Downtown Sounds, Pride & Northwest Tune-up in Bellingham: Your guide to local fun
Bellingham is always busy and bustling with community activities.
The city is about to experience one of its busiest weeks yet, full of music and celebrations.
Three major events kick off over the next few days, including the Downtown Sounds concert series.
Here’s what to know:
When does Downtown Sounds concert series start?
An iconic free music festival returns to downtown Bellingham for its 22nd year.
“Each week, Downtown Sounds transforms the Arts District into a lively gathering space featuring music, food vendors, family activities, and local businesses,” organizers said in a news release. “The series now welcomes more than 28,000 attendees and generates an estimated $450,000 in spending for downtown businesses throughout the season.”
Free concerts take place on Wednesday evenings at the intersections of Bay, Holly, and Prospect streets in downtown Bellingham.
The concert series begins on Wednesday, July 8, and concludes on Wednesday, Aug. 5.
Shows are from 5:30 to 9 p.m., with happy hour from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
“Downtown Sounds has always been about more than concerts,” Lindsey Payne Johnstone, executive director of the Downtown Bellingham Partnership, said in the release. “It’s a celebration of Bellingham’s creative spirit and the partnerships that help make downtown welcoming and vibrant for everyone.”
What’s in store at Northwest Tune-up in 2026?
Northwest Tune-Up will soon take over the Bellingham waterfront for three days of live music, food, beer and bicycles.
“This three-day event combines the joy of cycling, live music and the spirit of the Pacific Northwest lifestyle through an immersive weekend experience for riders, racers, music fans and families alike,” organizers said on the Visit Bellingham Whatcom County website.
The event, which draws up 13,000 attendees every year, has helped raise more than $275,000 for nonprofit organizations supporting “trail development, youth programming and outdoor accessibility initiatives in the Bellingham area,” organizers said.
Northwest Tune-up runs Friday, July 10, through Sunday, July 12, at Waypoint Park on Granary Avenue in Bellingham.
According to the event website, the festival takes place from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
There’s also a Mountain Bike Film Festival at the waterfront venue on Thursday, July 9, that’s free for three-day passholders.
The main stage concert lineup includes Henry Mansfield, Stephan Day, Pearl & The Oysters and Sierra Hull, while artists performing at the Rainier Stage include Blue Collar Grass Band and Pyrocene.
Several bike events are also in store.
Three-day passes for Northwest Tune-Up cost $195 for eventgoers ages 18 and up, or about $86 for youth ages 13 to 17. Festivalgoers 21 and older can get VIP three-day passes for about $293 each.
Single-day passes cost about $112, or $55 for youth ages 13 to 17. Children age 12 and younger get in free.
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Where are 2026 Pride events in Bellingham?
Bellingham is celebrating Pride in July with several fun events, most of them free.
Festivities include a Pride Books and Brews event at Fairhaven’s Village Books and Paper Dreams on Friday, July 10, plus the Pride Fairhaven Family Fun Day and an All-Ages Pride Dance at HUT on Saturday, July 11.
On Sunday, July 12, the Pride in Bellingham Parade will begin at 11 a.m. at Bellingham High School and wind through downtown Bellingham, ending at the Pride Festival in Depot Market Square on Railroad Avenue.
The Pride in Bellingham Festival, which runs from noon to 4 p.m., features artists, community groups, food trucks and more.
When is the Graffiti Rock giveaway?
Bellingham’s iconic Interstate 5 rock served as a community message board for more than 50 years.
After breaking the massive boulder into smaller pieces, state officials are offering palm-sized chunks to anyone who wants a keepsake.
More than 1,000 pieces of the graffiti-covered rock will be given away for free from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, July 11, in the parking lot at Civic Stadium, 1445 Puget St. in Bellingham, the Washington State Department of Transportation said.