Next Major Event
Sat, Apr 24, 10:30am-5pm Sat & Sun
Dirty Dan Days Seafood Festival!

Celebrate the unscrubbed founder of Fairhaven this event-packed weekend!
On Saturday, enjoy Seafood Booths, Live Music, Interactive Games, Friendliest Catch Kids Contest, Dan Harris History, Salmon Toss Contest, Pro…

Upcoming Events
Tue, Mar 9, 7pm
Literature Live: ANN PUTNAM

Wed, Mar 10, 1pm
VB Reads: Afternoon Book Chat

Thu, Mar 11, 7pm
Literature Live: MIRIAM GERSHOW



Flats New Owner & Wine Honors

Wednesday, March 3

Flats Wine & Tapas Bar in Fairhaven has a new owner and more wine awards. Jennifer Branch purchased the 5-year old restaurant at the end of January 2010.  A graduate of the 4-year Culinary Arts Program of Utah State University, and 7-year Bellingham resident, Branch was a regular customer of Flats, when she heard from friends that the restaurant in the 108 year-old Nelson Block building of Fairhaven was up for sale. She has kept the staff of six and plans to add additional seasonal, local and organic items to the menu, as well as re-opening for lunch and offering a happy hour starting in April.  Flamenco guitarist, Rico Castaldo now plays dinner music Friday and Saturday nights from 6:00-8:00 pm. 

The 40-seat restaurant has been awarded numerous accolades through the years, and just won the Wine Enthusiast Magazine’s “Restaurant of Distinction Award” for the third consecutive year.  The magazine judges restaurants on the depth of their wine list, their food menu and how its cuisine pairs with the wines.  Flats is the only restaurant in Bellingham to receive the award. 

Interactive Fairhaven Map now Online

Wednesday, February 24

Above is a screen shot of just part of our new Fairhaven Interactive map - online now and just inviting you to check it out.  There is also now a permanent graphic link in the left column of all pages at Fairhaven.com.  It is always ready for you to use it and it features mouse over blue buttons with information about many Fairhaven shops and restaurants.  This is exactly the same map we are using on our new comprehensive Fairhaven Brochure - which is now available at over 40 Fairhaven shops and restaurants. 

Chuckanut Drive - including art galleries and restaurants - is also included online and in the brochure.  If Interstate 5 exit 250 is the front door to Fairhaven, then Chucknut Drive from I-5 Exit 231 is the garden door to our little historic district.  A beautiful drive with views of the Salish Sea and the San Juan Islands which ends right in Fairhaven. 

We thank Larry Morris and his Town Graphics for working so well with our Fairhaven business owners and developing this new brochure for us.  Included inside the brochure are the 10 most historic buildings in Fairhaven with information about each and a suggested walking tour.  Fairhaven now has a first class walking map of the historic district. 

Wet Pug predicts more rain

Saturday, February 13

Raining Queen Diane Philips pets Mattie the pug and finds the fur wet.  (Well, of course - its owner, Taimi Gorman, was holding her in the rain)  While the royal court was not sure at first what that meant, they quickly decided that we in the Northwest are in for another 10 weeks of rain.  What a surprise.  The 9th annual Official Pacific Northwest Rain Festival was held Saturday noon on the Fairhaven Village Green.  The queen and her court held several contests in which all got prizes and all were declared the winners. Fairhaven merchants donated some very fine gift certificates for meals, beauty services and products. 

The gathering on the Green took place in a typical February light drizzle.  All were thankful for the rain - especially after recalling how sunshine has wrecked some festivals in past years. 

The Queen and her court.  At the mic is Dirty Dan Harris, the founder of Fairhaven - also known locally as Jim Rich.  The historical Dan started Fairhaven in 1854 and platted it for a town in 1884.  Her court is the Ladies of the Evening Society, local business women who commemorate the early business women of the 1880s in Fairhaven.  Today they are strictly a social group that lends color to our Fairhaven events. 

Jim Milstead reads his rain poem.  He read a very good poem - probably the best. 

Kim Erickson reads her rain poem - actually a poem she wrote for something else long ago.  She inserted the word rain at several places.  All approved and the Queen loved it.  Dirty Dan got to wondering why he was standing on the Green.

Hue Beattie reads his one sentence poem.  We may as well print it.  “The grain in Spain grows mainly thanks to rain.”  All thought this was even better than haiku.  Profound.

The rain fest was a great success.  All retreated to the fine Fairhaven restaurants for food and drink after the 25 minute long festival.  The festival almost did not happen this year, but Diane Philips, who owns The Barbershop in Fairhaven, decided it had to go on and organized one of the best rain fests ever.  She promised that she and her court would stage the festival again in February 2011.  We look forward to it. 

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