Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with us!
Embrace the luck of the Irish at the 2026 Bellingham St. Patrick’s Day Parade, happening this Sunday, March 15, at noon. Watch the festivities along the parade route, or even join in the procession. The Grand Marshal this year is none other than Bellingham’s own Mayor Kim Lund. Get all the details on the parade website.
There’s also still time to register for the Runnin’ O’ the Green 5K and 8K taking place on Saturday, March 14. You must register in advance, and registration closes tonight, March 12. Find the details and register on our website. Costumes encouraged!
Please remember to celebrate safely. The Bellingham Police Department has made 65 DUI arrests since Jan. 1 of this year. Our patrol officers are dedicated to keeping our streets safe for those who live, work, and play in the city of Bellingham. If you plan to celebrate, arrange for a sober ride home before heading out. We will have extra officers on patrol keeping an eye out for impaired drivers on St. Patrick’s Day. We are thankful most people adhere to the laws and drive sober or arrange for a ride!
Livestream Javier Zamora’s Whatcom READS talk
Exciting news! You can livestream this year’s keynote Whatcom READS event from home. Javier Zamora will be talking about his acclaimed memoir, “Solito,” at Mount Baker Theatre this Friday. You must register in advance to join the livestream. Registration will close at 4 p.m. Friday, March 13, and the event will go live 7-9 p.m. Register now on the Whatcom County Library website.
Old Town Urban Village Streetscape improvements begin soon
Construction will begin next week on street and lighting upgrades in the Old Town Urban Village. These improvements will help make the area safer and more comfortable for people walking, biking, and accessing downtown.
Crews will be working on C, D, and E Streets between Holly and Bancroft, as well as Astor Street between C and F Streets. The project will add new curb and gutter, widen some roads, improve lighting, and move overhead utilities underground where possible.
Some sidewalk and street features will be completed later by private developers. Until then, the City will install a stable gravel surface with improved lighting in those areas. During construction, people traveling through the area may see single‑lane closures on Holly Street, large equipment, and occasional delays. Visit the project webpage to learn more.
Happy AmeriCorps Week!
We’re fortunate to partner with some amazing AmeriCorps members on a Washington Conservation Corps crew who support ongoing restoration and mitigation projects in our parks. In just the past two weeks, our crew members planted more than 600 native trees and shrubs! We’re grateful for everyone who has chosen to serve the community through these programs. These projects are made possible by the Greenways Levy.
Become a water leak detective
Did you know that one toilet leak can waste up to 200 gallons of water per day? Join us during Fix-a-Leak Week to check for water leaks around your home. Wasted water can cause increased stress on our water distribution system and increase your monthly utility bill. Finding and fixing leaks can be a relatively easy process: Check for toilet leaks using leak detection dye tabs, listen for running water when fixtures aren’t in use, and check your recent utility bills for unexpected increases in water use. We’re here to help, too. If your water consumption increases unexpectedly, reach out to Public Works and we can help investigate the cause.
How we protected our lakes from invasive species in 2025
To protect Lake Samish and our drinking water source of Lake Whatcom, we operate stations every summer to make sure incoming boats are clean, drained, and dry to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS). These non‑native plants, animals, and pathogens can hitchhike on watercraft to harm the environment and human health.
In 2025, our team completed 15,572 boat inspections and issued 7,127 permits. They also monitored the lakes monthly so we could respond quickly if new invasive species are detected. We’re proud to report zero new AIS detections for the year! Curious where boats visiting our lakes originate? Explore our 2025 data to learn more. And if you plan to boat in 2026, make sure you have a valid annual permit.
