BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – On Cornwall Avenue in Bellingham sits a colorful but relatively unassuming brick & mortar shop called Miraculous Braidz & Beauty, and within it are a business idea and an owner actively working to make miracles happen within the community.

Owner Miracle Jones is a local braid stylist, event extraordinaire, active community member and full-time mom. She moved to Bellingham eight years ago to be close to her mother and raise her daughter. Some time after moving to Whatcom County she made a post about doing hair, not expecting to get much of a response.

“I just thought this was such a small town, and nobody was going to want braids—especially braids,” said Jones.

Before she knew it, the post was taking off. In 2018, Jones started doing business out of her house and just two years later, she moved into the brick & mortar location on Cornwall Avenue. Though Jones wasn’t sure if the shop would stay open post-pandemic, it survived and thrived. 

In 2020, the braid shop wasn’t Jones’s only big business venture. She also started providing event services with Miraculous Events. She began with face painting at people’s houses or parties and through the community. She took things a step further at times, providing face paint or braiding services for free locally.

Braiding hair took her in one direction, and face painting took her in another. She often finds herself braiding and working events on the same day, all while taking care of her three kids. Through her busy life, Jones takes immense pride in what she does and loves the impact that she leaves on community members.

“Ultimately, everybody feels good when they leave—and it’s a fun thing, so I’m always happy, always upbeat, and everyone who’s in my atmosphere is always happy,” said Jones.

Jones said that at her shop on Cornwall, almost every client for the past five years straight has shared that they have been looking for a local business with specialized services like Miraculous Braidz & Hair.

However, even after eight years in Whatcom County, Jones doesn’t see herself as a permanent resident. She hopes to gain employees who can run the Bellingham location and expand her business all over the United States.

“I feel like I’m planted here for the moment,” she shared. “[But in] being here for the moment, I feel very welcome, and I think that that means everything from all levels.”

Jones even felt she “might be too Black for the town,” but has found that isn’t the case. She shared that the support and trust she has received locally have been overwhelming. And that, especially as a business owner, being involved in the community has developed further with each passing year. Jones hopes to be known not only for her work as a stylist but also for bringing people together and providing humanitarian services.

“I feel like I’ve been here for so long because I am so community oriented.” she said. “It’s from blessing and being blessed back, for real.”

For years Jones has held glow-in-the-dark Easter egg hunts in April, hosted the Grinch Christmas through three weeks of December, and is coming up on her third year of running Bellingham’s Juneteenth celebration.

Though she has years of experience facilitating community-oriented events, this year is the first time an event she is hosting will be sponsored. Jones is still running a large portion of the event out of pocket, as she has used her own finances to put events on purely out of her passion for spreading love and fun.

Juneteenth is also one of the only events where Jones does not work. She gets to sit back, soak it all in and appreciate the community having a great time.

“I want people to know that this event [Juneteenth] is for the community and it’s celebrating everybody,” she explained. “We’re all coming together, it’s not a Black event, it’s an event for everyone to come together and celebrate freedom ultimately.”

The third annual Bellingham Juneteenth event will be held on Saturday, June 21 at Maritime Heritage Park from 2 to 6 p.m. There will be kids’ activities, food trucks, performances, shopping and more.

This year, Calvary Worship Center will be performing along with poets traveling from outside the local area. The event is entirely free and open to all—dedicated to celebrating life and freedom.

We Are Whatcom is a weekly column featuring Whatcom County residents making a positive impact on the community. To submit a Whatcom County resident to be featured, click here.