Fairhaven Wa Blog

It's that time of year to start planning for the Fairhaven Festival - the eighth leg of the annual Ski-to-Sea race in Bellingham, WA.

Are you a vendor that would like to have a booth space, someone that would like to participate in the race, a local looking for fun or a tourist checking out the Historic district?  The festival is definetly an event you will want to get more information about.

Join us on May 30th, 2010 in Fairhaven for a fun filled day of activities, food, shopping, music and a great beer garden to mingle with friends and race enthusists.

Historic Fairhaven's only computer repair store, Whatcomputers, moves from store front on Finnegan Way to the Harris Square Office Suites and changes name to Whatcom Digital.

Their new location on the second floor of the Harris Square Office suites has elevator access, parking and a view over the courtyard, which is surrounded by the Harris Square Condominium buildings.  There are several other successful businesses located in the square to include Four Starr Boutique, Studio 910,  Serena Gelato and Southside Trends.

If you live in Fairhaven, especially in a condo in the District core and you are looking for computer parts, repair or tech support be sure to check out Whatcom Digital at 960 Harris Avenue #202 on the second floor off the courtyard.

Quickly approaching is the 7th annual Dirty Dan Days Festival on April 25 & 26 in the Historic Fairhaven District of Bellingham, Washington.  A fun, funky seaside village Fairhaven boasts a charming district center with historic & new buildings featuring condominiums, offices and boutique shops.

The added Seafood Festival theme to the Saturday events should be a fantastic addition with festive booths featuring food, toy boat building, interactive salmon art, Dan Harris history and cooking demos.  Saturday's fun will end with our first Cupcake Eating Contest, featuring cupcakes from the newly opened Katie's Cupcakes.

Sunday's Chuckanut Chowder Cook-off has continued to grow and our local Restaurants feature some of the best chowders around.  For a $10.00 fee you get to sample between 16 - 18 ounces of chowder, then choose your favorite and received a 10oz bowl & a hunk of bread.  Additionally, the Dan Harris Challenge has continued to grow with the help of the New Whatcom Rowers group.

For additional information about the event see fairhaven.com and check out the write up about the event in the Entertainment News NW April 2009 edition.

Katie's Cupcakes has opened in Historic Fairhaven.  Whether you want your treat to go or relax for a few moments in the pink club chairs and watch Fairhaven go by through the front window, it will be a delicious endeavor.

These delectable treats come in a variety of flavors ranging from the Chocoholic to Lemon to Red Velvet and my favorite the Irish Car Bomb, which was featured on opening day; St. Patrick's Day.  The frosting is exquistely creamy and the cake moist. 

For those that want to induldge, but think they can't, they sell mini versions as well in all the same flavors.  She is also taking special orders for cakes and will soon have cookies.

Take a stroll through Historic Fairhaven and enjoy the many other shops and galleries while you are visiting.  To plan your trip look up details at fairhaven.com.

Well, if you weren't there, you missed Fairhaven's Pacific Northwest Rain Festival.  It happened in a blink of the eye!

There was four incredbily creative poems read and half a dozen kids and adults particpating in the Rain Gear Fashion Show.

The Reigning Rain Queen and her entourage was present as well as the Official Pug.  The Rain Queen petted the Pug, which was determined to be dry showing that Spring is on the way.

Muddy Boots played music for the crowd and a good time was had by all in attendance of the 7th Annual Pacific Northwest Rain Festival on the Village Green in the center of Historic Fairhaven.

The Alaska Ferry arrives and departs Fairhaven every Friday for it's trip thru the Inside Passage to several destination points in Alaska.

This week long trip leaves Bellingham every Friday at 6 pm and returns the following Friday at 8 am, so you have several options depending on the amount of time you have for a trip.  Ideas for your trip could be to take a week staying on the Ferry by either bunking in a cabin or pitching your tent on the deck or drive your vehicle on and get off the Ferry at one of it's several destination cities in Alaska for a few days and then catch the Ferry on the return trip back.

The Inside Passage is beautiful as you meander through the islands, while watching nature pass by.  Several pods of Orca Whales live in the area as well as waterfowl, seals and porpoises.

If you decide to plan a trip on the Alaska Marine Highway System, be sure to schedule in time to tour the Historic Fairhaven urban village with buildings originating back to the late 1890's.

There is a multitude of great places to dine in Fairhaven.  It would even be fun to make it an evening with a "progressive meal" in Fairhaven.

So lets see, your options are unlimited!  You could have a appetizer at Flats, then head across the street to Skylarks for some wonderful soup, then head up Harris Ave, while window shopping of course, to Mambos Italiano for some salad & bread and then back down Harris Ave to Dirty Dan Harris on 11th for your main course of steak or seafood. Then as you go across the street through the Village Books Store to ponder some literature, while your food digests, it's into the Colophon Cafe for a piece of incredible cheesecake.

Or pick one of the great Historic Fairhaven Restaurants and spend your evening relaxing and dining in a great atmosphere.  Choices like thai, italian, mexican, steak/seafood, soup/sandwhich/salad and don't forget the desserts; ice cream, gelato, cupcakes, cheesecake, tiramasu & cake.

If you don't already know about the long running Ski to Sea race in Bellingham, Washington; now is the time to learn.  With the event quickly, it seems, approaching on May 24, 2009 don't waste anymore time to learn about the Fairhaven Festival and Race!

The approximately 89 mile multi-leg race starts on Mount Baker at about 4,000 feet and ends on the beaches of Marine Park in Fairhaven.  Whether you enjoy Mountain Biking, Canoeing, Running, Kayaking, Road Cycling or Skiing there is a leg for everyone on your team.  If you want to participate on a team or volunteer to help coordinate the race now is the time to check out the Ski to Sea race details.

The Jr. Ski to Sea race is an excellent competitive opportunity for the kids to enjoy as well as the corresponding parade.  

A wonderful community event that garners international participation finishes in Historic Fairhaven with a festival that sees upwards to 35,000 people pass through

Events happen daily, weekly and monthly in Historic Fairhaven! 

The Events calendar on the Fairhaven website is updated consistently with fun and usually free activities for everyone to particpate in.  Events rannge From listening to readings from Authors at Village Books or music at Archer's Ale House or wine tasting at Skylarks or running/walking opportunities with Fairhaven Runners or artist shows in local shops.

This urban village known as Historic Fairhaven continues to grow and thrive with many different business as well as residential condominiums nestled in the buildings high above the streets.

The Waldron Building, built in 1891 from bricks brought over on ships as ballast, originally housed the Bank of Fairhaven on it's street level has after 114 years become home to another bank.  Whidbey Island bank opened this week in it's new Fairhaven location in the recently renovated building.

The upper three levels of the Waldron Building has two luxury condominiums per floor as well as a lower level, which opens to McKenzie Alley.  This lower level space is still available for lease and would make an excellent location for most any business.  The Historic Fairhaven District has many other historic buildings within a three block radius to the Waldron.