Bellingham's Downtown Waterfront is officially back in business. The Portal Container Village and Kulshan Brewing's Trackside Beer Garden reopened their doors on May 1, 2026, marking the unofficial start of summer for thousands of Whatcom County residents who count the seasonal opening as a rite of passage. The announcement drew immediate excitement from the local community, with regulars and newcomers alike making plans to head down to the waterfront.
The Portal Container Village is a collection of shipping-container businesses tucked into the western edge of Bellingham's Downtown Waterfront redevelopment zone, operated by the Port of Bellingham. The concept launched several years ago as part of a broader push to activate the old Georgia-Pacific mill site while longer-term development takes shape. What started as an experiment in repurposing industrial containers has become one of the most beloved seasonal destinations in the city.
Anchoring the space is Kulshan Brewing Company's Trackside Beer Garden, which Forbes Magazine once called "the raddest beer garden in the PNW" -- a distinction locals are happy to remind visitors of. Trackside's May hours are Monday through Thursday from 3 to 9 p.m. and Friday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Expect that schedule to expand as the season deepens into summer. The beer garden sits adjacent to the waterfront pump track, making it an easy destination whether you've just finished a ride or you're arriving with a stroller in tow.
The full roster of Portal businesses returning for 2026 includes Sun-E-Land Bikes for bike rentals, Portal Putt for mini golf, Our Kitchen Bellingham for coffee and food, Selkie Scoop Ice Cream, Zeeks Pizza Bellingham, Rain or Shine Riviera Club, and Bin 13 Wine Bar. Hours for each business vary -- it's worth checking with individual vendors before making a special trip, particularly early in the season when schedules are still settling in.
The big news for 2026 is the addition of Chuckanut Bay Distillery, which is working on a new location at The Portal that will feature a rooftop deck. The distillery has not announced an opening date yet, but the prospect of a rooftop perch at the waterfront has already generated buzz. Chuckanut Bay Distillery produces a range of spirits at their Bellingham facility and has developed a loyal local following.
For families, the Portal and Trackside combination is one of the few genuinely all-ages outdoor gathering spaces in downtown Bellingham. The nearby pump track draws cyclists of all skill levels. On summer evenings, it's common to find parents watching kids ride while nursing a cold pint from Trackside -- a specific kind of Bellingham quality of life that's hard to replicate anywhere else. The venue has also hosted live music and community events throughout past seasons, with programming details typically announced through Kulshan's social channels as the summer unfolds.
The Portal sits at the heart of an area that will look significantly different over the next decade. The Port of Bellingham continues to shepherd long-range planning for the roughly 240-acre Downtown Waterfront district, which includes future housing, commercial space, parks, and public access to the bay. In the meantime, the seasonal container village fills the waterfront with life every May through fall. For residents who remember when the site was an industrial no-go zone, the transformation is still striking.
If you haven't been to the waterfront recently, this weekend is a reasonable excuse to go. Trackside is open Friday through Sunday starting at 11 a.m. Parking is available in the waterfront lots off State Street. The full Portal vendor schedule is available on the Port of Bellingham's website. For a full guide to what else is happening around Bellingham this weekend, there's plenty more to check out before Mother's Day week kicks off.
