Rumors are true: New 18-24 nightclub and venue coming to downtown Bellingham
The space below the dance floor at Rumors Cabaret has been vacant since Chuckanut Distillery moved to a new downtown location in 2019. Rumors owners Rian Greer and his husband are planning to change that.
The two recently purchased the entire building at 1115 Railroad Ave. under the entity Wayne J Miller Building LLC — a reference to the previous owner of Rumors Cabaret, who passed away in 2017. They’re turning the space into a once-a-week nightclub for people ages 18 to 24 and a rentable venue. It’s in the final stages of construction.
On Friday nights the venue will be open as the nightclub portion of the business, serving canned non-alcoholic beverages. The age limit of 24 is intended to create a safe environment for young people. Greer says there is some wiggle room around the age limit of 24, so parents or older friends of 20-year-olds can visit together.
“As long as you’re with someone who’s in the age range, you’re good to go,” Greer said. “What we heard from the community when other venues were doing 18-and-up nights was that there were a lot of folks that were older that were creepy, and we don’t want that.”
The new space is named after a historic bar opened during prohibition called The Hut Tavern. It later became a bar called Toyon before becoming Rumors. Greer has the sign that used to be at The Hut Tavern, which was given to him by a bartender that worked at all three bars while he was making a documentary about Rumors’ 40th anniversary.
The space will be called -HUT-. It’s logo is based off the original sign.
Rumors is well-known for its LGBTQ+ events and is open to everyone. Its tagline, “openly open,” applies to -HUT-, too, Greer says.
“Just like Rumors, it is a space that has to be queer-affirming,” Greer said. “The former owner of rumors, his philosophy, which has been ingrained in me, was that if we don’t hang out together, we’re not going to accept each other.”
When the nightclub isn’t open, the space will act as a rentable venue. Weddings and charity dinners were some of the possibilities Greer mentioned. The space doesn’t have a liquor license, so renters looking to bring in alcohol would have to apply for a banquet permit. Prices for the rentals will be on a case-by-case basis due to the versatility of the space.
“Rentals could be any time, like if someone wants a yoga studio or dance studio during the day, we’d love to work it out,” Greer said. “Instead of signing a long-term lease, [someone may] want Tuesdays from four to six.”
There is no set opening date for the venue, as construction is still ongoing. Greer encourages anyone interested in touring the space to contact him at rian@rumorscabaret.com.
This story was originally published July 17, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
