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Toys - lots of toysThursday, December 14, 2006)
We all have kids on our gift lists - or we should have. We want you to know that in Fairhaven you have a selection of stores for shopping for children’s toys. Above is the window of the Fairhaven Toy Garden with a real ‘Radio Flyer’ racer in the window. Yes, they also have red wagons - and many unique toys. Wild Blueberries is our second full toy store and is only a block away from the Toy Garden. Academic Outfitters, two short blocks down Harris Ave, has educational games and projects with a wide range of subjects. Village Books has a special children’s book section with a huge selection, plus some fun toys mixed in. Fairhaven Bike and Mountain Sports has tricycles as well as bicycles plus snowboards and more snow fun stuff. Those are the main shops but others have neat kids items also - be it clothing, hiking shoes, or other neat things. Fairhaven shops are all locally owned shops - not a single chain store in the historic area. This gives you more selection because the owner/managers choose what items to carry and you can find many of those hard to find items not available in chains. Which gets us back to that flying racer… every little kid would love one of those. Wouldn’t you have when you were that age? We invite you to Fairhaven for your Christmas and holiday shopping. Shops and galleries stocked for ChristmasThursday, December 7, 2006)
Beautiful hand crafted wood furniture dominates the inside of Artwood Gallery on Harris Avenue. All are created by local crafts persons living in Whatcom and Skagit counties. This shop, one of two in an historic building well over 100 years old, is one of Fairnaven’s premier anchor stores, having been in business for 16 years - long before the current boom in the area. The business is a co-operative of about 20 wood workers and is managed by Erica Hume, shown at the counter. What you should know as you shop for Christmas presents is this gallery also has hundreds of inexpensive hand crafted wood gifts such as quaker boxes, jewelry and storage boxes, bowls, ingenious art for walls, lamps, and many more very imaginative and useful items. They are open till 6 pm except till 5 pm on Sunday. Erica invites you to come in and browse the gallery. Windows along the sidewalks of historic districtSunday, December 3, 2006)
We invite you down to Fairhaven for window shopping - and, of course, we expect you will be enticed into our shops. Here is just a portion of the window at Renaissnce Gallery at Harris Ave and 10th Street. Glass art of all types and for all budgets. With the return of “normal” winter weather, the streets and sidewalks are free of the ice and snow. Parking is plentiful and many shops are open into the evening hours. Fairhaven welcomes you for your holiday and Christmas shopping. The big meltThursday, November 30, 2006)
The warm south wind always follows after a snow and freeze. It started last night in Fairhaven and by this evening, the streets were again busy with cars. With the return of seasonal temperatures in the 40s and rain showers, we should see most all the snow and ice gone by late Friday. As you can see, the shops are open again after the winter blast pretty much closed our village from Sunday through Wednesday. Weather records were set in November for low temperatures, wind and rain. We welcome December. Early winter blows into Pacific NorthwestMonday, November 27, 2006) Ray Dunn braved the weather and sent me seven good photos. Used three.
It snowed all day Sunday and then the temperature started falling and the wind came up. That cold sharp wind out of the Frazer River Valley in Canada when a high pressure system is settling in - the one we usually don’t get till late January. Brrr. Maybe a foot of snow. Most businesses closed. Here is a typical view on our streets - this one on 11th this afternoon. Thanks to Ray Dunn of the Pacific Chef store for going out from his warm condo and taking this and the two photos below. South Hill glows in the afternoon sunMonday, November 27, 2006)
The faint late afternoon sun turns South Hill into a winter fantasy. The tops of historic buildings in Fairhaven are along the bottom of the photo. That’s Wardner’s Castle dominating in the middle and Sacred Heart church on the left. The snow will be around for a week or so, according to the forecasts.
Below we have a skiier and his dog gliding down Harris Avenue past the new Harris Square. And we see that our mailman, Eddie, is getting the mail delivered despite the weather. He is one of the best. We again thank Ray Dunn for these photos.
Warm galleries on a cold eveningFriday, November 24, 2006)
The annual Tour d’ Art Gallery Walk this evening featured a lot of folks talking with artists and craft persons in the cozy shops while there was very cold weather out on the streets. In the top photo, Gallery West was busy all day long. In the lower photo, Artwood had several of the wood smiths on hand to discuss their work with shoppers. The same held true in two dozen other stores.
Folks walked a bit more quickly to the next gallery. And, a personal observtion, there were more food and drink treats this year than ever before. The opening night was a quiet success. Tomorrow, Saturday evening, will see the second night of late open shops with much for everyone to enjoy. We invite you down. Shops are open till 10 pm to welcome you.
Tour d’ Art Gallery Walk on Friday & SaturdayTuesday, November 21, 2006)
Walking the streets of Fairhaven this week is to walk around merchants putting up long wreathes and lights and decorations on their shop fronts. All are getting ready for this Friday evening and the start of the annual Tour d’ Art Gallery Walk. Artists and crafts persons will be in many shops and galleries to discuss their works and help shoppers make the best buying decisions. Shops will all be fully stocked. Tis the season for shopping - and Historic Fairhaven makes it fun. Most any shop you first visit will have a two sided flyer with a map and list of participating merchants to help you find what you are looking for. You can also download it from here and print it ahead of time. It is in two files - for easy printing on your home computer. The map side - shown reduced above. And the list of galleries and shops side. But the map is only the beginning. At 5 pm the lights all get turned on - something we try to coordinate each year and it always results is the lights all being on by 5:30 but is definitely not a staged production. Many shops will have tasty treats for your enjoyment. There will be more music this year with live chorus groups. Don White will turn on the thousands of lights in the large tree behind his Skylarks restaurant on the Cobblestone walkway. A fun two evenings. We invite you down. Shop windows ready for Gallery WalkMonday, November 20, 2006)
This coming Friday and Saturday evenings - Nov 24 & 25 - are the annual Gallery Walk in Historic Fairhaven and the shops are getting their windows ready. At 5 pm on Friday, all the holiday lights get turned on along with the thousands of lights in the tree behind Skylarks Restaurant on the Cobblestone Walk. Paper Dreams already has Christmas and Holiday cards in abundance, ready for shoppers. Fairhaven has shops for every sort of gift - toy shops, art galleries, craft shops, book stores, even furniture stores - and you can find most any gift on your list. Plus the enjoyment of buying from shopkeepers who own their own businesses. There is not a single chain store in all of Historic Fairhaven. Not a single franchised restaurant. All are locally owned and managed. And all very much appreciate your patronage. You get personal service from shop owners themselves. So - join us this coming weekend for the beginning of our holiday season. We will have music, treats at different galleries and lots of warm spirits. Historic Fairhaven - a fun place to shop. Halloween photos are ready at pharmacyTuesday, November 14, 2006)
The hundreds of photos that Gordy Tweit took are now available for pickup. Free. Here, Kayla is looking for the photo of her cousin from about 100 photos on a couple large boards. There are several of these boards standing in the aisles of the Fairhaven Pharmacy. With hundreds of photos of little goblins, ghosts and monsters. And even some older ones. Just drop by and browse till you find the photo of your little one or yourself. it is an annual contribution to the community by the Fairhaven Pharmacy and Gordy - with help this year from Quick Silver Photo Lab. The pharmacy is open 9:30 am to 6 pm, Monday through Friday, and 9:30 am to 4 pm on Saturday. But do come by - as the staff will take the remaining photos down at some time later this month. Sideways in FairhavenThursday, November 9, 2006)
Skylark’s restaurant has wine tastings one or two times a month, a fine diversion during our long winter evenings. Here, Taimi and Hamilton do the appropriate motions on one of six Chardonnays at last night’s event while servers Jon and Allison watch for the expected approvals. Generally, there is a tasting from 5 to 7 pm the first Wednesday of each month - with some extra dates added as owner Don White has good selections to present. Check the Events page to track the future events you might want to attend. Of course a modest fee is charged. Photos posted in Fairhaven Pharmacy windowsFriday, November 3, 2006)
Hundreds of photos of little goblins, ghosts, cowboys and cowgirls and kids in every imaginable costume are on display. As with every year for decades now, the photos that Gordy Tweit took on Halloween are on display in the windows of the Fairhaven Pharmacy. They will only be on display for 7 days and then they can be picked up by the parents. Free. Starting next Friday, November 10 and for a couple weeks after. All this is a contribution to the community by Gordy, the pharmacy and Quick Silver Photo Labs who did the processing. (Quick Silver is in downtown Bellingham at 1130 Cornwall Ave). We thank them all. I invite you, gentle reader, to take a few moments and browse these windows. It will bring a smile to your face as you see all the seriousness that these little ones put into their characters. Great Halloween fun on Historic Fairhaven streetsTuesday, October 31, 2006)
The autumn sun, the crisp air and hundreds of little ones all made the streets of Historic Fairhaven a very fun place this afternoon. Here we look down Harris Avenue with its historic buildings dating from the 1800s. The kids didn’t care about that as they led their parents from shop to shop collecting treats. We have a set of six photos here that barely capture the magic of today. No place better than a candy shop for treatsTuesday, October 31, 2006)
The Fairhaven Sweet Shoppe had great treats too. Over 85 businesses participated in this year’s event for the kids and all were within about a four block area. So - who’s having more funTuesday, October 31, 2006)
James of Renaissance Celebration enjoys sitting just outside the door of his glass art shop. Think about it - he cannot really let them in the shop which is filled with exquisite glass art. He is typical of the shop owners who really enjoy helping put on a great event for the kids. Harris Square is discoveredTuesday, October 31, 2006)
New this year, the Harris Square at 10th and Harris is still being discovered by shoppers. This beautiful courtyard is bordered by several fine shops and salons. One of the great things about our Halloween event is that the kids lead their parents to places the parents have never been to. And the parents come back another time to shop or enjoy what was discovered on a hectic search for candy. Ya never know who will be giving out candyTuesday, October 31, 2006)
The Blues Brothers - aka Erin and Robin - dispense candy to deserving little goblins, pirates, lizards and comic book heros. These guys - er, girls - held the floor in the Fairhaven Toy Garden and were really into their characters. Gordy Tweit takes photos of the little onesTuesday, October 31, 2006)
For over 40 years now, Gordy has been shooting photos on Halloween. The photos will be available for parents to pickup in a week or so. We will post a notice at the top of this page when they are ready. It is a free contribution to the community by the Fairhaven Pharmacy where Gordy has worked since the early 1960s. Each kid got to pick out a candy bar on their way out after being photographed. Fairhaven is ready for the little onesMonday, October 30, 2006)
From 3 to 6 pm on Tuesday, Fairhaven will give a big welcome to all the little goblins and ghosts. Anne, owner of Artesano’s on Harris, has stocked up with 1,000 treats for the big afternoon. She is one of 85 business owners who are participating. This is the 5th year the Fairhaven Association has organized this safe and fun treating. Most shops wil be decorated in Halloween motifs and many business owners will also be dressed in costume to add to the fun for the kids. Look for the orange poster on the doors of participating shops. Besides, there are many tales about haunted buildings and locations down here in our historic area. Adults can ask for the brochure on haunted places in Fairhaven from most any shop. And of course Gordy Tweit will be again taking photos of the kids at the Fairhaven Pharmacy starting at 3 pm and going well past the 6 pm time. See you there. Meg Tilly speaks about her bookMonday, October 23, 2006) Kelly Heese of Village Books took photo but preferred no credit.
Meg Tilly, star of The Big Chill and Agnes of God, packed folks in at Village Books Sunday evening as she read from and talked about her new novel, Gemma. Like most readings there, it was free. Ms. Tilly appeared as part of Village Books Literature Live program which hosts more than 250 authors each year. You can check the schedule by clicking on the Vil Books ad in the right hand column or going to their listing on the Shops page. These are great ways to enjoy some evenings now that it is getting dark early. Check the schedule for aothors or books that interest you. Fairhaven popular for pro video shootsThursday, October 19, 2006)
Our Village Green is the preferred location for a romantic television ad being shot for a jewelry shop that is not even in Fairhaven. We are used to seeing even feature film makers use our historic and scenic district for shoots. Above, James Trotter, of Comcast Spotlight, works a take of a couple enjoying the warm sunshine under the pergola with the grape leaves in their full autumn colors. We invite all to come down to Fairhaven and enjoy these beautiful days of autumn - and to enjoy our shops and restaurants. All are located within easy walking distance of the Village Green 10th Street offers great shopsTuesday, October 17, 2006)
Tenth street features several fine shops all in one building. On the left is Paws Awhile, an eclectic gift shop run by the Whatcom Humane Society. Next is Whimsey, with hand picked jewelry, art and gifts from over 40 artisans. Next is Southside News with over 1,500 magazines and newspapers - plus quality chocolates. Then Edward Jones Investments providing full service brokerage. And on the end - and on the second and third floors - is the Fairhaven Village Inn. All are just across the street from the Village Green. The Waldron incredible restoration projectThursday, October 12, 2006)
Perhaps the most ambitious restoration project in Bellingham history, the Waldron building is being fully restored by Ebenal Construction. Normally, construction photos are put on the Buzz page, but this project is almost a stop on a sightseeing tour. This building was started in the 1880s when local business folks were hoping the northern transcontinental railroad would put its West Coast terminus in Fairhaven. Lo, Seattle got the terminus and the rest is history. And this building was never fully finished - and remained empty on the upper floors ever since. Now, David Ebenal has bought the building and is restoring it - with condos on the upper floors and commerce on the first floor. It should be finished by next spring. And it is fun for all of us to watch the restoration. Autumn colors and sunshine on 10th StreetSunday, October 8, 2006)
10th Street is not as popular as 11th in Fairhaven, but it has several shops that are gems - and a quiet ambience that is relaxing. Art and hand crafts are the strong attractions down here, with Renaissance Celebration on the corner - shown here - as an anchor for this area. This 100 years plus old building houses several shops on the street level with professional offices upstairs. And Archer Ale House downstairs - not art, but a most relaxing place. (Actually, Belgian beers and their bottles are considered art by some.) Sunny days of October are a great time to visit Fairhaven as all the street trees are starting to show their colors. We invite you to visit our historic district. |
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