By Photographer – Dominic Urbano
The Bellingham Farmers market.
Well worth a few hours on a Saturday. Come hungry… leave full. Prepare to have your senses overloaded with the sights, scents, sounds, and music. Whatcom county is an active farming community with a heavy bent towards organic practices. Prepared food vendors work tirelessly throughout the day to offer a wide variety of meals and treats. Buskers are stationed throughout the venue providing music and entertainment. Less than a city block in size the Bellingham market is picturesque and plentiful. If you are in Bellingham in the ‘good’ weather months. Put the Saturday market on you list of things to do.
Farmers markets vary a great deal from place to place. They vary at least in size and scope of offerings. Famous markets such as Pike Street market in Seattle are destinations that can easily occupy a visitor for an entire day. Others amount to little more than a few truck tailgates flipped down to act as storefronts in a dirt parking lot. Bellingham’s Farmers market is a seasonal Saturday only affair. Not on the scale of a Pike street market but it is substantially larger than most and a visitor could easily take an hour or so to take it in. A great new steel beam and glass building anchors the market. On a sunny day there will be thousands of visitors who pass through. With street performers providing a musical sound track it is a festive and enjoyable experience. The Bellingham Farmers Market has steadily gained well deserved popularity and attention. Sunset Magazine has named it one of the West top 10 farmer’s markets.