The Hamster Wheel
Posts
🐹 Folk Tunes & Firelight 🔥🔥

🐹 Folk Tunes & Firelight 🔥🔥

January 22, 2025

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

When you see all the fun stuff going on over the next few days, you may have an overwhelming feeling that the weekend came early. 🎉 But it’s only Wednesday! You still have to go to work…. or not. You choose. 😜

Have fun, and stay safe out there!

~ Val & Evan

In today’s Hamster Wheel:

Saunas, Lore, Stories, & Song
Folk Music Festival
Food & Drink
Music & Nightlife

Nature, Community, Sasquatch, UAP

Photos From the Hoods

Downtown Lights - 📷 by Kyle D Bickel

Heron at Wiser Lake - 📷 by Richard Marcus

Foggy Day At Stimpson - 📷 by Cori Zentner

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

Weather Forecast

Wednesday: 43°F 🌡️ 31°F | 🌤️ Mostly Sunny | 🌧️ 0% | 💨 NNE 3 mph

Thursday: 43°F 🌡️ 30°F | 🌧️ Chance of Rain | 🌧️ 30% | 💨 N 2 mph

Bellingham Bay Tides

Day	Time	H/L	FT
Wed	2:04 AM	H	5.79
Wed	3:37 AM	L	5.48
Wed	10:01 AM	H	8.48
Wed	6:14 PM	L	1.29
Thu	3:47 AM	H	6.89
Thu	4:52 AM	L	6.54
Thu	10:26 AM	H	8.32
Thu	6:59 PM	L	0.65

Moon Phases

Weather & Tides from NOAA. Moon data astronomyapi.

Events, Updates & News Around Town

Get off the Hamster Wheel

Winter Goldfinch Visitors

Mid-winter is a great time for backyard bird watchers. There’s much less native food available, so a feeder filled with high-quality, protein-rich food will draw birds to your yard like bees to honey!!

I’ve been getting regular visits from American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis), which are currently in their winter plumage. The males are an olive green while the females sport a creamy brown. For whatever reason, I can't seem to keep them coming back during the summer when wild thistles are available, but I'm grateful for their appearance now.

If you’re new to running a backyard bird delicatessen, I recommend using Premium 4-Way Blend Wild Bird Seed from Wild Bird Chalet on Ohio across from the Habitat thrift. Songbirds love this mix (not too much millet), and Wild Bird Chalet is an awesome local business owned by Bellinghamster Val Wade, that caters to Bellingham's bird people. 👇️

Also, keep in mind that clean feeders are important to maintain healthy birds. I took advantage of the gorgeous weather yesterday to give all mine a scrubbing. The trick is to fill a 5-gallon bucket with warm water and a splash of bleach. I let my feeders soak for 15-20 minutes, then wash with dish soap and dry them completely. They come out looking sharp. 🙂

Saunas, Lore, Stories, & Song at the Waterfront

The Fire & Story Festival, now in its second year, kicks off tomorrow (Jan 23) on the Bellingham waterfront. Running through Saturday, this family-friendly winter festival features three nights of performances around four large wood-burning fires. With over 60 unique performers, expect a variety of music, song, and storytelling experiences that celebrate the spirit of winter and the rich culture of Whatcom County.

Since it’s guaranteed to be chilly 🥶, you might plan to visit Sauna Grove, a tranquil village where you can unwind in one of three custom wood-fired saunas. Book a private session or mingle with new friends. Sauna reservations are required, and both sauna and general festival admission are needed to participate. Just look how rad that sauna is!! 👇️

Thursday’s festivities will kick off with a 5 PM ceremonial fire lighting at each stage. The Song Stage lineup for the first night includes: Ledfors, Mclaughlin & Co., Robert Sarazin Blake, and The Librarians. Other stages will host storytellers Skwetslátse'emót & Skwetslátse'elhót/Si'li'xw'tunawt with stories from the Nooksack Tribe, live Blacksmithing, and local writers sharing humorous poems. Find the full schedule online.

Fire & Story Festival is produced by Paper Whale, a Bellingham-based non-profit cultural accelerator dedicated to fostering community through innovative, multi-sensory events. Ticket purchases support the continued growth and enrichment of our local arts and culture scene.

Folk Music From Around The World

The annual Bellingham Folk Festival also kicks off tomorrow! (So many options. 😁) The Folk Festival is a homemade celebration of music and community that brings people together. This year’s festival runs through Sunday, offering four days and nights filled with inspiring performances, lively dances, hands-on workshops, and spontaneous jam sessions at various local venues.

Spoon River

Thursday’s lineup includes a Pan-Celtic Jam, Quickdraw String Band 👇️, and Pete Irving concerts at Ramble Tamble, Explorations in Folk Guitar at Honey Moon, and a Honky Tonk Dance at Cof&. See the full schedule.

Quickdraw String Band

There are no festival passes or tickets to purchase. Just a great opportunity to listen to musicians doing what they do best, while supporting local venues with patronage.

In other news…

🏨 The Washington State Department of Commerce announced that Bellingham’s Opportunity Council has been awarded $5 million from the state’s Housing Trust Fund for local affordable housing projects.

This funding supports their senior housing initiative near the Bellis Fair Mall, a $60 million project designed to provide between 110 and 120 affordable rental units and a childcare center serving around 100 children.

Food & Drinks

Hamsters Gotta Eat

Wednesday Food Trucks
A Que Tacos @ Goods Local Brews
Big Stick Barbecue @ Stemma Brewery
Burnt Side Down @ Stemma Brewery
Calcutta by Simmering Tava @ K2
Dumpling Girls @ Goods Local Brews
El Pollo Feo @ Kulshan Brewery (Roosevelt K2)
El Tapatio @ 4124 Strider Loop Rd
Falafel Feast @ 4370 Meridian St
Galley 2 Go @ Stones Throw Brewery
Luchadora @ Wander Brewing
Mobile Mouth Hole @ Lowes Parking Lot
New Public Vegan @ Evil Bikes (700 Harris Ave)
Outpost Eats @ Kulshan Brewery (James St. K1)
Sammies Vegan @ Wander Brewing
Tacos El Tule @ West Marine (Meridian St)
The Galley @ Ponderosa Beer + Books

Thursday Food Trucks
A Que Tacos @ Goods Local Brews
Big Stick Barbecue @ Stemma Brewery
Burnt Side Down @ Stemma Brewery
Calcutta by Simmering Tava @ K2
Dumpling Girls @ Goods Local Brews
El Pollo Feo @ Kulshan Brewery (Roosevelt K2)
El Tapatio @ 4124 Strider Loop Rd
Falafel Feast @ 4370 Meridian St
Galley 2 Go @ Stones Throw Brewery
Greektown @ Kulshan Brewery (James St. K1)
Luchadora @ Wander Brewing
Mobile Mouth Hole @ Lowes Parking Lot
Nana J’s @ Kulshan Brewery (James St. K1)
New Public Vegan @ Evil Bikes (700 Harris Ave)
Sammies Vegan @ Wander Brewing
Tacos El Tule @ West Marine (Meridian St)
Tam Tam Pizza @ Lost Giants Cider Co.
The Galley @ Ponderosa Beer + Books

Harbor & Maritime

Whatever Floats Your Boat

1978 Santana 525 Sloop
This cute sloop is called the “Flying Burrito”. Love that!!! 😆 She's 25 feet long, looks well-maintained, and is currently in a slip in Squalicum Harbor. Summer adventures await. ⛵️ Listing.

EasyRider 16 ft Expedition Fiberglass Kayak
This looks like so much fun!! It’s a 16-foot kayak with detachable pontoons and sail. I’m already picturing how to strap a fishing rod to the pontoon cross member. Paddle some, sail some. It's the best of both worlds… or at least some of both worlds. 🙂 Listing.

Performance Arts This Week

Dance of The Hamsters

LIVE THEATRE & EVENT

New Prospect Theatre:
Into the Woods | Fri, Sat, Sun 7 PM; Sat, Sun 2 PM; understudies Fri 2 PM

iDiOM Theater:
Tower of Air | Thurs, Fri, Sat 7:30 PM

Bellingham TheatreWorks:
Deep Blue Sound | Thurs, Fri, Sat 7:30 PM

Wink-Wink:
Miss Behaved | Fri, Sat, Sun 7 PM

Lynden Christian High School:
High School Musical | Sat 7 PM

The Upfront Theatre:
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly | Thurs 7:30 PM
Murder at Mortlake Manor | Thurs 7:30 PM
Fifty Shades of Velvet | Thurs 9:30 PM
Punch Line | Sat 9:30 PM

PARTICIPATORY DANCE

Scottish Country : Scottish Dancing Workshops @ Fairhaven Library | Wed 7 PM
Tango : Tango Practica @ The Majestic Ballroom | Wed 6:30 PM.
Two-Step : Two-Step Workshop with Bex Bee @ Cof& | Thurs 7 PM
Bachata : Bham Bachata @ ‘ONO Kitchen & Bar | Thurs 7:30 PM
Honky Tonk : Honky Tonk Dance with Steel Reserve @ Cof& | Thurs 8 PM
Social Partner Dance : Flow Fusion @ Karate Church | 7 PM
Square Dance : Dear Crow & Friends, Bex Bee calling @ Orion | Fri 8 PM
Square Dance : Square Dance Workshop @ The Blue Room | Sat 2 PM
Square Dance : All-Ages Square Dance @ The Blue Room | Sat 7 PM
Samba : Mastering the Art of Rebolado @ Cof& | Sat 6 PM
Cuban Salsa : Technique and Partnerwork in Rueda de Casino @ Cof& | Sat 7 PM
Contra/Country : Contra/Country + Yiddish Squares @ Norway Hall | Sat 7 PM
Morris : Morris Dance Workshop @ BAAY | Sun 1 PM
Salsa : The Salsa Collective @ The Majestic Ballroom | Sun 5:30 PM

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

Hakuna matata

To All Our Readers

Thanks for reading today’s edition. If you found something helpful, please forward it to a friend 🙏, and tell them to follow this 👉️ link to sign up.

You can reply to this email if you have something we should know about or want to send us a love note.

Have a great Wednesday!!