Events & Activities in Downtown Bellingham
FIRST FRIDAYS
Predictable Schedule, Unique Experiences Every Month
First Fridays is a monthly celebration that showcases local artists and galleries, places to dine and sip, late night shopping, events, live music, and more! Join us Downtown on the first Friday of every month from 6:00pm - 10:00pm. Maps published by Wednesday to begin planning your adventure!
People gather at Odd Fellows Temple Room before a show.
SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE
Downtown’s Go-To Event Calendar
Whether you’re looking to explore the city center, enjoy a live musical performance, or tease your brain with some trivia - Downtown’s got you covered.
If you are a business or organization hosting an event Downtown, we want to share!
Photo Credit: Kristina Gray - INSIDER benefits at Black Sheep
BECOME A DOWNTOWN INSIDER
Support & Save At Downtown’s Hottest Spots
Give a little - get a lot.
Ready to get year-round deals at your favorite businesses and support the health and vitality of the Downtown neighborhood? Sign up or gift a membership today starting at $5/month!
Subscribe And Never Miss A Beat
Want to be the first to know when Wine Walk tickets go on sale? Curious about monthly events happening in the city center? Looking for ways to get involved in your community?
- OR -
Do you own or operate a business in Downtown Bellingham? Want to make sure you are in the know about everything from traffic updates to tax incentives and grants that could boost your bottom line?
More Ways To Engage With DBP
City Block District 5 meeting at the Ranch Room
CITY BLOCK PROGRAM
Connecting Businesses With Their Neighbors
The City Block Program fosters connection, collaboration, and discussion between businesses through quarterly meetings in respective “districts”. Find your district and get plugged in!
Western Wednesday poster on WWU’s campus
WESTERN WEDNESDAY
Welcoming WWU Downtown Every Wednesday With Deals & Discounts
Experience everything Downtown has to offer with deals on everything from coffee to cocktails and everything in between! Featuring 60+ participating businesses, grab your WWU ID and head Downtown to experience the city center on a budget.
Every Wednesday. All. Day. Long.
SUPPORT A VIBRANT NEIGHBORHOOD
Join Us In Continuing Our Programs, Events & Projects With A Donation
Downtown is the heart of Bellingham and Whatcom County, providing a gathering place for community, offering a wealth of retail, dining, and entertainment experiences, & acting as the focal point for culture and creativity. We are committed to championing the vitality of our community, and can't do it without your support.
2025 Annual Report
From Our Director
Dear Downtown Bellingham Community, Supporters, and Friends,
2025 was a year of many milestones for us here at the Downtown Bellingham Partnership. We completed our first-ever multi-year strategic plan - a shared roadmap shaped by staff, board members, partners, and community voices.
We also made meaningful progress in how Downtown looks, feels, and tells its story. We created the Commercial Street Parking Garage Art Plan, a framework designed to reimagine this highly visible piece of infrastructure as a canvas for local creativity and storytelling. At the same time, we invested in digital strategies, building relationships with community-minded marketers and creators, and exploring new ways to help Downtown businesses share who they are.
We welcomed Christa Robertson as our new Events and Administrative Coordinator, strengthening our internal capacity and bringing fresh energy to our team. We were also honored to welcome two new board members whose perspectives and leadership deepen our organization’s governance and vision.
Our Landscape and Maintenance team truly showed up for Downtown in 2025. Beyond their day-to-day work, the crew installed 410 new plants in the spring, and in the fall, our community raised $700 to plant 1,700 tulip and daffodil bulbs throughout the Downtown core. These efforts were supported by volunteers and supported by Mayor Lund, City Council members, and neighbors who care deeply about this place. I’m incredibly grateful for that shared stewardship.
The district experienced a mix of highs and lows throughout the year - we said farewell to a local anchor, Boundary Bay Brewery, but we also saw tangible signs of belief in Downtown’s future. Businesses chose not only to stay, but to deepen their roots here. New investments brought fresh energy to our streets. Arts and culture continued to anchor our identity. Employers reinvigorated weekday foot traffic - all indicators that Downtown is resilient and here to stay.
None of these efforts happen alone. In 2025, our work continued to be supported by a mix of private and public investment - from the City, the Port, our 45+ Main Street donors, event sponsors, and individual supporters, to everyone who filled our beverage garden at Downtown Sounds and lined up to sell out our seasonal Wine Walks. For this, my team and I are deeply grateful.
Downtown is always evolving, and our work is designed to evolve with it. 2025 is a reflection of shared stewardship - of people showing up, investing thoughtfully, and believing in what Downtown can be. I’m proud of what we’ve built together and confident in what lies ahead as we continue caring for the heart of our city.
Be In The Know
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter about Downtown Bellingham events, happenings, business openings, and more!
Our Donors
& Partners
City Support
The City of Bellingham provides financial support via contracts supporting partial staffing and execution of our signature events, and full funding of our landscaping and cleaning services.
Event Sponsors
Sponsors of our community-building experiences integrate their brand into Bellingham's dynamic cultural scene, gaining visibility among a diverse and growing audience. Thank you to 2025’s roster of over a dozen supporting businesses and foundations who not only contribute to the enrichment of our city's social and economic fabric but gain recognition with residents, visitors, and fellow businesses. Join this roster of economy-building sponsors! With over a dozen events and programs to fit budgets large, small, and in between, we are here to help find the right sponsorship fit for you.
2025 Downtown Sounds Season Sponsors
2025 Seasonal Events Sponsors
Main Street Supporters
A major source of financial support we receive each year is through accreditation with Main Street America and the Washington State Main Street Program, making our organization eligible for the Main Street Tax Credit Incentive Program. Businesses who pledge to the WA Main Street Tax Incentive Program receive 75% credit on their state B&O taxes and the entire donation may be tax deductible. Those tax dollars are then reinvested in the Downtown Bellingham neighborhood - a true win-win for everyone!
Thank you to the over 30 businesses and government entities supporting the Downtown Bellingham Partnership’s mission in 2025.
$10,000+ Main Street Donors:
All 2025 Main Street Donors:
Retailers, Distributors & Consumer Product Manufacturers
Food, Beverage, & Entertainment Venues
Public Utility & Government Partners
Video & Media Production
Education & Personal Health and Well Being Providers
Realty & Property Management
Construction & Building Services
Financial & Legal Institutions
Regional & Peer
Organization Partners
We recognize the important work of regional economic development organizations and nonprofits supporting commerce, culture, and celebration to further the Downtown Bellingham Partnership’s mission of champion the health and vitality of downtown Bellingham.
This project, co-funded by the Port of Bellingham, City of Bellingham, and Whatcom County, is designed to help all business professionals find the information they need to be successful in Whatcom County.
The Bellingham Regional Chamber of Commerce is the leading advocate for businesses in the Northwest Washington region. The chamber advocates for a strong business community and aims to make the Bellingham and Whatcom County area a great place to live, work, shop and play by influencing public policy, aiding in economic development, and helping its members succeed.
The Western SBDC brings a consortium of business development resources to your community. These assets are delivered to you through one-on-one counseling with our certified business advisors, our popular and proven training events and our best-in-class small business market and strategy research.
Sustainable Connections advances a regenerative local economy that builds community, strengthens food systems, catalyzes climate solutions, and expands access to housing in NW Washington.