Heard Around the Sound

Venue With a View

The Blue Room Grand Opening

THERE IS A new, all-ages event venue in the heart of downtown Bellingham! The Blue Room, located at the corner of Holly Street and Railroad Avenue above K-POP Chicken & Beer, opened on March 4 and is set to feature local bands, artists, comedians, and more.

Co-founders Ben Hodson, Martijn Wall, and Nick Hastings acquired the beautiful two-story space, which has panoramic views of downtown and Bellingham Bay, with the intention that it would provide an inclusive venue for creatives in Bellingham to show their craft and build a following.

“We essentially just wanted to start a company to really bring the art scene back after this pandemic and give artists an opportunity to grow and connect in a collaborative environment,” says Hodson.

The Blue Room will have live shows every Friday and Saturday night. For now, the venue won’t be selling alcohol, with hopes that this will ensure more people feel welcome at their events. However, being above K-POP Chicken & Beer, the venue has arranged to sell their guests food from downstairs in a program they have jokingly dubbed “Stair Dash.”

The venue will also be open during the day and will showcase kids’ craft tables, art galleries, fashion shows, and workshops. The goal is to provide the Bellingham community with a catch-all venue for any event that could bring people together.

“We really hope that this is going to help propel that creative economy in our city,” says Hodson.

For ticket and event info, visit The Blue Room’s website. 202 E. Holly St., Ste. 301, Bellingham, 360.742.2381, blueroombham.com JILLY GRECO

Photo by Anna Ghinea

Spring Cleaning Top Tips

WRITTEN BY BRENDAN PRIOR

Get the Family Involved

Spring cleaning isn’t just more productive in groups — it’s also more fun! Give everyone a specific job, put some music on, and turn cleanup from a chore into a lively activity.

By the Numbers: Skagit Valley Tulip Festival

IT’S THAT TIME of year again: The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival is returning for its 39th year. If you’re planning to see the blooms in person, here’s some fast facts to know before you go:

The tulips:

• Tulip fields located within a 15-MILE radius • 350 ACRES of tulip bulbs planted • TENS OF MILLIONS of bulbs in total • Tulips in EVERY COLOR (except blue and black!)

The festival:

• 350,000 annual attendees • Visitors from all 50 states • …Plus an average of 85 countries!

Beyond the tulips, events such as art shows, bike rides, a wild salmon barbecue, and even a parade are scheduled throughout the festival month (April 1–30). For more information, visit tulipfestival.org. COCOA LANEY

Limit the Amount of Cleaning Products Used

The goal of cleaning is to remove clutter, so buying a bunch of new products is only counterproductive. Allow multipurpose products (as well as creative homemade solutions) to guide your cleaning this year.

Courtesy of the Whatcom Museum

Animal Art for Earth Day

JOIN WHATCOM MUSEUM in celebrating Earth Day on April 17 as a part of their collaborative workshop, “Animals Across the Earth.” Craft animals from paper and display them on the paper mache globe that will be set up for viewing in the museum lobby. This community art project is open to all ages and blends the different departments of the museum, including the Family Interactive Gallery (FIG), which is generally geared towards children.

“Doing stuff like having kids’ art in the lobby helps emphasize that you can take your little ones to check out the art galleries, while reminding community members who come to revel in the art that kids are having fun learning about and making art,” says Drew Whatley, the museum’s education manager.

All of the project materials are recycled as this is one of the Earth Day themes the museum hopes to highlight.

“I’ve been saving green paper scraps for the paper mache, and we’re going to try to use as many recycled components as we can. I know everyone loves googly eyes, but those microplastics stick around a long time, so they’re out for our animals,” says Whatley.

Along with encouraging creativity and teamwork, Animals Across the Earth also emphasizes the importance of biodiversity.

“We really want to cover the globe with a diverse menagerie that shows both what we currently have, but also what we’re in danger of losing if we don’t take care of our planet.” 250 Flora St., Bellingham, 360.778.8930, whatcommuseum.org BRIANNA POULOS

ENTER-TO-WIN Monthly Giveaway

EACH MONTH, WE give you the opportunity to win a prize from local merchants. You can enter once per day on bellinghamalive.com. A winner will be chosen by random draw, and notified via email and/or phone. It’s our way of saying thank you for your support and for continuing to help encourage shopping and dining local. Below is the Enter-To-Win prize for this month.

$50

Swinomish Casino & Lodge Restaurants*

*Valid at participating restaurants: Swinomish Sports Bar & Grill, 13moons, Manchu Work, Fatburger, Carver’s Cafe

ANMLY Gets Upgraded

DOWNTOWN BELLINGHAM CAFE ANMLY has undergone a rebrand to become Banter. According to owner Emile Diffley, the cafe’s values, style, and menu will remain similar, just “with a new face and charm.” Diffley hopes that the Banter brand’s inherent cheekiness will give guests a “vibrant experience” and allow for more growth, well-roundedness, and fun. Along with the rebrand comes the addition of a new location, After Hours, which will serve as a sister bar/restaurant to Banter. 119 N. Commercial St., Bellingham, 360.922.3660, banterhospitality.com COCOA LANEY

Goodwill Is Your Best Friend

Marie Kondo has a point: You probably don’t need everything that you own. Don’t be afraid to give old clothes (or items in storage, or just things you don’t need anymore) to charity shops.

Set a Reward

Work is no fun without a little play at the end! Set aside a treat for yourself to make the time go by faster, and make the final result so much more satisfying.

Create a Checklist

To help keep your brain organized, create a checklist to help monitor your progress. Apps like Spotless, Tody, and Clean My House are designed to keep your cleaning on track.