Entertainment - Entertainment News

POSTED: Thursday, Jun. 25, 2009

Bellingham's first Ladyfest celebrates female artistry

Bellingham's inaugural Ladyfest, a celebration of female artistry, specifically in music, dance and visual arts, kicks off with a dinner show at 6 p.m. Thursday, June 25, at the Ground Floor Gallery, 1105 N. State St.

Events continue on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, June 26-28, with workshops, concerts and other performances at the Old Foundry, 100 E. Maple St. and other Bellingham locations. Among the participants: Your Heart Breaks, Kristen Allen-Zito, NighTraiN and Amber Darland.

Admission varies. For a full schedule, go to myspace.com/ladyfestbham or ladyfestbham.org, or call (425) 879-8637.

Here's what else is going on around Whatcom County in the coming week:

BRITISH INVASION

Take a trip back to the 1960s next week for a concert with two band favorites from the "British invasion" - The Zombies ("She's Not There," "Tell Her No") and the Yardbirds ("For Your Love," "Heart Full of Soul").

The two bands play at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 2, at Mount Baker Theatre, 104 N. Commercial St.

Tickets are $41.50 and $46.50, available by calling 734-6080 and online at mountbakertheatre.com.

LIVING NATURALLY

Explore some of Whatcom County's eco-friendly homes and landscapes and learn about the businesses that help create them during the Imagine This! Home and Landscape Tour, between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, June 27-28.

Tickets are $15 per person, $40 per carload, and are available in advance at Village Books, the Garden Spot, the ReStore, Bakerview Nursery, both Community Food Co-op locations and online at brownpapertickets.com.

For more information, call Sustainable Connections at 647-7093 or visit sustainableconnections.org.

LIFE ALONG THE 49TH PARALLEL

Seattle author Jim Lynch is the guest author at the next Chuckanut Radio Hour, on June 30 at The Leopold's Crystal Ballroom, 1224 Cornwall Ave.

He'll talk about his new novel, "Border Songs," the story of a socially awkward border patrol guard (living near Lynden) whose acquaintances include his marijuana-growing neighbor, his dairy-farmer dad who has an ongoing feud with a Canadian living just across the ditch that's the border itself and a masseuse who may know more than she's telling.

Also onstage will be the Gadjo Gypsies and Western Washington University poet Oliver de la Paz. Recording starts at 7 p.m. sharp; doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Tickets are $7.50, with one free with purchase of "Border Songs" from Village Books, and are on sale at the bookstore and at brownpapertickets.com. Call 671-2627 or go to chuckanutradiohour.com for details.

JAZZ IT UP

The 24th annual Vancouver (B.C.) International Jazz Festival presents more than 400 shows, including 150 free concerts, by more than 1,800 musicians from around the world, Friday, June 26, through July 5 at several greater Vancouver venues.

Among the performers: Grammy winners David Sanborn and Randy Becker, vocalist Kurt Elling, sax legend Sonny Rollins, The Sea and Cake, King Sunny Ade and the Occidental Brothers.

Admission varies. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster; go to coastaljazz.ca for a complete schedule.

Running concurrently with the jazz festival is the Vancouver International Flamenco Festival; go to flamencorosario.org for details.

Reach Margaret Bikman at margaret.bikman@bellinghamherald.com or 715-2273.