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Lifestyle Lookout: Holiday markets, Small Business Saturday and live music

Lifestyle Lookout: Holiday markets, Small Business Saturday and live music

Photo: Saga Communications


BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Hopefully your Thanksgiving holiday was relaxing and sating. Now it is time to snap out of that food coma and start making that list and checking it twice. Whether you are relying on Santa to bring the joy this Christmas or doing the shopping yourself, there is no better way to check items off your list than at a local business.

Fairhaven Winterfest kicks off on Saturday, Nov. 30 with Santa, delicious food and plenty of opportunities for holiday shopping. There will be a mailbox at the Village Green through Dec. 14 for children and kids at heart to drop off their letters to the jolly old man at the North Pole. So, now is the time to decide what you want for Christmas.

If you want to take your Christmas present request directly to Santa Claus, fear not. The man himself will be at the Village Inn every Saturday from noon to 3 p.m. starting tomorrow.

You can also follow your visit with Santa up with a carriage ride from noon to 3 p.m. If you want to listen to some classic Christmas songs, Victorian Carolers on the Green runs from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. And, of course, the tree lighting ceremony runs from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. at 10th & Mill.

Head on down to Fairhaven for all the festivities. Visit enjoyfairhaven.com for all the details.

Tomorrow is Small Business Saturday and there are plenty of options to shop locally in Bellingham. Why not start at the cruise terminal?

The Shop Small Holiday Makers Market Series kicks off tomorrow at the Bellingham Cruise Terminal in Fairhaven. The event runs from noon to 6 p.m. tomorrow and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 1. Fifty local vendors will be on site with a wide variety of crafts and wares, clothing, jewelry and food items for sale.

If you cannot make it down to the Holiday Market this weekend, it will also be open on Dec. 21 and 22. Find all the details at bellinghamakermarket.com.

If you prefer to do your shopping in downtown Bellingham, you are in luck. It is Shop Small Saturday tomorrow and all the boutiques, galleries and shops will have one-of-a-kind gifts for sale. You can also swing by Boundary Bay Brewery from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for their Holiday Market. It is free to attend and open to all ages.

Our featured live show this week takes us down to The Shakedown on Friday, Nov. 29. Hillstomp will bring their rootsy blues-rock stylings to the stage at 9 p.m.

They are a two-man band that plays intricate guitar and banjo licks backed by pummeling drums, creating a sound that has been described as “a boom box blasting from a shopping cart.” You will have to head on down to The Shakedown tonight to figure out what that means. It is sure to be a banger of a show.

Opening for Hillstomp is The Preacher & The Freight Train. Go to shakedownbellingham.com for tickets.

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