Whatcom Roundup: Downtown shop closing, tulip season extended and more on tap
Here’s our weekly roundup of the latest retail and restaurant activity around Whatcom County:
Downtown Bellingham shop closing
Cute But Crazy Socks, a sock and gift shop in downtown Bellingham, is closing permanently, according to a social media post and the business’ website.
“This hasn’t been an easy decision, but it is one made with a great deal of clarity. As many in the Bellingham community know, my partner Ben and I took over Nelson’s Market in 2023. We were able to buy this 130-year-old corner store and restaurant with the money we ‘socked away’ over the years — using the success of Cute But Crazy and my design company, ModSocks, to invest in this historic cornerstone of the York neighborhood,” owner Urania Shaklee wrote on the business’ website.
“I’ve decided to close the downtown shop and dedicate more of my energy to our space in York. It’s time for me to lean into the neighborhood that feels like home and focus on my role as a steward of Nelson’s Market — honoring its century-plus history as a neighborhood hub while nurturing it as the kind of ‘third place’ our communities deserve,” Shaklee wrote.
Cute But Crazy Socks will be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday through its final day on May 17 at 1323 Cornwall Ave. in downtown Bellingham.
Skagit Valley tulip farms extending season
Some of the tulip farms in Mount Vernon are extending their season, allowing visitors to see the tulips beyond the official dates of the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival.
The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival runs from April 1 through April 30.
RoozenGaarde and Tulip Town will be open through May 3. Tulip Valley Farms will be open through May 2.
For more information on tickets, parking and operating hours, visit each farm’s website.
The Portal Container Village reopens
The Portal Container Village is reopening for the season on Friday, May 1, featuring a new cocktail bar from local distillery and restaurant, Chuckanut Bay Distillery.
The Portal is also home to Kulshan Brewing Company’s Trackside Beer Garden, a bike pump track, Selkie Scoop Ice Cream, Zeeks Pizza, Bin 13 wine bar, Rain or Shine Riviera Club, Our Kitchen and even a mini golf course at Portal Putt and bike rentals at Sun-E-Land Bike.
Operating hours vary at each business at The Portal. The Portal Container Village is open from May through late summer, and is located at 296 W Laurel St. in Bellingham.
Last week’s roundup
Last week’s Whatcom Roundup highlighted a new restaurant and bar coming to Lynden, unemployment rates decreasing in the county, local events and more.
Discover Whatcom
If you’re looking for some fun things to do in Whatcom County, new restaurants to visit, or stories on what makes our area unique, subscribe to our free weekly “Discover Whatcom” newsletter.
