Community Calendar and Information Hub

The WhatcomTalk Events Calendar shares things to do around Whatcom County including Bellingham, Ferndale, Lynden, Blaine and beyond. Find fun activities and adventures throughout the region on our comprehensive events calendar. Have an event that isn’t listed? Click the green “Post your Event” button and our editors will review and approve within two business days.

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Apr
27
Sat
Boating Center Benefit Dance @ Elks Lodge
Apr 27 @ 7:00 pm
Boating Center Benefit Dance @ Elks Lodge

The Corinthian Yacht Club of Bellingham invites you to its annual benefit dance for the Community Boating Center.

This year’s dance will be held on Saturday, April 27 at the Elks Lodge, 710 Samish Way in Bellingham. The doors open at 6:30 and the classic-rock band, The Walrus, will take the stage at 8 pm.

All proceeds, including from a paddle auction, will go to the boating center in its final push to finish its new Wheelhouse in Fairhaven and provide boating access and education to our Whatcom County community.

Get ready for a fun-filled night! Light refreshments will be provided by volunteers from the Corinthian Yacht Club, and beer, wine, alcoholic beverages and water will be available for purchase.

Dance tickets are $25 in advance at CYCbellingham.org/dance or $30 at the door.

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May
1
Wed
Birchwood Garden Club’s May Meeting @ Whatcom Museum Rotunda Room, Bellingham's Old City Hall
May 1 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Birchwood Garden Club's May Meeting @ Whatcom Museum Rotunda Room, Bellingham's Old City Hall

Birchwood Garden Club
Established 1931-Bellingham, Washington
Planting Seeds of Friendship throughout our Community

May meeting topic: Soils and Mulch with Ian Horton

The May 1, 2024, meeting of the Birchwood Garden Club will be held in the Rotunda Room of the Old City Hall Museum, 121 Prospect St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Doors open at 6:30 PM.

The speaker for the evening will be Ian Horton, a practicing landscape architect for 20 years. Ian has been a regular speaker on Soils and Mulch in Skagit and Whatcom County, and has volunteered over the years with Seattle Tilth, the Skagit Conservation District, the Mount Vernon Parks Foundation, and the Whatcom Mountain Bike Coalition. He has a particular interest in the benefits of mulch as a strategy for mitigating extreme weather and climate change related effects on established landscapes.

Ian will review basic soil science and focus his talk on practical applications of mulch for home gardeners. Mulch can be one of the greatest tools available to maintain and improve landscape health and Ian will walk through the most common types of mulch available in our region and their relative costs and benefits. He will also review best practices for applying mulch, and provide a reference list of local suppliers and installers. Please join us!!!

Birchwood Garden Club membership is open to anyone in Whatcom or Skagit Counties. You are invited to join us at our monthly meetings where we will have membership brochures to join. Check out our website, www.birchwoodgardenclub.org to see the fun activities and community services our club does! You can also join us on Instagram and Facebook @ Birchwood Garden Club.

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May
2
Thu
Jennifer Jewell “Cultivating Place” @ Whatcom Museum
May 2 @ 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm
Jennifer Jewell "Cultivating Place" @ Whatcom Museum

Join us for this inspiring talk by an amazing speaker about celebrating a deeper connection to the world around us through the empowerment of gardeners and their gardens. Jennifer Jewell is passionate about the power of horticulture, empowerment, and cultivating place. She is the creator and host of the award-winning program: Cultivating Place: Conversations on Natural History & the Human Impulse to Garden. Her books include The Earth in Her Hands: 75 Extraordinary Women Working in the World of Plants, Under Western Skies: Visionary Gardens from the Rockies to the Pacific Coast, and What We Sow: On the Personal, Ecological Significance of Seeds. As an interviewer, writer, and keynote speaker, her greatest passion is elevating the way we think and talk about the culture of gardening, the empowerment of gardeners, and the possibility inherent in the intersection between places, environments, cultures, individuals, and the gardens that bring them together. Her books will be for sale at the lecture, listen to her podcasts and find out more about Jennifer at cultivatingplace.com.

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May
4
Sat
Birchwood Garden Club’s 31st Annual Plant Sale! @ Bellingham Downtown Library, lower level conference room.
May 4 @ 11:00 am – 2:00 pm
Birchwood Garden Club's 31st Annual Plant Sale! @ Bellingham Downtown Library, lower level conference room.

Birchwood Garden Club’s 31st Annual Plant Sale!

New Time!!!
11 AM until 2 PM

Cash or Check Only Please

Birchwood Garden Club’s 31st annual plant sale will be held on Saturday, May 4, 2024 with the new hours of 11:00 AM until 2:00 PM. The sale will still be in the lower level conference room of the Bellingham Public Library, 210 Central Avenue, Bellingham, WA.

We will have a wonderful assortment of plants for sale, including annuals, perennials, veggie starts, indoor plants, pots and choice selections from our member’s gardens and more!
Cash or check only please.

Proceeds from our sale benefit numerous community organizations including maintenance of the Whatcom Museum and Bellingham Public Library gardens along with gardening literature for children and adults at the library. The club also uses sale proceeds for grants in our community.

We will have BGC membership details available at our sale if you would like to join our fun garden club!
Birchwood Garden Club membership is open to anyone in Whatcom or Skagit Counties. You are invited to join us at our monthly meetings where we will have membership brochures to join. Check out our website, www.birchwoodgardenclub.org to see the fun activities and community services our club does! You can join us on Instagram and Facebook @ Birchwood Garden Club

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May
10
Fri
Plant Sale @ Parking Lot at Salvation Army Food Bank
May 10 @ 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Plant Sale @ Parking Lot at Salvation Army Food Bank

Plant Sale on Fri & Sat, May 10 & 11, from 10am to 3pm.
Located at the Salvation Army Food Bank, 1515 Birchwood, across from Big Lots.
Cash or Check only.
Refreshments for sale to benefit the Salvation Army.

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May
11
Sat
Plant Sale @ Parking Lot at Salvation Army Food Bank
May 11 @ 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Plant Sale @ Parking Lot at Salvation Army Food Bank

Plant Sale on Fri & Sat, May 10 & 11, from 10am to 3pm.
Located at the Salvation Army Food Bank, 1515 Birchwood, across from Big Lots.
Cash or Check only.
Refreshments for sale to benefit the Salvation Army.

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May
12
Sun
Spring Foraging & Outdoor Cooking with Northwest Natura @ Maple Falls
May 12 @ 1:00 pm – 5:30 pm
Spring Foraging & Outdoor Cooking with Northwest Natura @ Maple Falls

Join Naturalist, Jazmen Yoder on a day of foraging out in the woods. This course will take place on private and public property approximately 2 miles from of Maple Falls. Location is subject to change based on seasonal anomalies such as delayed sprouting.

This is a great event to be out in nature on Mothers Day!

We will be foraging nettles and other edible or medicinal plants, in addition to any edible mushrooms we may find. For each species, expect short discourse on it’s edibility or medicinal properties, how to prepare it for medicine or food, and information on its ecology.

Expect moderate walking/hiking with frequent stops, self-led exploration, and a lesson in ethical foraging on public lands.

The last half of the class, we will build a fire and cook together using nettles. I will show you 2 recipes and make suggestions for several others.

This will be a fun outing!

Please register via the website.

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Jun
1
Sat
Trees of the PNW: A Wildcrafting Series with Northwest Natura
Jun 1 @ 3:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Trees of the PNW: A Wildcrafting Series with Northwest Natura

This series is designed for individuals at any skill level who are interested in learning more about trees and wildcrafting skills.

Each class will incorporate guided note-taking and hands-on experience that will familiarize you with various trees of the Pacific Northwest.

Overall, we will be moving at a slow pace during each outing as we focus on our surroundings and have mini lectures, and the second half of class will generally be stationary to engage in crafts and activities.

Expect some gentle to moderate hiking, and some kneeling or squatting.

Each class will build on the previous one. For more details, keep reading!

Day 1: An Evening at the Lake: Birch Bark Candles
Saturday June 1st, 2024

(Details on location will be sent to registered participants only).

This is an introductory class to common tree species and a wildcrafting course using several species of trees including Douglas-Fir, Paper Birch and Western Redcedar.

What to expect:

First Half: We will begin the series with an introduction to common trees and general concepts about tree adaptations to better appreciate the materials we’ll be working with in the second half of class.

Second Half: Each person will craft their own primitive candle using bark, resin, roots, and wood.

Please register via the website.

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Jun
8
Sat
Wander to Wander 1K @ Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center
Jun 8 @ 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Wander to Wander 1K @ Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center

Mark your calendars for the Wander to Wander 1k on Saturday, June 8th, 2024! Learn more and Register at https://www.whatcomdrc.org/wander-to-wander

This Bellingham-based fun run benefits the Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center and is hosted by Wander Brewing. Beginning with donuts at the WDRC office, participants will
‘wander’ (or sprint) along the route to Wander Brewing. At the finish, enjoy a complimentary pint of beer (or root beer), food trucks, and the fanfare of this exciting
race!

Costumes are encouraged. All ages, abilities, as well as pets are welcome. We hope you will join in the fun and support the WDRC! This event is ADA accessible and volunteers will be available to support racers who need assistance.

General Registration: $20
Youth Ages 10 and Under: FREE!

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Jun
9
Sun
THE BELLINGHAM BIKE SWAP WORKS TO GET EVERYONE ON BIKES @ Boundary Bay Beer Garden and Alley
Jun 9 all-day
THE BELLINGHAM BIKE SWAP WORKS TO GET EVERYONE ON BIKES @ Boundary Bay Beer Garden and Alley

BELLINGHAM, WA – Shifting Gears, a local non-profit in Bellingham, is hosting the annual Bellingham Bike Swap on Sunday, June 9th, 2024, in the Boundary Bay Brewery Alley and Beer Garden in Downtown Bellingham.

The Bellingham Bike Swap allows the Bellingham Community to purchase pre-owned bikes or gear at a lower cost, enabling them to experience the joys and benefits of biking. The Bellingham Bike Swap is a space for community members to sell, shop, and simply share in the greatness of the Bellingham outdoor community. Twenty-five percent of each sale will assist with the funding of Shifting Gears biking and hiking programs that help break barriers preventing all women from experiencing the outdoors and creating a more inclusive outdoor world.

“The Bellingham Bike Swap serves as a marketplace for individuals to sell their pre-loved gear, providing our community access to affordable equipment while celebrating Bellingham’s vibrant cycling scene. Additionally, it reinforces Shifting Gears’ mission to welcome more women into outdoor recreation.”
– Krysy Keller, Executive Director of Shifting Gears.

Everything happens on Sunday, June 9th, at the Boundary Bay Beer Garden. Those looking to sell gear can drop off items between 7am and 10am before everyone is welcome to ‘Shop the Swap’ from 1pm to 5pm. Unsold gear and checks can be picked up by ‘sellers’ between 6pm and 8pm at the end of the day.

The Bellingham Bike Swap started in 2018 and has been hosted at Boundary Bay Brewery every year since. Shifting Gears is blown away at the increasing level of community, volunteer, and partner support. The Bellingham Bike Swap has become a key fundraiser for Shifting Gears’ programming and an annual event for the Bellingham community.

Shifting Gears is a women-led, women-directed non-profit in Bellingham, WA, whose mission is to empower all women through outdoor recreation and education opportunities to remove barriers and foster belonging. By participating in Shifting Gears, community members will walk away with the tools they need to attain their recreational goals and feel empowered to reach other personal goals. For more information about the Bellingham Bike Swap, visit https://letsshiftgears.org/bikeswap.

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Bushcraft Basics – Shelter Building with Northwest Natura @ Maple Falls
Jun 9 @ 12:00 pm – 5:30 pm
Bushcraft Basics - Shelter Building with Northwest Natura @ Maple Falls

This course will take place on Northwest Natura’s private forest land in Whatcom County off Highway 542 near Maple Falls, WA. Driving directions and details on what to bring with you will be provided in an email as the event date approaches.

Bushcraft is a term used to describe the practice of skills which aid in living outdoors. Here are the skills we will cover in this crash course:

Survival Basics focused on Shelter

Shelter – survival shelter construction

Fire making without a lighter

Knot-tying and lashing basics.

Tools of the trade and practice using them.

Knife and ax skills

We will practice all of these skills together in this full-day course. Knives and ferro rods provided for the day.

You are encouraged to bring your own outdoor tools such as a knife, ax, fire starter, tarp, containers (pots, water bottles), paracord, first aid kit, etc. so you can practice with your kit. I can answer any questions about your gear and help you troubleshoot issues you may have with them.

Space is limited to 10.

Please register via the website.

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Jun
13
Thu
Bess Bronstein “Tough Trees and Shrubs for Tough Times” @ Whatcom Museum
Jun 13 @ 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm
Bess Bronstein “Tough Trees and Shrubs for Tough Times" @ Whatcom Museum

Gardeners continue to seek out woody plants that can successfully grow and even thrive in our Pacific Northwest sites. Ideally, we want plants that tolerate hot dry summers and wet winters typical of the maritime Pacific Northwest, as well as the occasional winter freeze or lengthy drought period that have become more common as our climate changes. And it doesn’t hurt if these trees and shrubs are also resistant to common pests and diseases, require minimal care once established, and provide multi-season interest that invites you into the garden on almost any day of the year. Learn about some wonderful woody plants that can fit the bill as we garden into the future.

Bess Bronstein is an educator, horticultural consultant, and ISA Certified Arborist® Kitsap Peninsula. She has over 35 years of experience in arboriculture, landscape management, and garden design. Bess holds an A.T.A. degree in Ornamental Horticulture and a Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree from the University of Washington. She was an instructor for the Edmonds College horticulture program for 28 years, with a focus on courses in pruning and tree care, plant identification, plant pests/diseases and diagnosis, and soils. Bess frequently teaches public and professional arboriculture and horticulture courses throughout the Pacific Northwest, does training for WSU Extension Master Gardener programs, and speaks to garden clubs and horticultural societies on a variety of topics. Bess is proud to be a lifetime member of Plant Amnesty and supports ongoing education in sustainable landscape management practices and tree care.

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Jun
15
Sat
Trees of the PNW: A Wildcrafting Series with Northwest Natura (Day 2)
Jun 15 @ 3:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Trees of the PNW: A Wildcrafting Series with Northwest Natura (Day 2)

This is day 2 of the series.

This series is designed for individuals at any skill level who are interested in learning more about trees and wildcrafting skills.

Each class will incorporate guided note-taking and hands-on experience that will familiarize you with various trees of the Pacific Northwest.

Overall, we will be moving at a slow pace during each outing as we focus on our surroundings and have mini lectures, and the second half of class will generally be stationary to engage in crafts and activities.

Expect some gentle to moderate hiking, and some kneeling or squatting.

Each class will build on the previous one. For more details, keep reading!

This is a deep dive into more mixed forest species and a wildcrafting course using Pacific Willow or Vine Maple, and Western Redcedar.

What to expect:

First Half: We will wander along a forest road and onto random footpaths along the Nooksack River, observing tree species and searching for the perfect materials to use in the second half of class. This class will be accessible while incorporating wandering and choosing paths at random based on resources and curiosity.

Second Half: Using Western Redcedar from the forest, learn how to make traditional cordage. Using willow stems from the riverbank, enjoy the view while you craft a decorative ring to be hung up in your garden, your front door, or elsewhere to be admired. Extra decorating materials will be provided. An email with ideas of what you may want to bring for decorations will be sent to you a few days prior to the event.

***Please register via the website.

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Jun
22
Sat
Tidepools, Lichens & Ferns with Northwest Natura @ Deception Pass State Park
Jun 22 @ 10:30 am – 1:00 pm
Tidepools, Lichens & Ferns with Northwest Natura @ Deception Pass State Park

Join botanist and naturalist, Jazmen Yoder on a walk at one of the most beautiful coastal parks in the Pacific Northwest. There will be an emphasis on learning about creatures in the tidepools, lichens and ferns, but you will learn a lot about other plants, fungi, edible seaweeds, and coast ecology through exploration of tidepools at low tide. Bring your camera, come for the knowledge, and stay for the views! This is a unique field trip offering you’ll remember forever.

Space is limited. Please register via the website.

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Jun
23
Sun
(Day 3 of) Spring Naturalist Series: Botany & Nature Awareness with Northwest Natura @ Anacortes, WA
Jun 23 @ 11:30 am – 5:00 pm
(Day 3 of) Spring Naturalist Series: Botany & Nature Awareness with Northwest Natura @ Anacortes, WA

This is day THREE of this series.

The series is designed for individuals at any skill level who are interested in having fun outdoors learning about PNW plants, wildlife, tidepools, bogs, natural history, foraging, and a bit of photography.

Each class will incorporate hands-on experience and photo prompts to deepen your awareness of the natural world and augment your curiosity.

Overall, we will be moving at a slow pace during each outing as we focus on our surroundings, have mini lectures, or engage in activities.

Expect some gentle to moderate hiking, and some kneeling or squatting.

Each class will build on the previous one. For more details, go to the website.

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Jun
29
Sat
Trees of the PNW: A Wildcrafting Series with Northwest Natura (Day 3)
Jun 29 @ 2:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Trees of the PNW: A Wildcrafting Series with Northwest Natura (Day 3)

This series is designed for individuals at any skill level who are interested in learning more about trees and wildcrafting skills.

Each class will incorporate guided note-taking and hands-on experience that will familiarize you with various trees of the Pacific Northwest.

Overall, we will be moving at a slow pace during each outing as we focus on our surroundings and have mini lectures, and the second half of class will generally be stationary to engage in crafts and activities.

Expect some gentle to moderate hiking, and some kneeling or squatting.

Each class will build on the previous one. For more details, keep reading!

DAY 3-
First Half: Test your identification skills gained over the series.

Second Half: Harvest and process Red Alder and start a carving project with guidance. Bring a saw and a hatchet if you have one, and spoon-carving knives if you want to make a spoon. Bushcraft knives will be provided to everyone. Saws, axes, and spoon knives are limited but available to borrow.

Registered individuals will receive details in an event-reminder emails a few days prior to each event with driving directions.

Please register via website.

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