With the scent of evergreen and cinnamon filling the crisp air, downtown Bellingham has become a festive haven for art lovers and holiday shoppers during the five-week Holiday Festival of the Arts.
The event, which kicked off on Nov. 22 and ends on Dec. 24, is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., except for Thanksgiving. The festival is located in the heart of downtown at 1331 Commercial St., in Bellingham, Wash.
“The festival features over 100 local artisans over the course of five weeks,” said Kelly Hart, executive director of Allied Arts of Whatcom County. “In addition to the festival's indoor location, we also offer an online component that lets artists sell their work online.”
The festival features artistic mediums that reflect Bellingham's vibrant artist community.
“We have a wide variety of visual arts, gourmet food, textiles, photography, glassblowing, pottery – really all types of arts,” Hart said.
The festival doesn’t stop at just the vendors. To fully immerse festival goers in the holiday spirit, there is live music, children's workshops and artist demonstrations.
For families searching for a fun weekend activity, they can go downtown to participate in one of the numerous cost-free workshops available.
The children’s workshops include constructing miniature gnomes and fairy ornaments, fabricating holiday gift tags and cards by printmaking, trying your own hand at balloon making and many more.
Marking its 45th anniversary, the event has grown to be an essential part of the Allied Arts and Christmas.
“The holiday festival was one of the main reasons for [Allied Arts] and was one of the first things [it] did,” Hart said. “It was founded by a group of local patrons and art supporters, as well as artists. They wanted ways to exhibit their art and get it out there to the community.”
The festival's core focus is on community. It unites the artists and provides an opportunity for the general public to interact with them, while also shopping locally.
Festival goer Amy Hemmings remarked, "I love how each booth has its own feel that encapsulates the artist."
Upon entering the venue, one of the first vendors you will see is Picture Pangea Photography, featuring stunning photos of Pacific Northwest scenery.
Micael Colahan, the photographer behind Picture Pangea Photography, has been a vendor for the last five years, but he was a frequent festival goer long before that.
“My wife and I have come holiday shopping here for years and years, and I feel so honored to now be a part of it,” Colahan said.
It should come as no surprise that the festival is a popular destination for Christmas shoppers. Deb Dole of Eclectic Spirit modifies the art available at her stand with this in mind.
“People usually purchase smaller items at this festival because they are shopping for Christmas, as opposed to other art festivals when larger pieces are more common,” Dole said.
The Holiday Festival of the Arts is a fantastic location to shop locally this holiday season if you're searching for a place to buy presents for your loved ones.
“I feel like I hit the jackpot for stocking stuffers,” said Hemmings.
This fall, Grace Aukschun-Johnson (she/her) is a city life reporter for The Front. Grace is a third-year student studying public relations at Western. If Grace isn't writing stories, she'll be found painting, hanging out with friends or thrifting! The best way to get in touch with Grace is graceaukschun.thefront@gmail.com.
