It’s time to say farewell to 2016 and welcome in a brand new year. For some people this means a night of raucous revelry. For others, it’s a time to curl up on the couch and watch the ball drop from the comfort of home. Then there are those who would rather just go to bed and welcome the new year from the blissful depths of a deep, sound slumber. No matter your personal preferences, you’ll find lots to do around Whatcom County this weekend. Here are a few ideas to get you started. Don’t forget to check out our full calendar for all the end-of-2016/ beginning-of-2017 fun.
- Warm up and relax with a Winter Matinee Movie at the library. While you’re at it, check out their other fun and fascinating programs such as the Lego Mindstorms Winter Break Camp, Teen Fab Friday, Teen Minecraft and Lego Club.
- Experience the emotional impact of Terence Rattigan’s masterpiece, “The Deep Blue Sea” at the Pickford Film Center.
- If you want to celebrate the New Year with the kids, but don’t want to deal with the catastrophic aftermath of keeping them up past midnight, go to Lynden Library’s New Year’s at Noon.
- For a more refined celebration, welcome 2017 with a prix fixe meal handcrafted by Chef Bruno Feldeisen. While you savor this delicious feast, you can look out over the sea and dream of what the new year will bring.
- Join other revelers ringing in the New Year by lighting road flares along the Birch Bay shoreline. This is a spectacular sight as the bay becomes a ring of fire, signifying hope for the coming year.
- Take the Polar Bear Plunge at Birch Bay or Lake Padden, or both! This annual ritual draws hundreds of participants and thousands of onlookers each year and has become a destination spot for New Years Day. Participants come from all over the area, and as far away as Spain, Tokyo, and Dubai to take the plunge.
- Lose yourself in the experience of “The Golden Age,” an intriguing tale set in the Golden Age Cabaret, the favorite nightly haunt of dancers, bandits and young revelers. Here the young fisherman, Boris, falls in love with Rita, a beautiful dancer and friend of a local gangster.
- Blow off the last of your 2016 steam at an open mic.
- Take a moment to think up ways you can positively impact your community in 2017. Perhaps you could work with homeless youth, inspire young girls, help save the environment or build a home for someone in need. There is plenty of good to be done in Whatcom County and 2017 is just the year to do it.
WhatcomTalk aims to be your source for positive information and events happening in Bellingham, Ferndale, Lynden and throughout Whatcom County. If you have a suggestion for a post, send us a note at submit@whatcomtalk.com. For more events and to learn what’s happening in Bellingham and the surrounding area, visit our events calendar. To submit an event of your own, visit our events calendar and click on the green “Post Your Event” button.
