This is an amazing beer lovers event…read more Bellinghamsters come out in force, so arrive early. The lines to get tickets and get in the day of the event are super long. It is worth it to buy the VIP pass online to avoid the wait. Plus, you get early entry before the masses which gives you immediate access to each vendor without the long lines. You buy a 4oz cup for $4 upon arrival. Brewers from out of town, out of state and even locals will sell you a taste of their special crafts for a $1. It is worth it to try the local breweries too. Boundary Bay had special concoctions that were only available at this event, and they turned out to be very unique and tasty. Don't forget your state identification to prove you are 21+, and cash to buy drinks and those amazing pretzel necklaces. It's highly recommended you arrange a ride home in advance with a service like Uber, Wheels & Wines, or a cab. With so much good brew to enjoy, you are guaranteed to be in no condition to get behind the wheel. A live band played throughout the night. Yelp had a fun "selfie booth" that was a hit with groups wanting a picture on their phone to mark the occasion. I only wish this event happened more than once a year.

Bellingham biggest and baddest beer festival just keeps getting better. And this year they made it…read moreeven more fabulous by concentrating not only on getting a lot of people in the gates, but by making sure we had fun once we were inside. The variety of beers and ciders available was absolutely amazing. Everything from local breweries to beers from far away were featured. There were two music stages, a game area, several amazing food trucks, and other nice touches such as plenty of bathroom facilities. I had a wonderful afternoon, and it's definitely the place to see and be seen at the end of Bellingham Beer Week. If you go here and don't run into anyone you know you clearly aren't from Bellingham.

This year was the second for Chuckanut Brewery's Oktoberfest and, while the first year was equally…read moreas fun, the folks at CB made just enough improvements to take this event to signature status. Held on the first Saturday of Bellingham Beer Week, this year's Oktoberfest featured more seating than last year, most of which was under a GIANT hops-adorned tent with long shared tables. It was like a scene right out of Bavaria (including the lederhosen-tshirt-adorned staff). There was also an awesomely fantastic polka band, surely a staple at any such festival. And, of course, there was delicious food and beer. This year they even had a couple of food trucks in attendance, plus the usual delicious offerings from Chuckanut's own menu. A beer station kept the crowd moving, and there was also a giant blow-up play area for the kiddos (plus other games for young and old). You know it's a good event when you're already looking forward to next year's festivities!

I think I was 12 years old before I realized most communities don't wait in eager anticipation of a…read moreyearly festival in celebration of logs, proudly wearing their red DEMING LOG SHOW suspenders year round. It makes sense if the livelihood of most people in the community depends on helping convert happy trees to logs :/ I was 13 years old when I realized that most people don't wear suspenders. Started in 1962, the DEMING LOG SHOW, always the second weekend of June, is a fund raising event "For Busted-Up Loggers" that rose out of loggers' lack of health benefits or disability. It's the most popular event in Deming, and is packed with people. Don't miss events include the early morning loggers breakfast, the "Bull of the Woods" award, opportunities to drive the CATs, and the many log rolling, log climbing, log cutting, etc. contests.

A great slice of Americana - entertaining show and nice venue. Friendly people, and all for a…read moreheart-warming cause (fundraiser for busted up loggers). We went on a whim, having been years earlier in our college days. Reserved an RV site and stayed from Friday through Sunday. We got the last site available, due to the ill health of one of the 'regulars' - and were immediately greeted by our immediate neighbors who were more than welcoming and friendly. Had a wonderful time. Here was information we were hazy on: No clue when the show started, or how the food situation worked. Rather expected a beer garden, but no. We brought our own dinner for Friday night, not knowing there was a huge supplier-hosted feast that evening. Forewent the long lines and ate our own food that night. Assumed (incorrectly) that Saturday evening would be flush in food as well, only to find all the vendors closed down tight by about 7 pm. So, no dinner for us that evening. Breakfast was available both days, and lunch/early dinners were available while the show was going. Dog friendly, which is hard to find anymore, although they are not allowed inside the arena (for good reason). Clean and well-maintained grounds with plenty of garbage containers. No recycling, which would be a nice addition. Both indoor and portable restrooms. The purpose of this review is to let those unfamiliar with the event have a bit better heads-up than we did. Even bumbling through as we did, it was well worth the experience. I would strongly suggest updating the web site so future 'newbies' can be better prepared.

Known for their many, many social causes which tremendously benefit our community, the Kiwanis Noon…read moreClub also holds a weekly luncheon in Lynden where members come to network, hob-nob, and listen to a guest speaker. On this particular occasion, I had the privilege of being the guest speaker and I was impressed by the thoughtful crowd, the polite questions, and the very warm welcome. At the end they even gave me a souvenir Kiwanis coffee mug - what a great group of people! While I wasn't real excited about the food, the rest of the event was very well done.

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!

A giant stage with lively bands playing, people of all ages dancing, a beer garden, food, vendors,…read moredogs, amazing weather...yup, this is pretty much one of my favorite local events. In fact, I'd say Downtown Sounds is the quintessential Bellingham experience. Held on multiple Wednesdays during the summer months, this free concert/street festival brings together the best our sweet city has to offer. And this year it got even better as the layout of the festival was flipped on its access, creating a larger beer garden (no more long lines!) with full view of the action on stage, plus a great food truck area with local yumminess like tacos, tamales, and ice cream. If it's a warm summer night, there's simply no place better to be. Want to experience Bellingham for all it is? Check out Downtown Sounds!

After being washed out for two weeks in a row, Downtown Sounds finally got a break from the weather…read moreGods. Perfect summer weather, great Latin vibe and lots of food, kids activities and dancing!

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.

First time checking out this festival. I enjoyed the different variety of foods. There was a…read moreBlack forest mushroom stand where they sell Alder tree logs for $45 inoculated with chestnut mushroom spores. The Lummi Nation island salmon lunch plate was $18 but it was wild salmon, pasta, bread and beans + water bottle. I like how they air grilled/smoked the fish. That line was the longest. Trident also had a stall where they were giving away shirts, key chains, fish oil, chocolate swag. The boat building offered a demo on sea urchins which i missed out on. They also had a Whatcom Maritime museum station where kids can build wooden boats. Enjoy coming to this place eventhough a bit far for us. It was nice to be by the water and free parking.

So much fun packed in two days. Today's weather was perfect for the Seafeast...sunny and hot at…read moretimes but dry the whole day. We got there around 12 and stay until 5:30pmish. Parking at that time was a bit challenging but we manage to find a free parking lot close by and walk toward the festival. Once there we saw tons of vendors with all kind of marine info and education. My girls (ages 9 & 11) found the "Passport" section where the girls get their passport stamp as they go thru and learn about each booth. I find myself learning a few things too. Food court was loaded with an abundance of sea and non-sea food options. Nice that most if not all took credit cards. My meal pick was Fish and Chips from Fork & Fin food truck. A huge portion for $12( definitely shareable.) Girls got a huge hotdog ($5) from a hotdog stand. For dessert we grab some ice cream($2) next door to the hotdog stand. Only wish there was a water station so we could re-fill our water bottles instead of having to buy the plastic water bottle. Maybe next year a water conservation vendor would sponsor that to keep us water drinker from contributing to the plastic landfill and from the ocean. We headed to the main stage with all our food goodies to eat while enjoying some live music. Definitely a fun family festival for the whole family.