Whatcom County's late-August weekend lineup is packed with options, from a standup comedy night in the Cordata neighborhood to a charity wiffleball tournament at Squalicum Creek Park, a classic car show at Bellewood Farms, and a dahlia celebration at a flower farm in Everson. Here is a look at what is happening Saturday and Sunday, August 29 and 30, along with a Friday night comedy show to kick things off.
Friday Night: Standup Comedy at Larrabee Lager
Before the weekend fully kicks off, Friday night brings Laughs at Larrabee to Larrabee Lager, located at 4151 Guide Meridian Road, Suite 100, in Bellingham's Cordata neighborhood. The evening features headliner Phil Burton alongside performers Ben Menard, Moses Marlin, and Jes Anderson, with Nikki Kilpatrick hosting. Pizza and drinks are available throughout the evening, making it a full night out rather than just a comedy show. The show is 18 and older. Tickets and more information are available through the Laughs at Larrabee event listings, and it is advisable to purchase in advance as comedy nights at Larrabee Lager tend to draw solid crowds on summer weekends.
Saturday: Wiffleball Tournament for a Good Cause
The fourth annual Bellingham Wiffleball Tournament takes place Saturday morning, August 29, at Squalicum Creek Park, rain or shine, starting at 9 a.m. Teams of four are guaranteed a minimum of four games, and play is organized across four age divisions: elementary (ages five and up), middle school, high school, and adult. The multi-division format means the tournament is genuinely family-inclusive, with kids as young as five competing in their own bracket while adults have their own competitive games running concurrently.
Registration is $12.50 per player, with proceeds benefiting Blue Skies for Children, a Whatcom County nonprofit that serves children and youth facing challenges at home. The family-friendly format and low registration cost make it one of the more accessible charity events of the summer. The rain-or-shine commitment is also worth noting: Squalicum Creek Park has enough open space to make wiffleball playable in light Pacific Northwest drizzle, and the organizers have clearly decided that reliable event delivery matters more than weather-contingent planning. Registration is available online through the tournament's event page.
Later on Saturday, car enthusiasts should head to Bellewood Farms at 6140 Guide Meridian for the 46th annual Summer Fun Rod Run, hosted by the Fourth Corner Lites Car Club. This year the show is a single-day event with a $20 registration fee for vehicles. Gates open at 8 a.m. and vehicle registration begins at 9 a.m. Attendees can browse the hot rods, grab breakfast or lunch on site, and enjoy drinks and activities throughout the day. The 46th running of this event reflects decades of consistency in Whatcom County's car culture community, and the Bellewood Farms setting, surrounded by agricultural land along Guide Meridian, gives the show a distinctly Northwest character. Full event details are at fourthcornerlitescarclub.com.
Saturday evening brings a free, all-ages block party to downtown Bellingham. The Love Thy Neighbor Block Party sets up at the corner of Railroad Avenue and Holly Street with three live bands, a beer garden, flash tattoos, and vendors. Have You Seen This Woman? headlines, with support from Checker Bloom and Deadspin. The show starts at 1 p.m. and is free to attend, making it one of the easiest events of the weekend to drop in on spontaneously without advance planning or ticket purchases.
Sunday: Bellingham Dahlia Festival in Everson
On Sunday, August 30, Bellingham Flower Farm at 5709 Putnam Road in Everson hosts the Bellingham Dahlia Festival, celebrating the thousands of dahlias in bloom across the farm's fields. The event is a popular late-summer tradition and one of the few chances of the year to visit the farm as a public destination for U-pick flowers. Dahlias bloom from midsummer through the first fall frost, and late August sits at the peak of the season, when the widest variety of colors, forms, and sizes are simultaneously open.
Organizers advise wearing comfortable shoes for the walk through the growing fields, bringing a camera for photos among the blooms, arriving early for the best U-pick selection, and leaving pets at home. The dahlia season at Northwest Washington farms typically peaks in late August and early September, making this weekend one of the best opportunities of the year to see the flowers at their most vibrant. Everson is about a 30-minute drive northeast of Bellingham, and the rural route through the Nooksack Valley adds to the outing's appeal as a day trip.
Planning Your Weekend
The weather in Whatcom County is cooling slightly from August highs, making outdoor events more comfortable heading into the final days of the month. A cold front is bringing some cloud cover and light showers, particularly on Friday, with conditions stabilizing over the weekend. Checking conditions before heading to outdoor events is always a good idea in the Pacific Northwest, even in late summer, though the wiffleball tournament and the car show both proceed rain or shine.
For families looking for an indoor option this weekend or thinking ahead to September, the Bellingham Public Library also has children's programming this fall, including free Music Together classes at the Central Library on Friday, September 4. And for anyone already thinking ahead to next weekend, the first of this fall's downtown First Friday art walks lands on September 4 as well, coinciding with the expected opening window of Jackalope Coffee and Lounge at 300 W. Champion Street. A full look at outdoor recreation and sports events through early September covers additional options across the county for the coming weeks.
