Junior Ski to Sea parade, race kick off Whatcom’s biggest event
Join the parade, watch or be in the race, see welders in action, or explore WWU.
Ski to Sea events begin Friday
Get ready for Whatcom County’s biggest festival, which kicks off Friday with the Junior Ski to Sea Parade in downtown Bellingham and ends with the big race on May 28. Here’s a roundup of the first week’s events. Unless noted, go to bellingham.com or call 360-734-1330 for details.
Junior Ski to Sea Parade
The cutest children, floats and pets will be featured in the Junior Ski to Sea Parade, starting at 6 p.m. Friday, on the corner of Cornwall Avenue and Kearney Street. The route continues down Cornwall and ends at Railroad and Champion. Participants may begin lining up at 4:15 p.m. Judging begins at 4:30 p.m.
Junior Ski to Sea Race
Six members per team compete in a five-legged race consisting of running, back-to-back ball carry, biking, soccer and an obstacle course from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at Lake Padden Park, 2244 Samish Way. The event will have three different races: the morning elementary race; the middle school and community race; and the afternoon elementary race.
“The Mountain Runners”
The 2012 award-winning film shows at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Pickford Film Center, 1318 Bay St., recounting the mountain endurance-adventure foot race, first run in 1911 to the summit of Mount Baker and back that was the forerunner of Ski to Sea. The movie incorporates historic images, archival film, visual effects, music and dramatizations.
Info: 360-738-0735, pickfordfilmcenter.org.
Friends of the Bellingham Public Library Book Sale
The popular event features books, books on tape, CDs and DVDs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday, and May 25-26; 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 27. May 26 is half-price day; May 27 is $4 a bag day. $1. The event is at the public library, 210 Central Ave. Tables are continuously restocked. All proceeds benefit the library. Info: 360-778-7250 or email friendslibrary3@gmail.com.
Sparks, Flares and Fun at the Welding Rodeo
Watch welders transform scrap metal into sea-inspired art at this year’s Welding Rodeo Sculpture Exhibition from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, at Bellingham Technical College, 3028 Lindbergh Ave. Throughout the day, four teams will create sculptures following a Salish Sea theme, with the day ending in an auction of one-of-a-kind metal art at 4:45 p.m. Admission is free. Attendees can bid on smaller metal works created by BTC’s welding students in the week prior to the rodeo. A portion of proceeds raised at the auction goes to the sculpting team and the remainder goes to help support BTC welding students. Other BTC programs and clubs will have tables at the event for raffles, sales and food. BTC’s instrumentation and control technology students will be grilling up burgers and dogs throughout the day, and all proceeds will support program student scholarships. Info: 360-752-7000.
Back2Bellingham
Back2Bellingham, Western Washington University’s alumni and family weekend takes place Thursday through Sunday. More than 100 social, recreational, and educational activities take place on campus and throughout Bellingham all weekend long. Spaces fill fast for many activities, so register at back2bham.com. Preregistration is $15; day of registration is $20. Each registered guest receives the Back2B’ham VIP pass, a special bracelet that provides access to lunch on Old Main lawn Saturday with live music by Baby Cakes; a party in the library with hearty appetizers, root beer floats, Boundary Bay Brew and live student music; a downtown B’ham Bash at Boundary Bay Brewery & Bistro, 1107 Railroad Ave, with music by SpaceBand and your first beverage free ($5 cover without Back2B’ham bracelet.); a carnival in Red Square, with live entertainment and inflatables; and a 250-foot Zipline, with the option of riding alone or racing side-by-side with a friend. Info: 360-650-6832 or 360-650-3353.
Zombies strike Bellingham
The eighth annual “Save Our Cities: Zombies vs Survivors,” hosted by Black Drop Coffeehouse, takes place from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday at Maritime Heritage Park, 500 W. Holly St. Teams compete in an all-ages game of water balloon tag and scavenger hunt to raise money for Northwest Youth Services. The event is free, but donations are encouraged. The Black Drop Coffeehouse will match the first $300 in donations. Although the event begins at noon, get there early if you want make-up. Info: blackdropcoffeehouse.com and on Facebook, which includes the waiver, pre-registration forms, volunteer sign-up, and rules.
Commercial Street Night Market
The Downtown Bellingham Partnership presents the 2017 Commercial Street Night Market series, beginning Friday and taking place from 6-10 p.m. on the third Friday of the month through September on the 1300 block of Commercial St. Now in its third year, the Night Market will feature local craftspeople, artists, entertainers, musicians and food vendors, while also pulling creative vendors and artisans from around the Pacific Northwest. Among the vendors: Sassy Babes Boutique, Moondance Sea Kayak Adventures and Simmering Tava. Performers at the May Night Market will include Western Washington University's Viking Band, Baltic Cousins, Jesse Kirsh with Dancing for Joy Hip Hop Crew, Jules the Juggler and Wanda Dance Party. Info: 360-527-8710, downtownbellingham.com.
What are you going to get out and do next weekend? Share with Margaret Bikman: 360-715-2273, facebook.com/bellinghamherald. Tell us about your event at least three weeks in advance to be considered for this column.
This story was originally published May 17, 2017 at 12:00 PM.