Mark your calendar and gather some cash: the Bellingham Public Library's annual Children's Craft Fairs are back for summer 2026, giving local shoppers two chances to pick up one-of-a-kind handmade goods from young entrepreneurs across Whatcom County.
Two Dates, Two Locations
The first fair takes place on Friday, July 31, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Lee Memorial Park, just outside the Central Library at 210 Central Ave. in downtown Bellingham. The second follows on Friday, August 21, from 5 to 7 p.m. inside Bellis Fair Mall on Meridian Street. The indoor August date means the event will happen rain or shine, which is a welcome bit of flexibility for late-summer Whatcom County weather.
Both fairs are free to attend, and all items are priced at $5 or less. Organizers are specifically asking shoppers to bring cash, both to make the checkout process smoother and to give participating children hands-on practice counting money and making change. That real-world financial experience is part of what makes the event more than just a sale.
More Than 100 Kids Are Getting Ready
According to the City of Bellingham, more than 100 young crafters have spent their summer days making items specifically for these fairs. The variety of goods tends to be wide, ranging from friendship bracelets and painted rocks to handmade cards, sewn pouches, and other creative projects. Each item reflects hours of effort by kids who have been planning their inventory and pricing all summer long.
The Bellingham Public Library has hosted these fairs for several years as a way to connect youth entrepreneurship with community engagement. The format is simple and effective: kids set up small tables, display their work, and handle their own sales transactions. Parents and library staff are on hand to assist, but the young vendors run the show.
For shoppers, the fairs offer a low-pressure way to support local youth while walking away with something genuinely unique. Because every item is handmade by a child, nothing is mass-produced. That pygmy-owl-themed watercolor or bead-and-wire necklace exists in one copy only.
Part of a Bigger Summer News Roundup from the City
The craft fairs are among several items highlighted in the City of Bellingham's July 23 "Inside Bellingham" newsletter, a weekly roundup of city news and services. That issue also announced a new online dashboard that allows residents to look up registered rental properties in Bellingham, including when each unit last passed a safety inspection. The tool is designed to increase transparency around rental housing in the city.
Also mentioned in the same issue: ongoing restoration work at Cornwall Memorial Park. The park, located in the Sunnyland neighborhood near the Whatcom Creek corridor, has been the focus of habitat and landscape improvements over the past year. The city has been working to remove invasive species and replant with native vegetation in sections of the park closest to the creek.
The library's craft fair program fits within a broader city emphasis on youth programming during the summer months. Bellingham Public Schools are out for summer, and library-adjacent events like this one help fill the calendar with structured activities that build real skills.
What to Know Before You Go
For the July 31 fair at Lee Memorial Park, the site sits directly in front of the Central Library branch on Central Avenue in the Whatcom Creek neighborhood of downtown Bellingham. Parking is available in the adjacent Library Plaza garage off Commercial Street. The park itself is a small green space well suited for an outdoor market on a summer weekday morning.
For the August 21 fair inside Bellis Fair Mall, shoppers can enter through any of the main mall entrances off Meridian Street. The indoor setting means there will be no concerns about heat or rain, making it a comfortable option for families with younger children who might find the midsummer outdoors challenging.
Both events are open to the public at no charge. Organizers ask that attendees bring a joyful spirit along with their cash. Credit cards are unlikely to be accepted at individual vendor tables, since the kids are handling transactions themselves.
More information about the craft fairs and other city programming is available through the City of Bellingham's news page. Additional summer events and library programming schedules can also be found on the Bellingham Public Library website. For more on upcoming local events and community news, see the latest coverage of Bellingham summer happenings.
