Family Activities

For being a medium-sized town Bellingham sure know how to pack in the fun. If it’s outdoors and nature that your family enjoys there are a plethora of places to explore like the tide pools at Larrabee State Park. If it’s cold and raining there are countless indoor actives to delight the senses such as the Trampoline Zone or the Spark Museum.

Indoor Activities

Outdoor Activities

  • Picnic at any one of the local parks
  • Biking Trails
    • Trails
    • Dirt Jump Parks
    • Mountain Biking
  • Hiking
  • Fishing
  • Paintball
  • Horseback Riding
  • Birch Bay Waterslides
  • Miniature World Family Fun Center
  • Hovander Homestead Park
  • Birch Bay State Park
  • Bellingham’s Farmer’s Market
  • Kite Flying at Zuanich Park

Annual Events for the Family

Ski to Sea Race & Fairhaven Festival: The Ski to Sea Race is held on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend every year. It is a 93.5-mile, 8-person relay with seven different sports from Mount Baker, down Highway 542 and the Nooksack River and across Bellingham Bay by cross-country skiing, downhill skiing/snowboarding, running, road biking, canoeing, cyclocross biking, and sea kayaking. The Fairhaven Festival is near the Ski to Sea race finish line, with live music, food and crafts booths, a beer garden, and more. The Ski to Sea Junior Race is the weekend prior to Memorial Day weekend with the Ski to Sea Junior Parade is the evening before.

Blossomtime Parade: Also known as the  “Ski to Sea” parade. It’s called that because it takes place on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend the day before the big race. It starts at noon and be sure to bring a chair or blanket to sit on as this parade runs well over an hour. This is the biggest and best-known parade in the county. The parade begins at Cornwall Avenue from Alabama to East Champion and ends at North State and York streets.

Northwest Washington Fair: The Northwest Washington Fair is a six-day (Monday through Saturday) event located in Lynden, WA. Monday is always a demolition derby with assorted performers the rest of the week at the fair’s large grandstand. Highlights include draft horse competitions, livestock judging, food, and craft displays. The fair also features a large carnival along with a smaller kids carnival.

Polar Bear Plunge at Birch Bay: The annual Birch Bay Polar Bear Plunge invites hundreds of people each year that withstand the cool January 1 temperatures and run into the ocean. Even if you don’t plan on jumping in, there’s something entertaining about watching other people brave the cold water.

Bellingham’s Haggen Family 4th of July Celebration: Each year, the Port of Bellingham partners with Haggen Food and Pharmacy and Whatcom Chamber of Commerce to put on the Haggen Fourth of July Festival at Zuanich Point Park. The daytime festival features live music, a beer garden, and free activities for all ages. The event ends with a fireworks show over Bellingham Bay around 10:30 p.m.

Bellingham SeaFeast: The annual Bellingham SeaFeast is a two-day festival celebrating the culinary bounty of the Pacific Northwest, maritime culture & heritage, commercial fishing & seafood industries, and more. This waterfront & seafood festival takes place on the 3rd weekend of September in Bellingham, Washington.

Holiday Port Festival & Gingerbread House Contest: Held at the Bellingham Cruise Terminal it is a free, family-friendly event the first weekend in December. It features performances by local choirs, bands, orchestras, and dance groups. There are lots of family activities, including horse-drawn wagon rides, children’s art activities, complimentary gingerbread cookies, and cider while visiting Santa. The gingerbread house contest is free and open to bakers of all abilities and ages.

St. Patricks’s Day Parade: The Bellingham St. Patrick’s Day Parade is a nonprofit, community-wide event honoring all local public safety personnel by celebrating and inspiring sustainability in the hope of making our city a cleaner, greener, a safer place we call home. Features the grand marshal, dancers, pipe and marching bands, along with green-powered floats and lots of people dressed in head to toe green as well.

Deming Logging Show:  The Deming Logging Show was originally established in 1963, our show was inspired by the need to financially assist loggers who were injured in the woods in Whatcom County. The show features 31 events and exhibitions from ax throwing, speed climbing, log rolling, chainsaw bucking, and the ironman. 

Downtown Sound: Downtown Sounds is a series of free outdoor concerts for the entire family to enjoy. It started as a small gathering hosted in an alley that has quickly turned into one of Bellingham’s most beloved events. The show draws bands from across the country and folks from Whatcom County and beyond to share in their love of music.  The event is located on the 1300 block of Bay Street and the whole street is filled with music, local food vendors, and a 21+ beverage garden.

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