Fairhaven, the historic village neighborhood tucked into the southern edge of Bellingham, closes out summer and kicks off fall with a trio of events worth putting on your calendar. From the final night of a beloved 25-year outdoor film tradition to a traveling circus performance and a brewery block party celebrating the hop harvest, there is plenty happening along the cobblestone streets and grassy greens of Bellingham's most walkable neighborhood.
Fairhaven Outdoor Cinema Wraps a 25-Year Run for the Season
For a quarter century, Fairhaven's Village Green has hosted the Fairhaven Outdoor Cinema, a free community gathering where neighbors spread out blankets, grab a snack, and watch a film under the open sky. This summer's final screening is tonight, Saturday, August 23, featuring the 2001 medieval adventure comedy A Knight's Tale starring Heath Ledger.
The Village Green sits at the heart of Fairhaven's historic district, surrounded by Victorian-era brick buildings, independent shops, and restaurants. The cinema has become one of the neighborhood's signature summer traditions, drawing families, visitors, and longtime residents alike. If you have not made it out yet this season, tonight is your last chance until next year. Bring a chair or a blanket, arrive early for a good spot, and dress in layers since evenings along Bellingham Bay can cool quickly even in August.
Up Up Up Circus Brings Aerialists and Acrobats to Stones Throw Brewery
On Friday, September 5, the outdoor stage at Fairhaven Stones Throw Brewery will host Up Up Up Circus, a traveling ensemble performance running from 6 to 7 p.m. The show is donation-based and open to all ages, featuring aerialists, musicians, acrobats, clowns, and illusionists in what organizers describe as a crane circus performance.
The evening starts well before the circus takes the stage. Live music begins at 3 p.m., giving attendees three hours to enjoy food trucks and a cold pint before the main performance. Camp chairs and blankets are encouraged for the show, and the donation-based format means families can attend without worrying about ticket prices. Stones Throw Brewery is located along Harris Avenue in Fairhaven, making it an easy stop whether you walk from the village core or drive in.
Traveling circus ensembles like Up Up Up typically combine traditional circus arts with a street-performance sensibility, making them accessible to young children and adults alike. The mix of aerial performance, live music, and the brewery setting gives the September 5 event a festival atmosphere even on a weekday evening.
Fresh Hop Block Party Returns September 26
Later in the month, Stones Throw Brewery hosts its Fresh Hop Block Party on Friday, September 26, from 6 to 9 p.m. Fresh hop beers are a Pacific Northwest tradition tied directly to the annual hop harvest, which typically peaks in late August and early September across the Yakima Valley and parts of Western Washington. Unlike dried or pelletized hops used in most craft beer year-round, fresh hops are used within hours of being picked, giving the resulting beer a distinct grassy, floral, and resinous character that cannot be replicated at any other time of year.
The block party will feature free live music and local food alongside the fresh hop pours. In a particularly community-minded touch, the brewery is inviting anyone who grows their own hops to bring them along. Those community-contributed hops will be used to create a special Community Fresh Hop Beer, a batch that quite literally includes ingredients grown in Bellingham backyards and gardens.
Home hop growing has a quiet following in Whatcom County. The Pacific Northwest climate is well suited to hops, and backyard bines can produce a meaningful harvest by late summer. If you have hops ready to pick and have never known what to do with them, this is a rare chance to see them turned into something the whole neighborhood can enjoy.
Fairhaven as a Destination: What Else to Know
Fairhaven's walkable village district has long been one of Bellingham's most visited neighborhoods, anchored by independent bookstores, galleries, the Fairhaven Village Inn, and direct access to the South Bay Trail along Bellingham Bay. The neighborhood is also home to the Amtrak Cascades station, which makes it a natural gathering point for visitors arriving from Seattle or Vancouver, BC.
The full Bellingham event calendar, including additional Fairhaven programming and community events across Whatcom County through the end of the year, is available at bellingham.org/events. The site is maintained by the Bellingham Regional Chamber of Commerce and updated regularly with festivals, markets, and neighborhood events.
For those looking to make a full evening of any of these events, Fairhaven has no shortage of dining options within walking distance of both the Village Green and Stones Throw Brewery. Several restaurants along Harris Avenue and Village Green offer pre-show dining, and the neighborhood's compact layout means everything is within a short stroll.
Whether you make it out tonight for the final outdoor cinema screening or pencil in one of the September events at Stones Throw, Fairhaven's fall lineup offers a low-key, community-centered way to close out the season. Check the event calendar for any schedule updates closer to each date, and keep an eye on Stones Throw's social pages for details on the community fresh hop submission process. For more on what is happening around Bellingham this season, local market and event coverage has the details.
