[oct. 2024] Mount Baker Experience
We caught up with Western Washington University business student and music industry promoter Forrest Templin to discuss Bellingham Exit, a “multi-day, multi-stage, multi-sensory” music festival running October 10-13 all across downtown Bellingham.
[Oct. 2024] Park Life DC
What do an ice cream shop, a singer-songwriter, and a punk band all have in common? Well, if you were in Bellingham this past weekend (Oct. 10-13), you’d know that all three (and more) were integral parts of the 2nd Annual Bellingham Exit, a music and arts festival featuring an extraordinary mix of music, comedy, visual arts, and interactive experiences.
[Oct. 2024] MyBellinghamNow
‘Exit the ordinary:’ Local music festival returns, bringing magical realms to downtown.
A festival traversing the gaps between music, art and comedy has returned to Bellingham for the second time. Each of the magical worlds this year are bubbly and whimsical, while still diving into themes of sustainability and environmentalism.
[Jul. 2024] Bellingham Herald
The numbers are in: A look back at Bellingham’s third annual Northwest Tune-Up Festival
- Total attendance: 10,000+
- Number of tickets sold: 4,359
- Number of paid staff members: 29
- Number of volunteers: 700
[Jul. 2024] Vital MTB
Race, ride, and vibe straight into PNW summer at the third annual NW Tune-Up Festival.
Imagine exploring single-track by day, then kicking back with killer tunes at night. That's the Tune-Up vibe, and it's about to go down this weekend. Featuring a range of sponsored bike events and outdoor activities, offering something for everyone - from casual riders to competitive racers.
[May 2024] Cascadia Daily
Flagship West Sound Fest rocks Bellingham
More than 40 artists played shows May 17-19 during West Sound Fest, a music festivalcreated by Kai Ross of West Sound Records, in downtown Bellingham. Acts spanned from Black Ends’ energetic gunk pop to Foxy Apollo’s jazz-rock sound, drawing in hundreds of listeners both young and old.
[May 2024] Western Front
'Rock Local' at Bellingham's West Sound Fest Learn about the grassroots festival featuring over 40 performers, starting Friday.
Eight venues for just over 40 performers, making it 12 shows over the three-day event. All venues are within walking distance of downtown Bellingham, with almost all of them being all age shows. Kai Ross said sustainability and accessibility are important to his business.
[Apr. 2024] Vital MTB
Bellingham MTB x Music Festival: Performing artists Lupe Fiasco, Yonder Mountain String Band, and RJD2. Full lineup announcement includes updates to music programming, new ticket types, Tunetown stages, and expanded brand partnerships in the Exhibitor Village.
[Apr. 2024] Bellingham Herald
The NW Tune-Up Festival: Whatcom County's bike, live music and beer festival is back in July with local breweries, concerts and biking.
[Apr. 2024] Western Front
Northwest Skate Collective advocates for DIY skatepark renovation: James Klinedinst, of Grindline Skateparks, said he’s excited for where the plot of land is heading because he thinks back to when they were kids and the area was just chemical-filled pulp mills.
[Mar. 2024] Cascadia Daily
Inaugural Exit Recap: New report reflects on successes, challenges of Bellingham Exit festival. Details include 2024 strategy and turnout compared to other regional festivals.
[Apr. 2024] Cascadia Daily
Garden Spot Nursery: Paige Lanham waters flowers at Garden Spot. Garden Spot will be hosting a variety of spring events and workshops for gardeners of all levels. Lanham and her team help customers choose plants that work for any space, no matter how small.
[Aug. 2023] Whatcom Talk
Noisy Waters: Local placemaking agency Paper Whale presents the Noisy Waters Mural Festival, taking place at Bellingham’s waterfront August 18-20, 2023. Featuring more than 25 artists from across North America, the festival will include live mural painting with a goal to activate a wider diversity of artistic representation in the community.
[Mar. 2024] Pinkbike media
NW Tune-Up Fest Returns: Downtown Bellingham set to host the return of Northwest Tune-Up festival this summer, July 12th – 14th, 2024, bringing together the industry’s best cycling brands, top-tier musicians, and award-winning craft brewers to one of North America’s most iconic cycling destinations for the third year in a row.
[Feb. 2024] Cascadia Daily
Introducing West Sound Records: At an impressively young 16 years, Ross began the record label on Orcas Island, then moved the project to Bellingham when he began taking classes at Western Washington University.
[Feb. 2024] Press Release
NW Tune-Up VanLife: Announcing the release of early bird ticket sales, limited on-site VanLife camping, and discounted hotel rates for the 2024 bike, beer, & music event of the summer.
[Jan. 2024] Press Release
Marketing Office Pop-Up: Discover how art, ethics, and interactive advertising fuel our young startup brand and our latest partnership inside Downtown's historic Herald Building.
[Nov. 2023] Seattle Spectator
After the Show: Veterans of the music industry, students and others in the Bellingham community came together this past weekend to put on a unique interdisciplinary music and art festival.
[Oct. 2023] Shut Up & Listen
Words by Joe Raubvogel: Bellingham, a town steeped in a profound appreciation for the arts, has long been a haven for creative expression, whether it's through music, visual arts, or comedy. The emergence of the Bellingham Exit festival had me thrilled, as it is deemed to potentially be a marker of a significant milestone in the city's cultural landscape that offers a platform for the convergence of the many diverse artistic talents within the lively backdrop of downtown.
[Oct. 2023] Cascadia Daily News
Bellingham Exit: Behind the scenes at the ambitious, first Bellingham Exit. From art to comedy and music, the citywide event covers the bases.
[May 2023] Pinkbike Media
NW Tune-Up 2023: Community is the Secret Sauce for Bellingham, Washington’s Largest Cycling and Music Festival