Submissions are now open for Visit Bellingham's ongoing photo contest, with the next voting round set to begin July 1 on Facebook. The top three photographers will be announced August 4, and prizes include two tickets to Bellingham Ghost Tours and a gift card to The Chrysalis Inn and Spa. Everyone who enters also earns a chance to attend a Bellingham Bells game.
Visit Bellingham, the official tourism arm of Bellingham and Whatcom County, runs recurring photo contests to showcase the region's landscapes, wildlife, and community. The rules are simple: images must feature Bellingham or a community within Whatcom County. The contest runs on a rotating schedule, with new submission windows opening after each voting period concludes. The program has drawn consistent participation from local photographers who want to see their images used to promote the region.
The prizes reflect a deliberately local flavor. Bellingham Ghost Tours offers walking tours through downtown Bellingham's historic buildings and back alleys, leaning into the city's Victorian-era history and the legends that have grown up around it. The Chrysalis Inn and Spa, located along the Bellingham waterfront at Fairhaven, is one of the area's premier lodging properties, known for its views across Bellingham Bay toward Lummi Island. Together, the prize package offers a mini-staycation in your own backyard.
The Bellingham Bells, the summer collegiate wooden-bat baseball team that plays at Bellingham's Joe Martin Field, round out the prize pool. The Bells are a West Coast League fixture and draw strong crowds each summer from across Whatcom County. Getting a chance to attend a game as part of a photo contest prize is consistent with Visit Bellingham's approach of linking community events and experiences together.
To enter, photographers upload their photos directly through the Visit Bellingham submission page. There is no fee to enter and no professional photography background required. Past contest winners have captured everything from Whatcom Falls to Mount Baker views, Fairhaven storefronts, local farmers markets, and Semiahmoo Bay at sunset. The breadth of Whatcom County's geography means there is no shortage of compelling subjects.
Voting opens July 1 on Visit Bellingham's Facebook page. Community members vote for their favorites, and the top three vote-getters are recognized when results are announced on August 4. If you want your photo considered, get your submission in before voting begins.
For more on summer activities around Whatcom County, see details on the Bellingham Youth Triathlon coming up in July.
