A must-visit while you're in Anacortes during the summer season. The cornerstone of the museum is…read morethe W T Preston steam-powered sternwheel snag barge. This Preston operated in the Puget Sound for decades removing snags, logs and hazards from the navigable waterways. The boat is well-preserved, with all of the gauges, controls, boilers and other equipment in place. The curators have binders full of pictures of the crew and operations over the years. You enter the boat in the engine room, are greeted by a curator, then turned loose to explore the rest of the vessel on your own. The first deck is machinery space, the second deck is crew accommodations and the third deck is the galley, wheelhouse and officer's quarters. $5 entry fee. I recommend setting aside about an hour to explore the boat and take it all in.

This festival, hosted on Memorial Day Weekend in historic Fairhaven, is lovely to walk through and…read moredrink in. It's a beautiful part of Bellingham, and there are lots of vendors with food and interesting wares, crafts and art. The festival featured bands and plenty to places to enjoy the music. This festival was a happy coincidence for me--I came for the Ski to Sea event, and the festival was a beautiful bonus.

This fantastic festival happens on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend each year (same day as the…read moreSki to Sea race) and is produced by the Historic Fairhaven Association. All of the core streets of Fairhaven are closed and lots of street and craft vendors line the streets. Yummy food options to suit every taste - many fair favorites. Love the main stage showcasing popular local bands and adjacent to a huge beer garden. This is a great family friendly event not to be missed.

Small town American fairs are a cultural experience from the deep fried Oreos to the dog shows to…read morethe U.S. Army recruitment booths. It brings out the good (national pride) and the bad (racism) of rural America and puts it on display. The Northwest Washington Fair is no exception. Here's what you should know: 1) Price: It's expensive. You need a ticket to enter and then everything except the smaller shows (dog show, horse racing, etc) costs extra. An unlimited ride bracelet cost $42 per person, including for kids. Deep fried Snickers cost $8.50. The fair's margin is huge, making them a lot of money. Pro-tip- buy as much as you can online in advance to shave some money off the steep price tag. 2) Rides: It's no amusement park, but there are some decent rides fir the thrill seeker. The vertigo ride is fun if you don't get sick from spinning. The swings go high and fast. The Rock Star ride left your stomach at the top. The kids ride section my four-year-old daughter loved. 3) Games: Most are rigged I'm sure, but if you're playing to win a prize for your kids, okay the balloon one or the rubber duck game. You win a cheap stuffed animal every time. 4) Food: There's a lot of it throughout the park from burgers to corn dogs to Chinese food. A few favorites- roasted corn, "moowiches" (ice cream sandwiches), elephant ears and poffertjes (Dutch mini pancakes). It's all expensive, but alas. When in Rome. 5) Shows: my daughter loved seeing the dog show, horse shoe and the juggling. The Northwest Washington Fair is a cultural experience, but it's worth noting that we witnessed a number of staff treat people of color differently. On one ride, the staff member running the ride singled out a Black man for absolutely nothing. At the bar area, the bouncer made deeply racist remarks about the type of people who live in D.C. upon seeing my wife's drivers license. It exposes an issue in this community people would rather ignore.

Fantastic fair! NWW Fair has something for everyone. Music, food, animals, vendors, entertainment,…read morepolitical nonsense, etc. You really couldn't ask for more! I enjoyed the livestock most off all. Horses, goats, llamas, pigs, etc. A little bit of everything can be found at the fair. Pricing is kind of high; you get what you pay for. $14 pays for day of entertainment. I can't imagine that organizing a large fair is cheap or easy, so try not to grumble too much. Rides are not included. Parking is also not included. Gate 5 had some decent paid parking across the street.

Up here in Bellingham we like to do things differently, so our local Pride Festival (the second…read morelargest of it's kind in the state...by the way!) is held a few weeks later than most of the national festivities. The result is our festival attracts people not just from these parts, but from Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver BC as well. The festivities begin with a colorful parade through downtown Bellingham, and end at Depot Market Square where the entire street is shut down for food trucks, vendors, live music, and plenty of space to hob-nob with all the friends you'll run into. Be sure to wear your brightest, most festive attire - this is one of the few days in Bham where people aren't wearing various shades of khaki, tan, and brown!

I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Pride is a big deal in Bellingham with many events offered in the days…read moreleading up to the actual festival and parade. The parade starts near or at Bellingham High School and proceeds down Cornwall. The parade ends at the Market Depot on Railroad where the festival is held. The usual haters led the parade and was then followed by happy, singing, and supportive people from all walks of life. Kings, Queens, kids, and grannies marched in the parade alone with church groups and other organizations. The festival included vendors, drag performers, and other forms of entertainment. If you're easily offended by exposed skin, you're in the wrong place. Bellingham Pride is much smaller than Seattle Pride, but it's definitely more enjoyable. You can get a good viewpoint at all times and not feel overwhelmed. I'm looking forward to next year already.

Definitely a unique experience with some fun, thematic material and performances…read more Cost $ to enter, but it goes to a good cause! You will be able to purchase delicious "fair fare" and peruse many novelty swords, costumes, trinkets from talented craftsmen! Shows include dancing, exotic animals, bagpipes and contests. Firefighters are there cooking up awesome hotdogs and burgers- definitely a good deal too.

A nice small highland game. They have a new sponsor so it is just their first year. That will get…read morebetter and bigger. But just beware. Food takes forever!!!!

If you've ever had a kid in Bellingham public schools, attended a local college soccer match, or…read morejust needed to find a track to run around for a little exercise there's no doubt you've been to Civic Stadium. Located in the city-owned athletic complex that includes Joe Martin Stadium, Arne Hanna Aquatic Center, and the Sportsplex this basic-but-functional concrete monstrosity features a huge parking lot and two stadium-style covered seating areas (the larger of which is generally reserved for the home team fans). I've been to any number of events here: cross country, track & field, football, soccer, heck even a food truck festival. It's no fancy big-city stadium, and the concessions are pretty limited, but it serves a great purpose in our community.

Not enough bands, but way too many fire trucks! If there was a brush fire in the county, I fear…read morepeople would have been crushed by the calvacade of fire vehicles speeding off. Other than that, this parade and street festival felt old town America. Lots of folks out on the sidewalks with their kiddos ready to enjoy a rather lengthy parade. If there were no visible cell phones, and if there were no police on the roofs of the Main Street businesses, you would swear you were back in 1980! I'd go again!

Family fun in Ferndale! I came out today for the annual…read moreRubber Duckey Derby sponsored the Ferndale Rotary Club. It's their biggest fundraiser. Although I didn't claim the $5,000 grand prize we stayed a few hours to enjoy the festivities. Tons of activities for kids, they have their very own "Kid street' complete with music, fitness demos, games. For adults, it was the car show (disorganized) the beer garden and a decent rock cover band as well as all the greasy food you'd expect at a street fair. Vendor booths were "meh." I did get some car insurance info and a free coffee card to Woods.The best was the Lipsence booth and color sampling. Who doesn't want a lipgloss that lasts 18 hours!

What has a great view, a beer garden, shows cool movies, and is absolutely free? Why, it's the…read moreRooftop Cinema! Sponsored by the Pickford Cinema and held about once-a-month during the summer, the Rooftop has been a family favorite event of ours for years. And it's only gotten better with time. They now have food vendors, a beer garden, and a HUGE blow-up screen - not to mention a great sound system. It's seriously THE place to see and be seen (and see a movie)! Bring yourself a chair, and a blanket 'cuz it does get a little breezy up there. We like to grab a pizza to go and eat it during the movie. Oh and parking is free too!

This is a cool event in a great location. Bring your blankets, chairs, and whatever else you need…read moreto be comfortable watching a movie on a blow up screen. Food vendors, a beer garden, and a few organizations are set up. I'd recommend not coming at the start of this event. It's pretty boring as there aren't many people and not much seems to happen. My friends and I ended up leaving to enjoy drinks downtown and came back later in the evening. Rooftop Cinema is free but you're encouraged to give a donation.