These bars, tasting rooms, events and tours are back in Bellingham after COVID shutdowns
Here’s a roundup of retail activity around Whatcom County:
▪ The Underground in downtown Bellingham is having a grand re-opening party starting up over the Fourth of July weekend. That includes opening up at 100% capacity for its dance floor and bringing back pool and beer pong until 2 a.m.
The nightclub, which is near the Herald Building at 211 E. Chestnut St., has had some limited operations since April. Before April, it had been shut down since March 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
▪ Also opening is the Twin Sisters tasting room in the Sunnyland neighborhood. Tasting room hours are 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 3:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday.
▪ Downtown Sounds is making a return this summer, offering a variety of music concerts on Wednesdays in August. According to the Downtown Bellingham organization, they are working with the city to make sure the live event music series is a safe one, with the first event slated for Wednesday, Aug. 4. Details and updates can be found on Downtown Bellingham’s Facebook page.
▪ While last week’s Washington state reopening is starting to bring things back to a new normal, local businesses are urging customers to please follow the rules that are in place because they differ store-to-store. For example, the Black Drop coffeehouse, notes that while children under 12 are not yet vaccinated it will continue to require patrons wear masks when not at a table.
▪ Boundary Bay Brewery announced on its Facebook page that a new food truck is joining its Thursday Happy Hour: Mix Masala, a food truck that serves Indian food. Menu items include Butter Chicken and Tikka Masala.
▪ If Bellingham is looking unfamiliar as people venture out more regularly, maybe it’s time for a history tour.
The city, in partnership with the Good Time Girls BellingHistory Tours, will be offering free guided tours of downtown and Fairhaven.
These one-hour excursions will take audiences back in time to explore Bellingham’s historic people, buildings, sites and landscapes. Known as purveyors of “historical edutainment,” Good Time Girls owner and tour guide Kolby LaBree said in a news release that she is eager to help make Bellingham history more accessible to all.
The free tours begin on Wednesday, July 7, and are offered through September. Tours will be held at 6 p.m. Wednesdays in Fairhaven and 6 p.m. Thursdays in downtown Bellingham. The tours cover a distance of less than one mile and are suitable for all ages (12 and older is suggested).
Because space is limited, registration is required. Register at the BellingHistory website. Meeting location and more information is provided upon registration.
