“Bringing Uber back to our airport and cruise terminal after more than four years is an important step forward for both travelers and our community,” said Tiffany DeSimone, Executive Director of the Port of Bellingham. “Reliable, accessible transportation is essential to a positive travel experience, and this is one of many ways we’re strengthening connections to and from Whatcom County. It also represents our renewed commitment to actively investing in an airport that reflects our community’s values and unique vibe—welcoming, convenient, and distinctly local. We’re proud to work on creating a gateway that not only serves travelers well but truly represents the spirit of our region.”

With Uber back in service, passengers arriving at and departing from BLI will once again be able to request rides directly through the Uber app. Cruise passengers and people visiting the Bellingham Cruise Terminal will gain the same access, making it easier to connect to and from the cruise terminal.

"Our travelers have told us they want more flexible, on-demand options for getting to and from the airport, and we listened," said Matt Rodriguez, Director of Aviation at Bellingham International Airport. "Welcoming Uber back means a smoother, more convenient experience for passengers arriving and departing throughout the day, including those earlymorning and late-night flights when reliable transportation matters most. That focus on customer experience is exactly what we're here to deliver."

Service begins June 15, 2026, at both locations.

About the Port of Bellingham

The Port is a countywide municipal corporation with a mission to fulfill the essential transportation and economic development needs of the region. Throughout Whatcom County, the Port owns, operates, and maintains approximately 1600 acres of property, including a shipping terminal, a cruise terminal, two marinas, industrial development areas, commercial uplands, parklands, shoreline public access areas, and an international airport. For more information, please visit www.portofbellingham.com 

What: Fairhaven Summer Repertory Theatre

Where: Firehouse Arts and Events Center, 1314 Harris Ave, Bellingham, WA 98225

When: June 23 - July 19, 2026

Six nights a week: Tuesday - Saturday @ 7:30, Sunday @ 5:00

Tickets: www.BellinghamTheatreWorks.org

Single Adult Tickets $25

Students (with ID) $20

Season Tickets ($60 for all three shows – Best Value!)

Call 360-389-2835 for information, ticketing and disability accommodation.

The American Family

Fairhaven Summer Repertory Theatre is back for its 9th season, producing three award winning and thought-provoking plays that put the modern American family under a microscope.

Audience members will experience the intimacy of being in the round at the Firehouse Arts and Events Center, sitting with the actors while they share three iconic plays that are at once tense, dramatic, hilarious at times and disturbing at others. The plays reveal how families respond to extreme events and pressures, drawing closer together while confronting events that easily connect to our own lives.

Our company combines many members of the community: students and educators, parents and children, as well as guest artists from far beyond Bellingham Bay, all working together to bring these three plays to life.

Brighton Beach Memoirs by Neil Simon, Directed by Mark Kuntz

A comic memoir told through the eyes of 15-year-old Eugene, exploring the life of a struggling Jewish family in 1937. This semi-autobiographical play was written by Neil Simon who began writing his memoirs when he was 15! In typical Simon comic fashion, Eugene dreams about baseball and girls while learning about family, relationships, and an impending war.

Fairview by Jackie Sibblies Drury, Directed by Charles

This 2019 Pulitzer Prize winning comedy follows a middle class African American family as they prepare for a birthday dinner for their grandmother, an event watched by four white people. The mother wants the party to be perfect, her sister can’t be bothered, the father doesn’t seem to listen, her brother is missing, her daughter is a teenager! The first act hilarity quicky turns into a gripping examination of family and white supremacy.

Appropriate by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, Directed by Kayla Adams

Every estranged member of the Lafayette clan has descended upon the crumbling Arkansas homestead to settle the accounts of the newly dead patriarch. As the three adult children sort through a lifetime of their father’s hoarded mementos and junk, they collide over clutter, debt and a disturbing discovery hiding among their father’s possessions. This 2024 Tony Award winning play uses biting humor to explore a bruising family gathering.

All plays run in repertory beginning June 23 and will continue 6 nights a week for 4 weeks. Our schedule allows audience members to see three plays in three nights resulting in a robust weekend of theatre, or to find dates throughout the run that match a complex schedule.

Mark Kuntz, Producing Director of Bellingham TheatreWorks said of the trio of shows: “We’re doing some really exciting plays this year, and exploring the theme in different ways. Each of the shows showcases an American family, and in each case we’re seeing two or three generations represented, children and parents and aunts and uncles. In a few cases we’ve been able to cast actors who are related to each other; a parent and a child, or siblings. We have some phenomenal theatre families in the area and it seemed like a perfect opportunity to put some of those folks together on stage.”

BTW is known for jaw-dropping sets and lighting that enhances productions. There’s an added puzzle to be solved with FSRT, where the set is ‘struck’ or dismantled every night after the show and reset every afternoon, so that the space at Firehouse Art Center can be used during the day for regular programming. In addition, the trio of plays are all presented ‘in the round,’ with seats on all four sides of the stage. This presents additional challenges to the set designer, putting the focus on furniture and small set pieces that enhance the play without getting in the way of sightlines. Less is more for sets in the round.

The entire season schedule with ticketing and attendance information, as well as complete descriptions of the plays and information about all of the artists, can be found at www.BellinghamTheatreWorks.org 

Recent data released by Tourism Economics shows that spending among visitors to Whatcom County declined modestly in 2025, decreasing by -.4% compared to 2024 for a total of $772.8 million. The study, prepared for State of Washington Tourism, tracks the number of visitors to the region, their associated spend in five categories (shown in Figure A below), and industry jobs (shown in Figure C below).

In general, destinations across the state and particularly along the northwest I-5 corridor saw a softening in visitor spending last year. To put Whatcom County’s numbers in perspective, visitor spending across Washington State grew by .9% (compared to 5.3% in 2024). King County grew by .1% (compared to 6.8% in 2024), Pierce County grew by 2% (compared to 3.3% in 2024), and Skagit County grew by 2.6% (compared to 4.6% in 2024).

Despite the decrease in visitor spending, supplemental data reveals that Whatcom County hosted approximately 3.49 million visitors in 2025, which is in line with approximate visitor numbers from 2024. Of these visitors, 1.46 million stayed overnight, and the per-day impact for an overnight traveling party was $350, up from $300 in 2024. 

“Considering the decline in cross-border travel, the slight decrease in spending is not entirely surprising,” said Visit Bellingham President & CEO Dylan Deane-Boyle, “and when we look at per-visitor impact, the story becomes sunnier. Our overnight visitors spent more money per day, and strong spending from day-trippers helped offset what could have been a greater loss in visitor revenue.”

In total, visitors generated $66 million in direct state and local tax revenue last year—saving households in Whatcom County $702 dollars on their taxes.

Fig A: Breakdown of direct travel spending in Whatcom County in 2025

Fig B: Visitor spending trends from 2019-2025

Fig C: Changes in visitor spending by sector and tourism employment numbers, 2021-2025

As seen in Figure C, the rate of spending growth varied across sectors in 2025, with retail holding steady and modest gains seen in recreation and food & beverage. Spending on accommodations and transportation declined for the first time since 2020, as did tourism jobs, which decreased from 7,768 to 7,400 jobs.

“Looking ahead, we are cautiously hopeful that the world games this summer will lead to an overall boost in visitation, spending, and hospitality jobs in 2026, though we continue to navigate challenges related to Canadian sentiment and rising travel costs,” said Deane-Boyle.

Learn more about how Visit Bellingham | Whatcom County strives to increase visitor spending, lengths of stay, and support local industry jobs in our annual report at bellingham.org/about-us.

Visit Bellingham | Whatcom County is an independent, 501 (c)(6) nonprofit economic development organization whose purpose is to improve the economy by marketing Bellingham Whatcom County as a premier, year-round visitor, sports, outdoor recreation, arts and cultural, and meetings destination, which supports all travel, tourism, and hospitality businesses and nonprofits in Whatcom County.  

The Downtown Bellingham Partnership (DBP) announces the return of Downtown Sounds for its 22nd season, bringing free live music, local artists, and community activities to Downtown Bellingham on Wednesday evenings from July 8 through August 5.

The Commission’s selection of DeSimone from a field of almost 100 candidates reflects its commitment to strong public stewardship, economic vitality, and transparent governance. As Executive Director, DeSimone will implement the Commission’s policy direction and strategic priorities, including responsible waterfront redevelopment, airport diversification by focusing on air service development, support of general aviation and aeronautical industry recruitment, support for local maritime business and marine trades, and preservation of public access to Whatcom County’s shoreline.

“Our responsibility as elected officials is to ensure the Port delivers for the people of Whatcom County—today and for generations to come,” said Commission President Michael Shepard. “Tiffany brings the integrity, experience, judgment, and community connection necessary to carry out the Commission’s vision. She understands that economic development, environmental stewardship, and public access are not competing priorities—they are commitments we must advance together.”

A lifelong resident of Whatcom County, DeSimone has dedicated her career to public service at the Port. Over more than a decade, she has led complex maritime operations and strengthened partnerships with industry, labor, and community stakeholders. Most recently, prior to stepping up as the Port’s Interim Executive Director, DeSimone served as Director of Maritime, overseeing and growing the Bellingham Shipping Terminal, Squalicum Harbor, Blaine Harbor, Facility Rentals, The Marine Life Center and Port Security— all critical assets and operations that support regional jobs and economic activity.

The Commission emphasized that this appointment comes at a defining moment for the Port, as it advances major investments in infrastructure at the shipping terminal, the airport, waterfront redevelopment, Blaine industrial area, and community-serving assets. Commissioners have prioritized a balanced approach—one that supports business retention and expansion and family-wage jobs while protecting the environment and maintaining meaningful public access to the waterfront.

“As Executive Director, my role is to carry out the Commission’s vision with integrity, transparency, and a focus on results,” said DeSimone. “I am proud to serve the community where I was raised and to help shape a waterfront that reflects our maritime heritage, optimizes our many transportation gateways including our marine terminals and the airport, supports our business community, honors public access, and creates lasting opportunity. It’s a tall order and one that I know this community can come together to ensure our values are aligned. We are stronger together with action rather than divided with inaction.”

From commercial fishing and boatbuilding to global trade and recreation, Whatcom County’s maritime legacy continues to define the region’s identity and economy. The Commission’s leadership, paired with DeSimone’s operational experience, positions the Port to build on executing the communities’ visions with a renewed focus on accountability, innovation, and community partnership.

Under Commission direction, the Port will continue to:

• Advance strategic waterfront redevelopment that integrates economic development, environmental restoration, and public access
• Create a Bellingham International Airport gateway that reflects the pride of Whatcom County
• Support, retain and grow the local business community, including marine trades and industrial partners
• Ensure responsible management of public assets with transparency and fiscal stewardship
• Honor and strengthen Whatcom County’s maritime heritage while preparing for future opportunities

DeSimone will assume her role immediately.

About the Port of Bellingham

The Port is a countywide municipal corporation with a mission to fulfill the essential transportation and economic development needs of the region. Throughout Whatcom County, the Port owns, operates, and maintains approximately 1600 acres of property, including a shipping terminal, a cruise terminal, two marinas, industrial development areas, commercial uplands, parklands, shoreline public access areas, and an international airport.  For more information, please visit www.portofbellingham.com

Event Details  

What: SEA&WIN World Games Ticket Raffle  

Where: Stones Throw Brewery at the Fairhaven Festival

When: Sunday, May 24 from 12 p.m.- 6 p.m. (No entries will be accepted after 6 p.m. on May 24, 2026)  

How: Find us at Stones Throw Brewery at the Fairhaven Festival to register in person and get entered to win two tickets. The winner will be notified by 6/1.  

Those who can’t attend the festival can still earn a chance to win match tickets by downloading and using the SEA&WIN App, a free mobile game created by SeattleFWC26 to engage soccer fans with fan zone communities across the state. App users can play games, complete quizzes, and visit locations across Bellingham and Washington to earn points that unlock prizes—including chances to win two match tickets to the world games! Other prizes include limited-edition merchandise and the grand prize Golden Ball. Learn more about the SEA&WIN app and prizes here.    

Those who have the app can earn bonus points—and further increase their chance of winning tickets through the app—by checking in at Visit Bellingham’s table during the Fairhaven Festival. This means that if you download the app and participate in the raffle, you’ll have two shots at winning tickets to the biggest sporting event in the world.

Learn more about how Bellingham is celebrating the world games this summer by visiting https://www.bellingham.org/fan-zone.

Additional rules: No purchase necessary. Must be 18 or older to enter. App download is not needed for raffle entry. One entry per person; entries must be received in-person. Winning tickets are for personal use only and may not be resold or otherwise transferred. Winners will be responsible for any taxes, duties, customs, and like amounts in respect of the prize. 

Visit Bellingham | Whatcom County is an independent, 501 (c)(6) nonprofit economic development organization whose purpose is to improve the economy by marketing Bellingham Whatcom County as a premier, year-round visitor, sports, outdoor recreation, arts and cultural, and meetings destination, which supports all travel, tourism, and hospitality businesses and nonprofits in Whatcom County.