Bellingham Kids Fest

The biggest and best children’s festival is back! Join Bellingham Parks & Recreation and WestEdge Credit Union for Kids Fest – a boatload of fun on the first Saturday in August. The best part, it’s all free! Bouncy houses, ice skating, face painting, circus acts, a foam party and more. It’s always a good time gathering at Civic Stadium to celebrate with the whole community.

This free family event showcases the recreational, educational, and health-related services available to children and families in Whatcom County. It’s free and fun for the whole family.

The first 200 children in the gates will receive a free Kids Fest t-shirt courtesy of WestEdge Credit Union. There will be other swag giveaways through the event and opportunities to win small prizes.

Saturday, August 1, 2026 – 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Location

Civic Stadium (1355 Civic Field Way)

Activities

This year’s Kids Fest is packed with fun – and it’s all free! Join us for:

Bounce Houses
Face Painting
Free Ice Skating at the Sportsplex
Foam Party by NW Foam Factory
Martial Art Demonstrations
A Circus Zone
Foam Sword Duels
Woodturning Demonstrations
Lawn Games
Sports Games
Instrument Petting Zoo
Mini Prizes
Crafts

Entertainment Schedule 2026

All Day (10 AM – 2 PM)

Free ice skating at the Sportsplex

50+ interactive booths of community partners (most with prizes!)

10:30 AM – Circus Performance

11:00 AM – Parachute Games

11:30 AM – Foam Zone by NW Foam Factory*

12:00 PM – Circus Performance

12:30 PM – Parachute Games

1:00 PM – Foam Party by NW Foam Factory*

*If you plan to join us for the Foam Party, please be aware that participants will get soaked and soapy. The host, NW Foam Factory recommends bringing a towel, a change of clothes, and goggles. Participants who enter the Foam Party will not be allowed into the Bounce Houses or other active activities if wet, damp, or soapy. The foam is hypoallergenic and biodegradable.

Community Partners 2026

Allied Arts of Whatcom County	Healthy Children’s Fund-Whatcom County Health and Community Services	The Joy of Music
Bellingham Baptist Church	Launching Success	The Whatcom Dream
Bellingham Central Lions	Majestic Adventures LLC	TORQUE Martial Arts
Bellingham Parks & Recreation	Montessori Peace Centers	USTA Martial Arts – Bellingham
Bellingham Public Library	Northwest Washington Woodturners	Washington Job’s Daughters- Bethel 25
Bellingham Ultimate	NW Foam Factory	WestEdge Credit Union
Bellingham Warriors	Only7Seconds	Whatcom Academy
Bikers Against Child Abuse	Pace’ Atelier Art Studio	Whatcom County Amateur Hockey Association
Bounce Houses	Peacehealth Pediatrics	Whatcom County Health and Community Services
Christ the Servant Lutheran Church	PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center Trauma Program	Whatcom Family Cooperative Preschool
Chuckanut Bay Rugby	Ravensong Montessori	Whatcom Family YMCA
Cirque Cadia	Region 11 Child Passenger Safety Team	Whatcom Museum
Cub Scouts- Pack 4044	Roots of Empathy	Whatcom Prep Baseball Association
Dandelion Music	Sea Mar	Whatcom Transportation Authority
Evergreen Assembly #17 International Order of Rainbow for Girls	SPARK Museum of Electrical Invention	Whatcom-CERT
Gabriel’s Art Kids	Sustainable Connections	WSU Whatcom County Extension 4-H
Girls Rugby Inc	The Coding and Robotics Club	YGo North
Global Community Institute dba Explorations Academy	The Community Food Co-op

Community Partners Wanted!

Promote your services at Kids Fest! Community organizations and businesses are welcome to join in on the fun as a community partner. With an average annual attendance of 2,500 people, Kids Fest is a great opportunity to connect with your community.

Community Partners must provide services directly applicable to Whatcom County children and their families. Preference is given to recreational, educational, and health-related services, but a variety of services are accepted. All participating organizations are required to share an interactive activity and/or provide a small prize for 500+ children.

All interested organizations should fill out a Kids Fest Application. Applications typically open in early spring and close in early July. If the application has closed and you’d like to join this year’s festival, please email Jim Pettinger at jmpettinger@cob.org – we may still have space. You may also email at any time to subscribe to Kids Fest updates and get notified when next year’s application goes live.

2026 Application Closed