The Bellingham Bells are bringing back large gatherings. Here’s how they are doing it
As Whatcom County takes the next step in pandemic recovery by bringing back large organized gatherings, Stephanie Morrell is very busy making sure baseball’s opening day in Bellingham is especially smooth.
Morrell, general manager of the Bellingham Bells Baseball Club, knows this year’s season opener is an important one beyond the game itself. The Friday, June 4, game against the Port Angeles Lefties is one of the first large entertainment events this spring as everyone emerges from the social distancing restrictions brought on by COVID-19. The Bells are allowed to fill Joe Martin Stadium to 50% capacity, which means 1,500 people will have the opportunity to see the game.
Morrell said there’s a lot of interest in the Bells season opener, along with a lot of questions from the community.
“It’s an exciting week and we know we needed to put in a lot of work to get ready,” Morrell said. “We appreciate the community wanting to come out this summer to enjoy a baseball game.”
It was unclear, particularly during the winter surge, whether Whatcom County would make enough progress to allow fans to watch a Bells game even at 50% capacity. Morrell said they felt like they were in a holding pattern for much of the offseason; when the Canadian teams announced they would be canceling the season and Washington state hadn’t announced any guidance on large gatherings in February, it didn’t look promising.
When Washington Gov. Jay Inslee did announce the return of events at 25% capacity on March 11, it finally gave the Bells hope that a season could happen. But it also meant putting it all together in less than three months.
Morrell said she learned a lot and it took a lot of coordination to make it work, adding that agencies such as the city and health department were enthusiastic about coming up with a plan.
The success of fans attending the Bells games could provide a blueprint for other big events as Whatcom County rolls out what will be a limited number of large events this summer, such as the first summer music concert at the Northwest Fairgrounds in Lynden takes place on Saturday, June 19, with the country band Southbound. Other summer events include the Fourth of July celebrations, Lynden Farmer’s Parade on July 17 and the Northwest Washington Fair in Lynden Aug. 12-21.
What’s new at the ballpark
The biggest changes the Bellingham Bells fans will notice this season involves buying tickets and food.
The team is encouraging fans to purchase tickets online. Fans will also have assigned seating to meet the new COVID-19 restrictions. Those who can’t purchase tickets online can call 360-527-1035.
The Bells will have non-socially distanced sections at the ballpark where fans over 16 who show proof they’ve been vaccinated can sit. There are also socially distanced sections for people to sit and watch the game. Masks are also required, whether you are vaccinated or not. The mask must be worn except when actively eating or drinking while seated.
Ordering food also is now potentially more convenient and will mean not missing game action. Instead of going to the food concession stand and putting in an order, fans will be able to place orders from their seats with an app. It will then be delivered to the seat. This can’t be done with beer, however; fans will still need to stand in a socially distant line and put in an order at the concession stand.
Recruiting results
Despite the pandemic, recruiting ballplayers this season was easier than expected, Morrell said. With college baseball seniors given an extra year of eligibility, there was a larger pool for organizations such as the Bells to draw from.
“We had a lot of players ready to go,” Morrell said, adding that she expects this to be a talented squad this season. This year’s roster includes players from several schools in the Pac-12 Conference, including the University of Washington, Stanford and Arizona State University.
The current 50% limited capacity is something the Bells can work with from a financial standpoint for the first month of the season, Morrell said. In 2019 the Bells averaged 1,787 fans a game and at several big promotional event nights, attendance would be around 2,500.
If Whatcom County further eases restrictions at the end of June as expected, the Bells plan to roll out the big promotional events in July.
If you go
Joe Martin Stadium is at the Bellingham Civic Athletic Compex, at Orleans and Potter streets.
Bells tickets are $8 general admission, $12 for grandstand seats. The Friday game starts at 6:35 p.m.
More home games are:
▪ 6:35 p.m. Saturday, June 5.
▪ 1:05 p.m. Sunday, June 6.
▪ 6:35 p.m. Friday, June 11.
▪ 6:35 p.m. Saturday, June 12.
This story was originally published June 4, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
