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🐹 A Hamsters’ All Hallows’ Eve 🦇🕸

🐹 A Hamsters’ All Hallows’ Eve 🦇🕸

October 30, 2024

Good morning, Bellingham. This is your Wednesday update from The Hamster Wheel.

It’s a trick-or-treating bonanza in the Ham this week! Free sugar, spooky littles, parents dreaming about that magical moment right after bedtime. Thank you to the school teachers handling the aftermath on Friday.

Have fun, and stay safe out there!

~ Val & Evan

In today’s Hamster Wheel:

Halloween Happenings
Trick-or-Treating Destinations
Food & Drink
Music & Nightlife

Weather Forecast

Wednesday: 54°F 🌡️ 43°F | 🌧️ Rain | 🌧️ 90% | 💨 ESE 6 to 13 mph

Thursday: 55°F 🌡️ 41°F | 🌧️ Light Rain Likely | 🌧️ 60% | 💨 NE 7 mph

Bellingham Bay Tides

Day	Time	H/L	FT
Wed	5:21 AM	H	6.84
Wed	10:27 AM	L	4.01
Wed	4:11 PM	H	8.04
Wed	11:09 PM	L	.81
Thu	6:08 AM	H	7.37
Thu	11:05 AM	L	4.74
Thu	4:24 PM	H	8.04
Thu	11:32 PM	L	.08

Moon Phases

Weather and Tides data from NOAA.gov. Moon phase data from astronomyapi.com.

Nature, Community, Sasquatch, UAP

Photos From the Hoods

Witch’s Hat (Hygrocybe conica) - 📷 Photo by Eduard Schwan

Halloween Spirit - 📷️ by Evan

Tag @bellinghamsterwheel on Instagram or reply to this email to get your photos in The Hamster Wheel.

Events, Updates & News Around Town

Get off the Hamster Wheel

A Hamsters’ All Hallows’ Eve

🧛🏻‍♀️ Trackside Parties (Oct 31, 4-9)
Join Kulshan Brewing and Paper Whale at the Trackside Beer Garden and Portal Village for their final weekend of the season. Enjoy music from DJ Aireekah of Glitt3r Lyfe, Thrillingham Performances, Dancing Witches, and a fire pit with ghost stories. Details.

🧛🏻‍♀️ Dungeon of Doom - Sumas (Oct 31, various times)
Tour the historic Vest homestead in Sumas, where Dr. Vest established a medical practice in 1906. Dr. Vest began to deviate from traditional medicine, and his moral compass started to waver. Many unsuspecting patients arrived at the Vest home seeking treatment, but only a handful left. Volunteer-led tours last approximately 15 minutes. Proceeds support the Sumas Museum. Tickets and info.

🧛🏻‍♀️ Monster Mash at the FIG (Oct 31, 10 AM-5 PM)
Bring your littles down to the FIG (located in the Lightcatcher Building) to make masks and monstrous masterpieces, dance to silly Halloween tunes, and get creative with spooky crafts. Details.

Trick-or-Treating Destinations

🎃 Intergenerational Trick-or-Treat (See map for dates and times)
Visit senior living facilities and the Bellingham Senior Activity Center for a night of intergenerational Halloween activities. Map.

🎃 Downtown Trick-or-Treat (Oct 31, 4-6 PM)
The Downtown Bellingham Partnership will have maps, activities, and candy at the Commercial Street Plaza located at 1300 Commercial. You can begin your journey at any intersection in Downtown Bellingham. Details.

🎃 Lake Samish Trunk-or-Treat (Oct 31, 4-6 PM)
The LSA will provide hot beverages, music, candy, and games with prizes. Show up in your best costume, and decorate the trunk of your car. Kids go from car to car to trunk-or-treat. Details.

🎃 Cordata Place Trick-or-Treat (Oct 31, 4:30-7:30 PM)
Join businesses in the Cordata Place business park for safe, well-lit trick-or-treating with plenty of free parking (and restrooms)! Details.

🎃 Great Lynden Trick or "Dutch" Treat (Oct 31, 2-5 PM)
Bring your little boos & ghouls (Ages 12 & under, please) around town to get some scary good treats from your participating local Lynden Chamber of Commerce members! Details.

🎃 Fairhaven “Fearhaven” Brick or Treat (Oct 31, 3-6 PM)
Fairhaven Historic Village is hosting a brick-or-treat at the Village Green. Stop by the free photo booth in Finnegan's Alley. Details.

🎃 Portal Village Trick-or-Treat & Scavenger Hunt (Oct 31, 4-6 PM)
A Spooktacular night of family fun, including trick-or-treating, scavenger hunt, food and beverages, dancing witches, and a fire pit with ghost stories. Details.

🎃 Barkley BOO-levard (Oct 31, 4-6 PM)
Join 23 businesses and the Bellingham Bells in Barkley Village for a night of trick-or-treating and a photo booth. Details.

🎃 Trick-or-Treat at the Mall (Oct 31, 4-6 PM)
Indoors means no rain, and lots of stores are participating! Details.

In other news…

The Port of Bellingham has posted its Draft Strategic Budget for 2025. This budget describes the funding of corporate goals such as “Ongoing Development in the Waterfront District,” “Environmental Cleanup,” and “Expansion of Marine Trades.” Public hearings on this budget will be held on November 5 & 19 (4:00 PM) at 1801 Roeder Avenue.

Correction: On Monday, we wrote about the Whatcom County Budget review. I mistakenly stated that the “City Council” rather than the “County Council” was meeting.

Local Business Updates

Haggling With Local Folk

Local Creator - Spooky Décor

While trolling the web for Halloween fun here in the Ham, we bumped into an amazing local artist who sells her wares under the nom de guerre “Eerie Ivy Creations.”

Her vending schedule doesn’t indicate further events during October, but an Etsy shop is filled with fabulous creations.

Dead Dog Triple IPA (2024 Vintage)

The North Fork Brewery is holding a release party and Kraken Tix Raffle (Oct 31, 5-8 PM) for this year’s Dead Dog Triple IPA. This ale is a yearly collaboration with Shadow’s Forever Friends and is offered in remembrance of all the dogs in our lives who have passed away. Proceeds assist low-income individuals with the cost of emergency veterinary care.

Free grub for your kids at Jalapeños

Jalapeños is offering a free Kid’s Meal (with any regularly priced dinner item) for any child (12 and under) who arrives in costume on Halloween. Jalapeños has locations on Meridian, Barkley Village, Downtown, and Fairhaven.

Food & Drinks

Hamsters Gotta Eat

Wednesday Food Trucks
Ah! Chihuahua @ Trackside Portal Village
Big Stick Barbecue @ Stemma Brewery
Burnt Side Down @ Stemma Brewery
Dumpling Girls @ Goods Local Brews
El Pollo Feo @ Kulshan Brewery (Roosevelt K2)
El Tapatio @ 4124 Strider Loop Rd
Greektown @ Closed
Luchadora @ Wander Brewing
New Public Vegan @ Closed
Outpost Eats @ Kulshan Brewery (James St. K1)
Rain or Shine Riviera Club @ Trackside Portal Village
Tacos El Tule @ West Marine (Meridian St)
Tam Tam Pizza @ Closed
The Galley @ 6069 Hannegan Rd

Thursday Food Trucks
Ah! Chihuahua @ Trackside Portal Village
Big Stick Barbecue @ Stemma Brewery
Burnt Side Down @ Stemma Brewery
Dumpling Girls @ Goods Local Brews
El Pollo Feo @ Kulshan Brewery (Roosevelt K2)
El Tapatio @ 4124 Strider Loop Rd
Greektown @ Kulshan Brewery (James St. K1)
Luchadora @ Wander Brewing
New Public Vegan @ Closed
Outpost Eats @ Closed
Rain or Shine Riviera Club @ Trackside Portal Village
Tacos El Tule @ West Marine (Meridian St)
Tam Tam Pizza @ Lost Giants Cider Co.
The Galley @ 6069 Hannegan Rd

Help Spread The Word

Refer three Bellingham friends to join our newsletter community, and we’ll include a birthday callout to one person you specify on their B’day 🎂. Get your referral link here. Your current referral count is: 0. You’re so close!.

Music & Nightlife

Spinning Into The Night

Thursday Games & Trivia
Bingo @ The Bourbon Restaurant & Lounge | 7 PM
Dungeons & Dragons @ CHeBA Hut | 6 PM
Trivia Night @ Stones Throw Brewery | 7 PM
Trivia Night @ Great Northern Bottle Shop | 7 PM

Hakuna matata

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Have a great Wednesday!!