WWU takes Last Night Out celebration to the streets for unique end-of-year event
The 1300 block of Commercial Street was shut down Wednesday evening as part of a celebration of the end of the 2025-2026 school year at Western Washington University. Tables lined both sides of the street for a Longest Table event to mark Last Night Out.
The Longest Table is an organization based in New York that is dedicated to bringing communities together by sharing a meal.
“We’ve gathered in parks and on blocked-off streets. In library parking lots and community centers. On warm October afternoons and snowy December days,” The Longest Table website states. “Every table is different. Every one works.”
The event in Bellingham was the largest Longest Table event, according to WWU Director of Community Relations Chris Roselli.
The free event encouraged students to mingle, draw, dance and have a meal, provided by local eateries Fiamma Pizza, Cheba Hut, Naan and Brew and The Food Co-op.
WWU’s commencement ceremonies began Friday night and continue Saturday at various venues.
“The idea behind this event is for the whole Western community, but especially for people who are graduating, to really give them a night to celebrate their accomplishments, spend time with their friends and the people that they love,” event organizer Nathalie Wagler told The Herald in an interview. “We wanted to bring that kind of community togetherness aspect, and nothing like sharing a meal together to make that happen.”
After the meal, students could visit over 70 different businesses and restaurants offering various discounts from 20% off ice cream at Love from London, $5 milkshakes at Fiamma Burger, 10% off Third Planet and various deals on drinks at downtown bars.
First Night out and Last Night Out at WWU is an extension of Western Wednesdays, an important partnership between the university and the city, Roselli told The Herald in an interview.
First Night Out was once called Paint Bham Blue and was focused on Western students. Over time the event shifted to being about bringing students — including those who attend Whatcom Community College, downtown to interact with local businesses.
“Downtown is such an important part of the Western experience that we want to be able to make sure that our students know where downtown is, which is why we do First Night Out, and also continue to support our downtown community as a part of Last Night Out,” Roselli said.
When the event was in the planning stage, Wagler thought back to her own WWU graduation in June 2021. Although she says Western hosts beautiful ceremonies, she found hers to be slightly anticlimactic. She now sees this event as a beautiful opportunity to celebrate students and their times in Bellingham.
“I wish that there were more opportunities to engage with students off campus, because I feel like on campus a lot of the events hosted by Western still just carry that stigma of this is an academic institution,” event attendee Zak Baybass said. “This doesn’t feel like we’re here to hang out. This feels more like we’re here to get connected to the campus and its people.”