A row of colorful bikes lines the oceanfront promenade in Seabrook.
Opportunities for outdoor activities abound in the Pacific Northwest. Kid- and adult-friendly biking in Seabrook is spectacular, with scenic places to explore on trails, paths and beaches. Designed with walking and biking experiences in mind, this idyllic beach town is one of the most fascinating spots in Grays Harbor County. As one of the most bike-friendly towns in Washington for kids and adults, Seabrook is truly a bike-rider’s dream vacation destination.
Where to Rent a Bike in Seabrook
Don’t have a bike of your own? No problem! Many of the Seabrook rental cottages include beach bikes, or you can rent a bike at Buck’s Northwest. A variety of rental options are available, from 2 hours to 24, with bikes for every size and experience level. Three-day rentals, as well as car racks, are ideal for those staying for several days and visitors wanting to explore other areas of the coast.
The Whitworth Family from Cosmopolis takes a bike-riding tour along the streets of the charming town of Seabrook. Photo credit: Meagan Friberg
Explore Seabrook by Bicycle
For those seeking leisurely cruises along the streets, standard bikes are perfect for jaunts around town. Stretch your legs at quaint parks, play a few outdoor games, and stop by the most charming bookstore, Joie Des Livres: The Joy of Books. This family owned and operated establishment is stocked with books, gift items, puzzles, games and more.
If mountain biking is more your speed, look no further than the network of biking trails and paths surrounding the town. Check out this detailed map from Trailforks showcasing forest biking trails. Thanks to the dedication and support from local riders including Buck Giles, the Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance, and the Olympic Peninsula Bicycle Alliance, these bike-friendly trails provide numerous opportunities for exploring nature. With a trail for every level of mountain biker, the Narnia Trail, DNR Trails, Mike-O-Rama, Wormhole, and Zipline Trail offer amazing views.
For beach goers, the best bikes to navigate the soft sand are fat-tire bikes, or beach bikes. Whether seeking a quick way to make it down to the water, or bringing along a picnic for an afternoon of fun or a romantic sunset dinner, biking it to the beach is the way to go.
Discover a network of forest nature mountain biking trails just on the outlying areas of Seabrook.
Where to Eat in Seabrook
Speaking of picnics, be sure to stop by the Fresh Foods Marketplace where you’ll find just what you need to satisfy every appetite. From baked goods, fresh fruits and veggies to meat, seafood, a large selection of cheeses, an extensive deli, and local beer, wine, and icy cold beverages, this family-owned grocery store provides the best products to locals and visitors.
Whether your visit includes a leisurely bike ride or a more challenging adventure on the trails, fueling up at one of the many eateries in Seabrook is a fantastic way to end the day. Treat yourself to an ice cream or other sweets at The Sweet Life or enjoy a selection of pastries, breads, and desserts at Vista Bake Shop.
Find homemade Latin cuisine at Koko’s Restaurant and Tequila Bar, comfort food at Rising Tide Tavern, artisanal pizza and more at Frontager’s Pizza Co, and juices, smoothies, bowls, and salads at Blue.
Bike riding and ice cream from The Sweet Life make for a perfect afternoon in Seabrook. Photo credit: Meagan Friberg
Places to Stay in Seabrook
Ready to book your biking getaway in the vibrant beach town of Seabrook? Rental cottages and homes, in a range of sizes, may be found on the Seabrook website. Simply type in the requested number of bedrooms, bathrooms, and the dates you’d like to visit to find descriptions and availability of select properties, many with views of the rugged Washington coast and Pacific Ocean.
Just down the road in Copalis Beach, cabin rentals may be found at the Iron Springs Resort. An easy car drive to Seabrook makes this a nice option for those seeking a cozy cabin getaway. Hook up your bikes on your car’s bike rack and, in just a few minutes, get set to explore the streets and trails of Seabrook for the day.
A family visiting from Gig Harbor gets ready to set out on a leisurely afternoon bike ride in Seabrook after renting gear from Buck’s NorthWest. Photo credit: Meagan Friberg
Whether it’s a day trip, weekend getaway, or a weeklong adventure, there are plenty of biking adventures, food and drink offerings, and overnight accommodations awaiting visitors to the Washington Coast town of Seabrook. Pack your bike or secure a rental, and plan your next biking adventure today!
Youngsters pose with livestock in this early-era photo. The fair took place in October or September until after World War II, upon which it began its traditional August timeframe. Photo credit: J.W. Sandison, courtesy of Whatcom Museum
More than any other annual Whatcom County event, the Northwest Washington Fair brings together thousands of people from all walks of life. From elephant ears and Ferris wheel rides to prized livestock and live concerts, the fair’s Lynden location has become synonymous with great memories and the fading warmth of summer nights.
But the fair wasn’t always in Lynden, and its history is one full of both agriculture and pop culture.
Much of the following information is sourced from the fair’s official 2010 retrospective, “100 Years at the Northwest Washington Fair,” written by Sarah Eden Wallace. The book is well-worth seeking out, and contains great photography, fun stories, and even some tasty recipes.
Humble Beginnings
As far back as the mid-1870s, fairs were held in the area that would later become Bellingham.
From 1894 to 1895, the Grand Central Hotel — at the corner North Forest and East Holly Streets — held county fair exhibits at what’s now the location of the Community Food Co-op. Annual fair festivities also took place on what’s now industrial land near modern-day Kentucky and Iowa Streets.
Seen here when it was new, the fair’s 1927-built grandstand suffered a cruel fate. In the winter of 1930-31, the roof blew off in a storm. In 1932, it burned down, not to be replaced until 1939. Photo courtesy Whatcom Museum
The genesis of a Lynden-based fair can be traced to October 16, 1909, when a two-day street fair took place along Front Street. Known as the Nooksack Valley Produce Fair, the popularity of the event led to the formation of a Whatcom County Fair Association in 1911, with formal plans for a fall fair.
The association bought 20 acres of land bordering Front Street at a cost of $1,600. Half the purchasing money was comprised of an estate loan, while the rest was cobbled together from selling $25 nonprofit stock shares in the fair association. By August, the association was still $600 in debt, beginning a long pattern of financial strife.
Held from October 17 to 20, 1911, the first Lynden fair attracted 9,400 people. Subsequent fall fairs resulted in fairgrounds improvements, and events included baseball games, high school football games, kite-flying, and baby contests, as well as horse, motorcycle, and automobile races.
Barnstorming aviators visited the fair in the 1920s and were invited to land on the infield of the fairgrounds racetrack. The half-mile track, which even once hosted ostrich races, was finally removed in 1991; carnival rides now occupy its former location during the fair.
Youngsters pose with livestock in this early-era photo. The fair took place in October or September until after World War II, upon which it began its traditional August timeframe. Photo credit: J.W. Sandison, courtesy of Whatcom Museum
In 1920, Burlington’s Barney Barnett flew his Curtiss Jenny biplane to Lynden, where 21-year-old Syl Weidkamp engaged in wing-walking stunts without any safety equipment. The duo then stuffed a pair of overalls with straw and threw it out of the plane, allegedly horrifying spectators and local law enforcement gathered below.
In 1922, the event and its association became known as the Northwest Washington Fair. Through 1941, the fair was held in either October or September.
Struggles Aplenty
As the 1920s progressed, fair attendance fell amid rising debt. In 1928, stockholders voted to transfer the fair association’s assets to Whatcom County.
Once the Great Depression took hold in the 1930s, things got worse. A smaller three-day agricultural fair replaced the NW Washington Fair from 1931 to ’33 and, in 1932, the fair’s main grandstand burned to the ground. Because of continuing financial issues, it took seven years to be replaced.
A young boy holds chickens at the 1947 edition of the fair. The showing of prized farm animals has remained a prominent part of the fair’s history. Photo credit: Jack Carver, courtesy of Whatcom Museum
By March 1934, the fair was on the brink of foreclosure. Its board of directors met with local business owners that month in Bellingham, where Lynden Tribune publisher Sol Lewis encouraged the city of Lynden to rally around the fair’s financial woes.
Foreclosure was avoided, and support from prominent residents like Peoples Bank’s Irwin LeCocq, Sr. helped the fair weather the financial storm. In order to rebuild its grandstand, the privately-held fair needed federal financial aid, for which it was not eligible. To get around this, the fairgrounds were quit-claimed to the City of Lynden, paving the way for $32,000 in Public Works Administration funding.
From 1942 to 1945, no fair was held during World War II, and the fairgrounds were approved as a war disaster center for the Red Cross and civil defense. The fair resumed in August 1946 with the largest livestock show in its history, but by 1949 found itself in debt to the tune of $12,000 ($153,000 today).
Whether a draft horse pull, demo derby or other event, the fair always seems to get exciting, as this 1955 incident with Fred Polinder Jr. illustrates. Nor horses or people were hurt. Photo credit: Jack Carver, courtesy Whatcom Museum
Taking personal financial risk, seven board members each spent $1,700 of their own money ($21,700 today) to keep the fair going. Within a year, they’d all been repaid. In 1952, the fair’s assets were again transferred to Whatcom County, making the Lynden Fair a county-operated event for the next four decades. While technically city-owned during that time, the fairgrounds were cheaply leased each year to the county to put on the fair.
Bigger Fairs, Bigger Names
In 1955, the fair expanded from three days to four, and attendance continued to increase. By the mid-1960s, discussions about moving the fairgrounds to acreage near Smith and Northwest Roads took place, but ultimately the fairgrounds remained where they are today.
By 1970, annual fair attendance was topping 66,000 people, with more than $22,000 in awarded premiums. The mid to late 1970s saw nearly $900,000 in facility improvements, the implementation of tractor pulls and demolition derbies, and the booking of big name music acts.
In 1974, country music star Loretta Lynn became one of the first big musical draws of the NW Washington Fair. Lynn, who spent part of her early life in Whatcom County, once won $25 in a fair talent contest for singing, and also earned 17 blue ribbons for her canning abilities. She performed at the fair again in 1982 and 1998.
Bellingham Herald photographer Jack Carver took this iconic photo of country music icon Loretta Lynn in the mid-1950s, at her Custer home. Lynn, who won 17 blue ribbons for canning while a local resident, returned to perform at the fair three times before her death. Photo credit: Jack Carver, courtesy of Whatcom Museum
Over the decades, the fair’s grandstand musical acts have brought big names in country, popular, and Christian music. Johnny Cash, Charley Pride, Roger Miller, Glenn Campbell, Toby Keith, Brad Paisley, Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, and Trisha Yearwood are just some of the big country names to have performed.
In 1997, Garth Brooks flew into Bellingham aboard his private jet and made a surprise cameo appearance during Yearwood’s performance; it remains one of the most talked-about things to ever happen at the fair.
Other popular acts have included the Beach Boys, Doobie Brothers, Styx, Chicago, Foreigner, and Huey Lewis and the News, as well as Jars of Clay and the Newsboys.
A Long Legacy
The fairgrounds have continued to improve over the last four decades, adding more dining and exhibition spaces, as well as a fountain and clock tower.
Over the years, the location has held all manner of events, from home and garden shows to presidential rallies. Most infamously, the fairgrounds held a Ku Klux Klan demonstration in 1924. Decades later, a now-defunct county program allowed criminal offenders to trade manual labor for jail time; prisoners painted barns, set up animal pens and, most notably, shoveled animal manure.
Admission to the 1952 Northwest Washington Fair in Lynden was a little cheaper than today. Photo credit: Jack Carver, courtesy of Whatcom Museum
In 1992, the fair set its all-time attendance record of 243,181 people. In 1997, its operations converted from county-run to that of a private non-profit entity. The fair currently owns the 21-acre fairgrounds, which it purchased from the city in 1997 for $250,000. Under the current agreement, the fair board forfeits the land to the city if the fair ever moves, and the city in turn agrees not to tax fair admission revenue.
After the cancellation of the fair in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the fair returned in 2021 by expanding to 10 days of music, animals, exhibits and food. Daily attendance now ranges well beyond the early years’ annual attendance numbers.
Whether you go for the Moowiches and poffertjies or the carnival games and exhibits, attending the fair is a cherished part of Whatcom County living.
Despite the vast transformation of daily life in the last 110 years, enjoying a day at the fair is one thing that’s never changed.
The Wynoochee River, a favorite spot for anglers, was dammed to form Wynoochee Lake. Photo courtesy U.S. Forest Service
Get off the beaten path this summer with a day trip or overnight stay at the scenic Wynoochee Lake. Located just 35 miles or so from Montesano, this secluded yet easily accessible area offers up-close views of the Olympic Mountains and an abundance of outdoor activities. If you wakeboard, surf, ski or camp, Grays Harbor’s Wynoochee Lake should be your next destination.
The Wynoochee Lake Shore Trail offers hikers and their dogs on leashes views of small streams, waterfalls and lush second growth forest areas. Photo courtesy U.S. Forest Service
Operated by the U.S. Forest Service, Wynoochee Lake has everything you need to enjoy the great outdoors including campsites at Coho Campground, hiking trails, and gorgeous waterfalls as well as fishing, swimming, and boating opportunities. As one of the most idyllic areas in Grays Harbor County, it’s the perfect place for solo and family outings.
Places to Stop on the Way to Wynoochee Lake
Those making the drive out to the lake or campground should keep in mind there are no commercial services available at either location. Pack plenty of food and provisions before leaving home – and be sure you have enough fuel for the return trip – or stop by local stores and gas stations along the way. In Montesano, stop by Wynoochee Coffee Co. at 213 Pioneer Ave W; Wynooche Meats & Deli at 201 Wynooche Ave E; or Pick Rite Thriftway at 211 Pioneer Ave E. Several gas stations are located on Pioneer and Main streets, and throughout the downtown area.
The gas tank is full and the cooler is packed. It’s time to head out for some outdoor fun! Stop at the kiosk located at the entrance to Wynoochee Lake for maps and information, or download and print maps here. Note: cell service and data connection are limited in the area, so printing maps is recommended.
Those looking for a leisurely stroll will enjoy the half-mile Working Forest Nature Trail. Access this trail on the north side of the Coho Campground beginning at Loop B. Exhibits and signs give visitors a chance to learn more about the area, and views of the river gorge below the dam at the vista overlook are stunning.
Views of Wynoochee Lake from Coho Campground, a lush, wooded campground with yurts and sites to accommodate tent and RV campers. Photo courtesy: U.S. Forest Service
The Wynoochee Lake Shore Trail #878, a 16-mile loop, offers hikers views of small streams, waterfalls, and lush second growth forest areas. Access is also through the Coho Campground. Be sure to wear durable shoes, hiking boots, or water shoes as you’ll likely encounter water, rocks and fallen trees along the trail. Six miles of the trail are along the lakeshore, with two additional miles opening up to a bridge crossing over the Wynoochee River.
Find access to the Maidenhair Falls Trailhead just off the northern section of the Lake Shore Trail, where signs point hikers in the right direction. Waterfall lovers will find this adventure well worth their time. With the falls cascading off boulders, many have noted the waters look like a maiden’s flowing hair. You’ll want to take photos here, for sure!
Be sure to bring your camera along on the hike up to picturesque Maidenhair Falls. Photo courtesy: U.S. Forest Service
Camping at Wynoochee Lake
Coho Campground, located on the west shore of Wynoochee Lake, is a lush, wooded campground with 46 sites to accommodate tent and RV campers. In addition, there are 10 walk-in tent camping units and one walk-in group site with space for up to 12 people. Although there are no RV hook-ups, there is a dump station located just outside the campground.
If yurts are more to your liking, there are three non-smoking yurts on elevated platforms overlooking the lake available by reservation only. One of the yurts does have room for an extra tent or RV, depending on size. The yurts have heating, lighting, a futon couch, bunk bed, table and chairs as well as a picnic table and fire ring outside. Please note: campers must supply their own bedding and cooking supplies.
Camping is available mid-May through October, weather permitting. Reservations are on a first come, first served basis online at the U.S. Forest Service Recreation website or by calling 877-444-6777. Discounts are available with Interagency Senior, Interagency Access, Golden Age, and Golden Access passes. They do not apply to yurts.
Be sure to bring your camera along on the hike up to picturesque Maidenhair Falls. Photo courtesy: U.S. Forest Service
Boating, Fishing, Swimming, at Wynoochee Lake
Don’t forget your fishing pole and license when you head out to the Wynoochee Lake area. Lake and pond fishing is great from the shores of the Coho Day Use area, and there’s a boat launch as well. Anglers are likely to catch rainbow trout and whitefish. Find more information at the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife website.
Picnicking at Wynoochee Lake
Take in the beauty of the lake from one of the many picnic tables located in the Coho Day Use area. It’s the ideal location for a romantic lunch for two, a family outing, or when fueling up before or after a trail hike. Cool off in swimming areas located near the dam or dip your toes in the water along the lake shoreline.
Wynoochee Lake is located about 35 miles from Montesano, and about one hour from Aberdeen. Take the Devonshire Road exit off Highway 12, head north on Wynoochee Valley Road, and follow the signs. For general information, including outdoor activities and weather conditions, call 888-502-8690.
The store has maintained a consistent presence along Railroad Avenue since opening 25 years ago. Photo credit: Matt Benoit
Over the last quarter century, downtown Bellingham has seen many changes. Many businesses, people — and even entire buildings — have come and gone. But one small shop along Railroad Avenue has stood the test of time, defying recession, pandemic, and anything else thrown its way.
Sweet Art Candy Kitchen — a chocolate and art shop that churns out fresh fudge, truffles, turtles, and toffee — has been the pride and province of Jerry and Vivian Hruska since 1998.
The couple, now in their 70s, moved to Bellingham from Laguna Beach, California, in 1992 seeking a cooler climate. Jerry is a chocolatier with a half-century of experience, and Vivian paints canvases large and small as an artist.
“We have a good product and we have loyal customers,” Vivian says of the shop’s longevity. “We do not advertise. It’s always been word-of-mouth.”
Sweet Art Candy Kitchen’s front door opens to a land of wonderful art pieces, novel décor, and plenty of tasty treats. Photo credit: Matt Benoit
A Place of Wonder
Sweet Art Candy Kitchen is, paradoxically, both easy and hard to miss: its small space is wedged between a thriving corner waffle shop and a shoe repair business. But its storefront includes a metal sign above the door reading “CHOCOLATE,” a giant wooden candy cane to one side, and a large logo featuring an artist’s palette with various candies in place of paint splotches.
Inside, the walls are covered in Vivian’s artwork and plenty of novelty items, including a Tyrannosaurus Rex head clutching a popcorn ball in its mouth.
Shelves are bedecked with more unique items: a plastic skeleton, complete with hook hand, peg leg, eye patch and bandana, sits atop a tall cabinet filled with chocolates molded in the shape of dinosaurs, penguins, chickens, goats, cats, and various dog breeds. On the skeleton’s left shoulder sits an even smaller skeleton.
Chocolatier Jerry Hruska makes fudge inside Sweet Art Candy Kitchen, the sweet shop and art gallery he and his wife have dutifully run in downtown Bellingham since 1998. Photo credit: Matt Benoit
The shop’s main attraction, of course, is its antique candy cases, which brim with chocolates of all shapes and sizes.
There are butterscotch bambeenies, rainbow bars, mohawks (fudge topped with walnuts), pecan maple rooks, mad hatters, hedge hogs, and other uniquely-named specimens. There are chocolates that look like orca whales, owls, and pigs, the latter of which are contained in a small white-picket pigpen. There are white, milk and dark chocolates, and pieces of fruit dipped in chocolate.
Near the front of the store, examples of gift box sizes sit below a bust of Medusa, with a display of English and Czech toffee nearby. The latter variety, featuring dark chocolate and hazelnuts, is a nod to the Jerry’s last name and Czech heritage.
Getting to Candyland
Jerry grew up in the Rocky Mountain West and graduated from high school in Billings, Montana, before joining the United States Navy. His friend had wanted to join the Air Force, but Jerry convinced him to flip a nickel to decide which branch they’d join.
Jerry had wanted to serve his country as a cook, but his high IQ led to time aboard an aircraft carrier specializing in electronics during the Vietnam War. When he got out just shy of four years, he used the G.I. bill to attend college in California, and eventually found himself in Seal Beach.
There, an old woman he called “Grandma,” along with another aging fudge-maker, showed Jerry the ins and outs of sweets-making. He eventually bought a 12-foot-by-12-foot shop of his own from Grandma for $1.
Chocolate Hedgehogs — just one of a variety of fun-looking chocolate varieties — sit ready for purchase inside one of the shop’s vintage candy cases. Photo credit: Matt Benoit
By 1976, Hruska found himself with his own fudge store in Laguna Beach, California. There, he met Vivian, who was managing an art supply store. Jerry would come in every day to buy a colored pencil as an excuse to talk to Vivian. When they finally married, it took place at a drive-thru chapel in Las Vegas.
Hruska’s business took off, to the point he was making hundreds of chocolate turtles seven days a week, and shipping fudge far from California. He was also featured in a 1978 Los Angeles Times photo; a copy of it hangs above the back door of his chocolate-making workspace, which includes a large marble cooling slab for rolling out fudge and other treats.
When the Hruskas decided to move north in 1992, they visited Jerry’s sister’s friends in Portland. The friends suggested settling in La Conner. While they liked it enough, a short jaunt north to Bellingham sealed their decision-making.
“We liked the idea of having a university, the culture — everything that Bellingham had is what we were looking for,” Jerry says.
The two had to get regular jobs at first — Vivian worked for a grocery store while Jerry did work related to his electronics background — but the couple eventually got their candy shop and art gallery up and running along Railroad Avenue.
Sweet Art specializes in turtles, truffles, and toffee — the “Big Three” of chocolate-making — as well as fudge. Photo credit: Matt Benoit
Sticking Around
Over the decades, plenty of things could have led the Hruskas to close up shop.
But they didn’t, even during the COVID-19 pandemic. Vivian says they handed out baskets of candy from a barrier during the spring of 2020, and customers never stopped visiting to get their fill of homemade chocolates in as healthy a way as they could.
The couple is unsure how much longer they’ll continue operating Sweet Art Candy Kitchen — due to his health, Jerry says he doesn’t work the local farmers’ market anymore, and essentially makes chocolate on an “on-demand” schedule now. The couple has several helper employees, and Jerry says he’s hopeful they’ll eventually find someone to take over the business to keep the chocolates coming.
But as long as the Hruskas continue living their daily passions of art and chocolate, you can bet the customers of Sweet Art Candy Kitchen will continue showing up. After all, it’s hard to resist chocolate, no matter your age.
“Candy makes you feel good,” says Vivian. “It’s a comfort thing.”
Whatcom Transportation Authority (WTA) is excited to announce that all bus trips within Whatcom County will be free of charge from August 10 through August 19, 2023, as part of their Free Fare Days promotion.
WTA’s Free Fare Days will once again coincide with the Northwest Washington Fair, offering the perfect opportunity for fairgoers to hop on the bus to Lynden and enjoy the festivities without the added cost of gas and parking.
WTA’s Route 26 bus provides regular service to the Lynden fairgrounds, conveniently dropping off riders at the Front Street entrance of the fair. This route operates between 6:30 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. on weekdays, from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Saturdays, and 8:05 a.m. to 6:05 p.m. on Sundays.
In addition to free rides on fixed route buses, WTA is extending the offer to paratransit and Lynden Hop riders, making the promotion all-inclusive for a seamless and cost-free transportation experience.
Make the most of WTA’s Free Fare Days and join us in reducing traffic congestion, promoting sustainable transportation, and celebrating the Northwest Washington Fair.
This year’s Grandstand Entertainment Series for the Northwest Washington Fair includes:
Demolition Derby, 7:00 p.m., Thursday, August 10, and Friday, August 11
38 Special, 7:00 p.m., Saturday, August 13
Los Chicos Del 512, the Selena Experience, 7:00 p.m., Sunday, August 13
Lynden PRCA Rodeo, 7:00 p.m., Monday, August 14, and Tuesday, August 15
Needtobreathe, 7:00 p.m., Wednesday, August 16
Chase Rice, 7:00 p.m., Thursday, August 17
Ne-Yo, 7:00 p.m., Friday, August 18
Russell Dickerson, 7:00 p.m., Saturday, August 19
For more information on bus routes in Whatcom County, please visit www.ridewta.com. To purchase fair tickets or view a schedule, visit www.nwwafair.com.
Brady can be found on a fairly regular basis performing on Saturdays at the Bellingham Farmers Market. Photo credit: Marla Bronstein
Many young performers have honed their crafts in Whatcom County, aspiring to become professional actors, singers, and dancers. I’d never heard of 24-year-old Bellingham resident Brady McAtee until I recently saw what turned out to be his second performance as part of The Robin Christopher Show at the New Prospect Theater (NPT). Brady and Robin met at a recent Unsubdued Theater Collective’s showcase at NPT.
Brady is a ventriloquist, singer, and musician who has been performing since the tender age of 9. His family moved to Bellingham from Kalispell, Montana, in 2014 when he was in middle school. Brady graduated from Sehome High School and is currently a full-time real estate photographer and videographer, director, and editor working for Converge Media out of Seattle.
When Brady was younger, he wanted to be a professional filmmaker or a professional ventriloquist. “But now it’s hard for me to decide because I enjoy doing all this stuff so much,” he says. “I don’t want to pick just one thing; I’m not really interested in being pigeon-holed.”
Brady’s first self-admitted obsession is for top hats “and everything related to the19th century gentleman, including canes and tuxedos.” This love and passion came as a result of he and his grandfather watching 50 versions of “A Christmas Carol” every year. Photo courtesy Brady McAtee
Brady attributes his interest in ventriloquism to seeing entertainer Terry Fator on America’s Got Talent in 2007.
“Something drew me to it, and I was obsessed,” he says. “I knew immediately that, obviously, the puppet’s not singing, it’s him doing it; but you can’t see his mouth moving, it’s so real.”
He then learned of Edgar Bergen. “My grandfather said Edgar Bergen was the best ventriloquist in the world when he was growing up. I still believe he’s the best ventriloquist in the world, even though his lips moved more when the dummy’s talking than when he does,” Brady says. “It’s Charlie McCarthy’s believability that makes him such an amazing character, and that’s what I loved.”
“Everything I know, I learned on YouTube,” he says. “That includes playing musical instruments like trumpet, banjo, guitar, piano, and trombone.” Photo credit: Kenny Mendez
Brady got a copy of Bergen’s book “How to Be A Ventriloquist,” which describes how to make a ventriloquist dummy. Deciding he wanted a real dummy and not a puppet, Brady begged his parents to buy him a dummy. “They got me a Charlie McCarthy replica dummy on my 9th birthday,” he recalls. “It was the most magical moment ever.”
But it was still just a toy with a string. So he asked his grandfather, a carpenter, to build one, which he did. That first dummy is deconstructed now because when Brady was trying to figure out later how to make one of his own, he took it apart to figure it out.
“Everything I know, I learned on YouTube,” Brady says. “That includes playing musical instruments like trumpet, banjo, guitar, piano, and trombone.” He admits he did learn how to do something directly from a human once. During high school, he took a few trumpet lessons from Jeremiah Austin, the trumpet player for popular Bellingham-area band Baby Cakes.
Brady has a passion for making movies that capture the old Hollywood look. Photo courtesy Brady McAtee
A few years after graduating high school, at the home of a high school friend Ben, Brady and the young opera singer did a casual duet of “Shenandoah” in front of a few others. Performing in front of an audience wasn’t as scary as he’d always imagined it might be. Brady and Ben connected with another friend and started a trio right before quarantine shut everything down. Finding time on his hands, Brady learned how to yodel and put more effort into learning how to be comfortable performing in front of a crowd.
He readily admits that nothing came easy.
“I wasn’t born with the ability to be a ventriloquist or a singer. My lips moved all the time when I did ventriloquism; I got heckled off the stage,” he says. “And I was a terrible singer for a long time.”
When he tried to yodel for first time in front of a group of people, excitement and nerves snatched his breath. “I just made a guttural sound,” he says. Stage fright was an issue. “It’s the worst fear in the world, but then when you’re done it’s like, ‘Oh my gosh, I can’t believe I did that.’”
“Just the other day, I sculpted this hand from clay; it’s the first time I’ve ever done that. All I did was go on YouTube and look at some tutorials. I think what makes me unique is my passion for learning new things.” Photo courtesy Brady McAtee
His advice to others? “If you want to do something, and you think it will be fun to try, the only thing stopping you from doing that is the dedication to following through. I just do what I want to do, until I don’t want to do it anymore.”
Whatever he does, no doubt he’ll make it look fun and easy.
Local placemaking agency Paper Whale presents the Noisy Waters Mural Festival, taking place at Bellingham’s waterfront August 18-20, 2023. Featuring more than 25 artists from across North America, the festival will include live mural painting with a goal to activate a wider diversity of artistic representation in the community.
More than 150 artists applied to participate in the festival and only 8 finalists were selected for an opportunity to paint 8-foot-square murals during the three days of the event. The general public will vote for their favorite murals created at the event with the top three receiving commissions for large murals in Bellingham.
Photo courtesy Noisy Waters Mural Festival
The event will also showcase a new mural project led by Indigeversal Collective Founder and Muralist Kaplan Bunce, who will be overseeing a 160-foot-long Indigeversal Collective installation along Granary Avenue, featuring seven indigenous artists. The Indigeversal Collective is a program designed to create new opportunities for artists from indigenous communities globally.
“The sole purpose of this mural is to honor the community and demonstrate how we can collectively do good things together,” said Bunce. “We are using art as a way to uplift the community and bring together unique voices from indigenous people in the purist way we know how.”
The festival will offer spray painting workshops along a 200-foot-wide public mural wall, featuring 11 runner-up artists painting a large typeface of “Noisy Waters.” The word “Whatcom” is derived from the Lhaq’temish word QwotQwem, which translates to “noisy water.”
Photo courtesy Noisy Waters Mural Festival
“We are thrilled to bring creative activation of this scale to Bellingham,” said Noisy Waters co-founder and muralist, Gretchen Leggitt. “There is an abundance of opportunity to increase public art in our growing community, so I see this as an important moment to foster and cultivate the creative culture that is ingrained within Bellingham. We are honored to welcome a diverse range of talented artists to this space, to hear different stories, to see fresh styles and to inspire people to create.”
Paper Whale has been activating underutilized spaces in Bellingham since 2022, with a goal to cultivate community by producing multi-sensory events that inspire and creatively activate placemaking.
The festival is FREE and open to the public and will be held at the Peter Paulson Stage, adjacent to Trackside Beer Garden at 298 W Laurel Street on Bellingham’s waterfront.
Dosewallips State Park has all kinds of camping sites as well as cabins to allow anyone to spend time in nature. Photo credit: Tony Moceri
Brinnon, Washington, located in Jefferson County, makes it easy for anyone to immerse themselves in nature. With varied camping and lodging options, you will surely find a spot that meets your desired level of adventure. Cozied up between the Hood Canal and the Olympic National Forest, every bend in the road leads to another opportunity for exploring Mother Nature’s finest offerings. With picturesque views located steps from the road, one isn’t required to be an extreme adventurer to enjoy the outdoors in this area.
This little stretch of road along the Hood Canal is teeming with places to call home for a few nights. Whether you are traveling in your RV, pitching a tent, or looking for a more traditional roof over your head, Brinnon has you covered.
Olympic National Park Camping
Dosewallips State Park, which is large enough to cover both sides of Highway 101, is cut through by the Dosewallips River just as it ends at the canal. Within the 1,064-acre park there are campsites suitable for any setup. All the sites come equipped with picnic tables and fire pits. Thirty-seven sites are designated for tents, and 58 sites have RV hook-ups with water and power. If you don’t have your own camping setup, one of the 12 cabins in the park will allow you to stay amongst the trees. There is an ADA campsite, ADA cabins, showers and bathrooms.
Tony Moceri and his partner in adventure Lindsey Moceri at the base of Rocky Brook Falls. This powerful waterfall is easily accessible and a showstopper in the spring. Photo credit: Tony Moceri
Once settled in the park, there is plenty to explore. If you are looking to get your hiking fix, you can head up the Maple Valley Trail right from your campsite. Located within the park, this approximately two-mile loop will take you up, down, and around as you meander through the forest, with a modest elevation gain that’s not far from camp. Whether positioned in the woods, along the shore of the Hood Canal, or on the banks of the Dosewallips River, you are likely to spot a variety of birds, making this location popular amongst bird watchers.
Just up the road, another camping option is Seal Rock Campground. This is a National Forest campground that is a little more rustic, but the 41 tent/RV sites are easy to pull in and set up for a few nights. There are three paved ADA sites. This campground gives a high bank view of Hood Canal, making it easy to do nothing but enjoy the view if that’s what the heart desires. Beach access allows one to explore the beach just a short walk from the campsite. The sites at Seal Rock are first come, first serve, giving an option if the Dosewallips State Park reservable campgrounds are already taken, and you get the urge for an impromptu camping trip.
Cove RV Park & Country Store provides its guests all sorts of options for spending some time on the Olympic Peninsula. With fully serviced RV spots, tent spots, and a motel room they can accommodate any style traveler. Photo credit: Tony Moceri
Cove RV Park and Country Store offer a private camping option. The short Marple Creek trail flanks this small, 27-spot park and is a quarter-mile walk to the beach. Offering both full hook-up RV sites and tent camping, you can reserve your spot ahead of time, so all you have to worry about when you get there is what to explore. They even offer one quaint motel room behind the country store if you book it in time.
Places to Explore in Brinnon
Short drives from any of these campgrounds offer low-barrier adventures that will have your senses humming. A must-see is Rocky Brook Falls, which in the spring is a powerful waterfall displaying Mother Nature’s full might. The gravel path will lead you about .1 mile from Dosewallips Road to the base of the waterfall. Here you will not just see the cascading waters, but will feel the cool rush of air and smell the freshness the water brings. The accessibility makes it the perfect spot for walkers of all abilities.
Mount Walker Viewpoint allows you to drive right to multiple views where you can see Hood Canal and the surrounding areas — including distant Seattle — from above. While there are hikes in the area, they are optional to enjoy these unforgettable sights. From Highway 101, the viewpoint is about 4.5 miles up a winding forest road.
Hood Canal Adventures in Brinnon, Washington is designed to get people of all skill levels safely into nature. With rentals and guided tours, they are the gateway to the Olympic National Forest and the Hood Canal. Photo credit: Tony Moceri
If you are interested in getting out and adventuring but are looking for some guidance, Hood Canal Adventures has everything you need. They can take people of all abilities out on the canal by kayak touring the Dosewallips Estuary or exploring tide pools. If you are interested in really immersing yourself in the environment, they have edible forest tours where a trained professional will take you foraging for the Pacific Northwest’s finest offerings. They also have many other guided tours as well as equipment rentals if you would prefer a self-guided tour.
When headed to Brinnon, research any required permits, reservations, and seasonal openings. This ever-changing environment’s offerings change with the season, making it an exciting place to return to year after year. For more information on planning the perfect trip to Brinnon, visit the Enjoy Olympic Peninsula website.
The Thunderbird story pole depicts morality tales that explain the origins of natural phenomena and lessons for conducting relationships with them and other people. Photo credit: Anna Diehl
In Bellingham, two public entities manage most of the parks, trails, and transit centers: the city government and the Port of Bellingham. The City of Bellingham’s One Percent for the Arts code has ensured the funding of public art all around the city. Although it governs a narrower area, the Port has collaborated with artists to install sculptures, murals, and experimental works along the waterways.
The Port of Bellingham operates Bellingham International Airport and port facilities and marinas along Bellingham Bay, plus port facilities in surrounding towns. With artists’ help, the waterfront continues to develop from its industrial roots into a beautiful destination.
Squalicum Harbor
The Port of Bellingham oversees Squalicum Harbor, a popular site for kite flying, private boating, and resort stays at Bellwether on the Bay. Two historic Port officials, commissioner Pete Zuanich and manager Tom Glenn, inspired the names of local features. Between Zuanich Point Park, Tom Glenn Common, and Squalicum Promenade, the area features much of the Port’s public art.
“Safe Return” was inspired by Eugene Fairbanks’ son John, who wished to pay tribute to fishermen after his friend Greg Schwindt died in the Bering Sea. Photo credit: Anna Diehl
Zuanich Point Park is home to one of Bellingham’s most famous landmarks: a memorial to the city’s fishermen lost at sea. “Safe Return,” the 16-foot, 38,000-pound bronze statue, reads: “In memory of fishers who have gone to sea…in pursuit of their livelihood…never to return.” The red granite base lists the fishers’ names alongside bas relief panels illustrating maritime scenes.
Dr. Eugene Fairbanks created the “Safe Return” monument, which was dedicated on Memorial Day, May 31, 1999. However, the Puget Sound Gillnetters Women’s Auxiliary contributed an earlier wooden plaque memorializing fishermen in 1974. On the park’s renaming in 1995, a large historic anchor joined this plaque. The Port website states, “According to local legend, the anchor got caught in a local fisherman’s nets and, due its weight, substantially damaged both his boat and his fishing equipment,.” It reportedly dates to English vessels from the 1800s.
Jay Gould of Port Townsend allegedly first found Zuanich Point’s anchor in his net and sold it to Tom Glenn for $2,500. Photo credit: Anna Diehl
Squalicum Promenade, the loop around the harbor and Bellwether, displays the Double Thunderbird by master carver Jewell James of Lummi Nation House of Tears Carvers (featured photo). This 2022 story pole depicts three traditional stories in an archway: Salmon and Raven, Bear and Steelhead, and Thunderbird. Plaques underneath the pole explain each of these stories.
Waterfront District
Bellingham’s Waterfront District has been a continuous Port and City project since the historic Georgia-Pacific paper mill closed in 2001. The most recent development is Waypoint Park, dedicated in 2017 on the old mill site. The City of Bellingham has overseen the repurposing of mill equipment such as the “Acid Ball,” which is now an illuminated art installation. The Port has worked with Whatcom Mountain Bike Coalition to install the pump track and with Paper Whale to enhance the area with art.
The Boardmill Building piece was conceived as a temporary mural to renew interest in the building awaiting new uses. Photo credit: Anna Diehl
A mural called “Honoring the Salish Sea” adorns the waterfront’s historic Boardmill Building, a 1946 structure that survives the old paper mill. Paper Whale artists Jason LaClair, Eagle Borsey, Raven Borsey, and Gretchen Leggitt created the mural with Port approval in 2022. Drawing on traditional Coast Salish art, the mural honors the Lummi, Nooksack, Samish, and Semiahmoo peoples. Additionally, it serves to excite the public for the building’s pending redevelopment under the Port.
The Portal Container Village at Waypoint Park repurposes shipping containers with artistic flair. Seasonal businesses such as a bike rental, mini golf course, brewery, eatery, and ice cream stand operate out of shipping containers on the waterfront. In 2021, local artist Sarah Finger created the mural that welcomes visitors through the threshold of community spirit.
Adjacent to these developments, a community of artists also continually paints new murals on the wall dividing Waypoint Park’s playground area and parking lot.
The Portal Container Village is constantly developing with the rest of the waterfront, continually gaining new businesses. Photo credit: Anna Diehl
Beyond Bellingham’s Waterfront
The Port of Bellingham also displays public art at other facilities and parks outside the marinas.
At Bellingham International Airport, the story pole “It’s Mine” depicts two Coast Salish fishermen and a serpent pursuing salmon from opposite sides. Lummi artist Felix Solomon created the pole in 2016, using the serpent to symbolize environmental threats to salmon such as overfishing, overfertilization, and deforestation. Solomon has received national recognition from the National Museum of the Native American Indian in Washington, DC.
Outside of Bellingham, the Port operates Blaine Public Fishing Pier at Blaine Harbor. This area features Blaine Seafarers’ Memorial, the town’s own tribute to fishermen lost at sea. Just adjacent is Blaine Marine Park, which features depictions of orca whales, salmon, and a totem pole.
Just outside Bellingham Cruise Terminal, a series of interpretive signs encircle a sculpture of a seagull. These signs detail the history of the area’s earliest inhabitants, Bellingham Bay, Fairhaven, Pacific American Fisheries, Northwest Shipbuilding Company, Commercial Point Shipyard, and the Schooner Zodiac. Bellingham Cruise Terminal itself is a popular destination for concerts, weddings, and other gatherings.
The Port’s website lists more parks and trails where visitors can further discover educational and artistic gems in and around Bellingham.
Every August, Lynden is host to Whatcom County’s largest multi-day event, the Northwest Washington Fair.
For many residents, the fair is a celebration of community, the region’s agricultural heritage, and all that is wonderful about summer. And it’s no different for Peoples Bank, which like the fair, has been a part of the Lynden and Whatcom County community for more than a century.
New this year, Peoples Bank is serving as a sponsor in two capacities: offering a free admission day on August 13, and as the sponsor of the fairgrounds’ newest building, the Peoples Bank Farm Pavilion.
Located just inside the main fairgrounds gate along Front Street, the spacious, high-ceilinged pavilion has 9,500 square feet of rentable space and is complete with restrooms, heat, and air conditioning.
Photo credit: Matt Benoit
Connecting to Community
Bob Fraser, commercial market leader at Peoples Bank’s Lynden Financial Center, says putting the bank’s name on the Farm Pavilion associates it with the fair’s outstanding reputation.
“We’re both iconic institutions,” he says. “We’re known for our integrity and values, and we’re dedicated to making a long-term investment in the community.”
Sponsoring the Farm Pavilion also means helping promote the fundamental importance of agriculture and ag literacy.
“That underlies everything that the fair does,” Fraser says. “It celebrates our agricultural community and recognizes the importance of agriculture as it impacts the quality of our lives.”
The connection that many residents have to the fair is also a generational one.
The family of Karen Kildall Occhiogrosso, the fair’s director of sponsorships, has long been involved with the agricultural aspect of the fair.
“My grandfather showed cows here,” she says. “My dad showed cows here. I was a 4-H member, and my kids were 4-H and FFA members. I know many people have similar stories.”
Mary Compton, branch manager of the Peoples Bank Lynden Financial Center, also has fond memories of showing farm animals during her childhood. Many of the bank’s current employees and customers also share that connection, whether it’s in having exhibited animals, flowers, vegetables, quilts, photographs, or assorted hobby collections.
Even the late country music legend Loretta Lynn won a blue ribbon for canning at the fair decades before returning as an entertainer. And over the years, incredible performers have graced the fair’s grandstand: everyone from Johnny Cash and Garth Brooks to Huey Lewis and “Weird Al” Yankovic.
While the fair has traditionally lasted a week, it expanded to a 10-day event in 2021, which continues this year when the fair will run from Aug. 10 to Aug. 19.
“Extending the length of the fair to 10 days has enabled us to provide so many more opportunities to the community,” says Selena Burgess, manager of the Northwest Washington Fair. “We are very excited to open our gates, gather together, and celebrate the end of summer.”
Photo credit: Matt Benoit
Free Admission Days
This year, Peoples Bank will offer free admission to all community members at Gates 1 and 5 on Sunday, August 13th from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. This is just one of a series of free admission days, including those for military members past and present, first responders, and children ages 12 and under. Reduced gate admission will also be available for Western Washington University students, staff, faculty, and alumni on Aug. 17.
Occhiogrosso says they especially hope for a strong turnout for Food Drive Friday on August 11. That day between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. at Gates 1 and 5, anyone who donates four food items to benefit the Whatcom County Food Bank Network will get in free. Canned proteins, fruits and vegetables, and dried beans and pasta are the most needed items.
With all this in mind, this year’s Northwest Washington Fair should be an absolute blast, while also reminding all of us of the importance of community ties.
“We are proud of who we are, what we do, and what we celebrate,” Occhiogrosso says. “The Northwest Washington Fair celebrates the talents of our entire community.”
Kevin Wiebe is a Ferndale native. Although he graduated from Ferndale High School, he admits he wasn't a model student. His teachers and administrators...
