Summer Festivals

WRITTEN BY COCOA LANEY PHOTOGRAPHED BY ERIC MICKELSON

1 Northwest Tune-Up Festival

Bikes, beers, and good music seriously, what’s not to love about the Northwest Tune-Up Festival? The second-annual event (July 14–16) will feature new headlining artists including Galactic and the Crystal Method, plus bike races and a beer garden with 24 breweries from around the region. Bellingham, nwtuneup.com

FIVE FAVES

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Anacortes Pride

Speaking of returning festivals, you can celebrate Pride with members and allies of the LBGTQ+ community in Anacortes on June 17. First established in 2022, the nowannual event kicks off with a parade and closes with a family picnic at Causland Park. Anacortes, anacortespride.org

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Birch Bay Kite Festival

Bring the whole crew to this kid-friendly kite celebration, happening June 24–25!

In addition to crafts and kite demos, families can look forward to a vendor fair, live entertainment by Whatcom County fan favorite Michael Dayvid. Birch Bay, birchbaywa.org

4 Lummi Stommish Water Festival

The Stommish Festival began in 1946 as a way to honor Lummi Nation members in World War II. Now, it’s a multi-day festival (June 22–25) complete with canoe races, athletics events, music, food, and other cultural happenings.

5 Berry Dairy Days

Head to Burlington for one of the oldest annual festivals in Skagit County! Berry Dairy Days celebrates Burlington’s fruitful agricultural and farming community with their 86th anniversary event. From June 16-18, enjoy a vendor fair, parade, various events, and their traditional appreciation for strawberry shortcake! Burlington, berrydairydays.com

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A2019 STUDY PUBLISHED by the Journal of the American Medical Association found that a quarter of Americans are without primary care providers (PCPs).

While the reasons may vary, going without a doctor who really knows you and your health history is less than ideal — not only for your health, but for your wallet.

In Whatcom County, PeaceHealth and its providers strive to provide excellent routine and specialty care for patients, whether it’s at Bellingham’s PeaceHealth Medical Group or another clinical practice in the area.

The Importance of Being Seen

Dr. Garrett Jeffery, a PeaceHealth Family Medicine physician in Whatcom County, says that primary care acts as a “home base” for medical needs.

“This is where someone can receive a really broad swath of their care,” he says. “Primary care providers provide a very comprehensive approach to healthcare. They get to know you, and often can reduce delays in diagnosis of disease and, even more importantly, prevention of disease. It’s really the most bang for your buck if you’re accessing the healthcare system.”

Dr. Dawn Hutchison, a PeaceHealth Internal Medicine physician in Whatcom County, agrees. A doctor who knows you and your health concerns over an extended period of time, she says, can help you stay up-to-date on routine screenings for cancer, diabetes, mental health, and cardiovascular disease, as well as the management of other medical issues.

When a patient is diagnosed with a new health condition, a patient’s treatment benefits from a doctor who knows the history of the illness in that patient, as well as a solid foundation of knowledge on numerous chronic health conditions.

“We can help people manage their diabetes, asthma, high blood pressure, thyroid disease as well as help with behavioral health issues, or those challenged by addiction,” says Dr. Hutchison.

When patients choose to frequent urgent or emergency care for both preventative and acute care needs (that may or