The Bellingham Public Library and the Bellingham Bells are teaming up for Library Card Night on Thursday, June 25 at Joe Martin Field. Show your library card at the gate and get into the game for free. The gate opens at 5:30 p.m. and first pitch is at 6:35 p.m.
The event is timed to kick off Summer Reading, the library's annual program that encourages reading across all ages during the school-off months. Library Card Night turns what is usually a solo activity into a shared community experience, giving library cardholders a tangible benefit while introducing new fans to the Bells. It's one of the more creative library promotions in the region.
Joe Martin Field is located at 1221 Potter Street in Bellingham. The park is family-friendly with covered seating options, a full concession stand, and easy parking on surface lots nearby. General admission seating is first-come, first-served, so arriving closer to the 5:30 gate time will give you better pick of spots, especially if you're bringing kids who might want to be close to the action.
The Bellingham Public Library system has three locations: the main downtown branch, the Fairhaven Branch, and the Sudden Valley Branch. If you don't already have a library card, you can get one for free at any branch with a Whatcom County address. Summer Reading sign-ups are also available at the library or online through their website, with prizes and incentives for readers of all ages who track their summer reading.
The Bellingham Bells play in the West Coast League, a collegiate wood-bat summer league featuring players from universities across the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Attending a Bells game is one of Bellingham's genuine summer pleasures, a live baseball experience at a well-maintained neighborhood park with an enthusiastic local crowd. Tickets are generally affordable, and Library Card Night removes the cost barrier entirely for cardholders.
If you've been meaning to sign up for a library card or check out what the Summer Reading program offers this year, June 25 is a good deadline to aim for. The full list of June library programs and events includes this event and several others through the month, including the Dog Days at Fairhaven Library and Backyard Boogie for younger kids.
The partnership between the library and the Bells reflects the kind of community collaboration that makes Bellingham's civic life work well. Both institutions are free or low-cost, locally rooted, and genuinely used by a wide cross-section of the city. Putting them together for a Thursday evening is about as Bellingham as it gets. More information on the Bells' 2026 home schedule is available at the Joe Martin Field box office and through the team's website.
