovery Day with a volunteer work party

By Hope Rasa | October 18

Volunteers will gather on Saturday, Oct. 18 to plant a goal of 1,600 native trees and shrubs along California Creek, a habitat for Chinook salmon in Blaine, Wash. for the annual Orca Recovery Day, hosted by Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association, Whatcom Land Trust and the Whatcom Conservation District.

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City & County

Vibrant murals pop up on apartments in Bellingham

By Milo Whitman | October 15

As southbound drivers approach Exit 252 on Interstate Highway 5, they may catch a glimpse of a towering mural on the side of The Jake Apartments.

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City & County

Worn Again Thrift’s 2024 Fall Drop yields massive crowd

By Hope Rasa | October 14

Worn Again Thrift in downtown Bellingham held its annual Fall Drop event on Saturday, Oct. 5. A crowd mostly of people in their late teens and early twenties – overwhelmingly Western Washington University students – were stationed in a line outside the store, stretching a full block down Champion Street before Worn Again opened their doors at 11 a.m. 

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City & County

Exit the ordinary

By Evan Riley | October 9

Calling all creative souls and music enthusiasts! Bellingham Exit is back for its second annual celebration, set to transform the city into a vibrant hub of artistic expression from Oct. 10 to 13. 

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City & County

Bellingham's Annual SeaFeast takes over Zuanich Point Park

By Grace Aukschun-Johnson | October 5

SeaFeast is back in town for its annual celebration of Bellingham's local waterfront. Festivities kicked off at Zuanich Point Park & Fisherman's Pavilion on Saturday, Oct. 5, offering a weekend full of fun to the community.

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City & County

BRIEF: Texas Roadhouse comes to Bellingham

By Madi Tessem | September 15

Bellingham is set to host Washington’s fifth Texas Roadhouse with doors opening October 7, 2024. This is the first Texas Roadhouse in North Washington, located in Cordata Center, off Guide Meridian Road. 

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City & County

Late-night bites in Bellingham

By Madi Tessem and Morgan Merriam | September 13

September is Eat Local Month in Bellingham and to celebrate, the summer Front staff is going to be breaking down some of our favorite local bites open past midnight.

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City & County

Bellingham’s best coffee shops for studying

By Morgan Merriam | September 10

I’ve been drinking coffee for as long as I can remember. And before you go critiquing my parents, know that it was my grandma sneaking me sips of what was probably more creamer than actual coffee.

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City & County

Eat, play, love: Bellingham’s rise of weekly game nights

By Miles Vander Vennet | August 2

Trivia, bingo, board games and other game nights have become increasingly popular in Bellingham as people are looking for weeknight activities. Restaurants have begun to offer them as a way to bring in customers during the week.

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City & County

Bellingham’s digital Big Buck Hunters

By William Morton | July 31

There are three bars in Bellingham that have a Big Buck Hunter machine. Big Buck Hunter can be played with one to four players, and costs $1 to $3 per player, per game, depending on if you are playing the casual or ranked mode. Kat Chawkins has been playing Big Buck Hunter for just under a year. She sits at the 80th spot on the Big Buck Hunter Global Skill Leaderboard as of July 28, 2024.

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City & County

Chasing a feeling: Meet Lemon Bear

By Genesi Funston | July 24

All undergraduates of Western Washington University, Lemon Bear’s five members, Riley Thayer, Dustin Valdes, Sean Atkins, Abby Knipe and Laila White, first met through happenstance and mutual friends. They had chemistry right off the bat and making music came naturally from there, according to Thayer.

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Recreation

Samish Park closed due to bridge construction

By Ross Osborne | July 13

Due to extensive wear and tear on the bridge adjacent to Samish Park, the construction equipment and materials needed for the job will be stored at the nearby Samish Park, closing one of Bellingham’s more popular warm weather hangouts for two summers.

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City & County

Bellingham gathers for golden hour

By Miles Vander Vennet | June 16

Bellingham is home to a lot of popular sunset spots. Where do people like to go to view the sunset, and how is Bellingham maintaining these spots?

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City & County

Water rights lawsuit in Whatcom County to deal with water shortage

By Ikumi Mashiko | June 5

Washington's Department of Ecology filed a lawsuit to reassess water rights in nearby water sources, such as the Nooksack River and Lake Whatcom. Their efforts could result in less use and higher water levels, which would benefit recovering salmon populations, but harm Whatcom farmers drawing from these public water sources. 

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City & County

Holly Street bike lane project drives conversations about safety

By Oren Roberts | June 1

The new bike lane makes downtown Bellingham more accessible to cyclists; feedback on the project has raised concerns about safety.

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City & County

Washington State Department of Ecology declares emergency drought

By Margaret Baumgartner | May 29

On April 16, the Washington State Department of Ecology issued an emergency drought declaration. Learn more about how this impacts Washington residents, and why not all droughts have to due with lack of rainfall.