BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – St. Patrick’s Day is Tuesday, March 17, but Whatcom County has already caught Irish fever. There is no shortage of opportunities to celebrate Irish heritage and the many wonders of the Emerald Isle this weekend. We have you covered in this week’s Lifestyle Lookout.
The 2026 Bellingham St. Patrick’s Day Parade is on Sunday, March 15 at noon. This year, the iconic parade is returning to its original route down Cornwall Avenue from Bellingham High School (2020 Cornwall Ave.) to Chestnut Street. It will be a great opportunity to connect with community, celebrate Irish heritage and honor first responders.
So, dress up in Irish green or St. Patrick’s blue and head down for a fun stroll through the City of Subdued Excitement. For all the details, go to stpatsbham.com.
If you are looking to warm up before the big parade, you are in luck. The Runnin’ O’ the Green is on Saturday, March 14 in Fairhaven.
Strap on your running shoes and head down to Stones Throw Brewery (1009 Larrabee Ave.) for the 5k and 8k races. This year’s out-and-back routes run along the Interurban Trail through lush greenery that will have participants no doubt chanting “Erin go bragh!” the whole way.
Costumes are encouraged and there will be an afterparty at Stones Throw. The races start at 10 a.m. For all the details, go to cob.org.
Besides the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, there is another event that will honor first responders. On Saturday, Stemma Brewing is hosting the 125th annual Bellingham Firefighter’s Ball.
It will be a night of fun and dancing to celebrate Bellingham’s bravest. The Firefighter’s Ball runs from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. at Stemma West (508 Carolina St.) For tickets, go here.
Bird watchers, rejoice! Wings Over Water: Northwest Birding Festival runs from Friday, March 13 to Sunday, March 15 at various locations in Blaine, Birch Bay and Semiahmoo.
There will be bird walks, field trips, demonstrations, kids’ activities and a whole lot more. To register for any and all of the bird-oriented activities, go to wingsoverwaterbirdingfestival.com.
We have three featured live shows for you in this week’s Lifestyle Lookout, and they all celebrate the music of the Emerald Isle.
One of the world’s leading Celtic rock bands, Young Dubliners, will grace the stage at Bar Two Eleven (211 E. Chestnut St.) on Friday night. Young Dubliners have toured extensively for the last thirty years and appeared on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmell Live multiple times.
The show starts at 9 p.m. For tickets, go to bar211.com.
Then on Saturday night, Irish rock band Fighting Jamesons will perform at The Skagit Casino and Resort. Their raw energy fuses the sound of Dropkick Murphy’s with more traditional Celtic music.
Fighting Jamesons take the stage at 8 p.m. For tickets, go to theskagit.com.
Also on Saturday night, Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy will perform at the Mount Baker Theater along with the Celtic All-Stars. The power-couple is currently on a global tour highlighting their commitment to Celtic music and traditions. The Leahy’s were even the subject of an Oscar-winning documentary, The Leahys: Music Most of All.
The show starts at 7:30 p.m. For tickets, go to mountbakertheatre.com.
