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Home / Insider Blogs / Bellingham’s Downtown and Fairhaven Shopping Districts Welcome Canadian Visitors

Bellingham’s Downtown and Fairhaven Shopping Districts Welcome Canadian Visitors

By Teresa Schmidt / May 17, 2014

This weekend, my Canadian friends, why not break out of the routine when you travel to our fair city of Bellingham for shopping? You are probably accustomed to leaving the freeway and heading left toward Bellis Fair Mall and Costco. Or you might head straight down James Street to everyone’s favorite, Trader Joe’s (dark chocolate peanut butter cups, anyone?).

All of these are fine destinations for shopping in Bellingham. But next time you’re heading south on I-5, take a right! If you venture a little off that beaten path to check out the treasures that await you in Downtown Bellingham and Fairhaven, I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Kyle Fuller of the Downtown Bellingham Partnership agrees: “Downtown Bellingham loves having its neighbors to the north visit. We have such eclectic and unique shops in our downtown district, and we would love to show another side of Bellingham shopping to our Canadian friends! Shoes and clothing stores, cute gift and stationary shops, and even housewares stores–everything you need is in our historical setting by the water.”


Downtown Bellingham Shopping Guide

Getting Here is Easy!

From I-5: Head south to exit 253 Lakeway Drive, turn right onto Lakeway Drive and continue onto East Holly Street, which will take you to the heart of Downtown Bellingham. Find street parking everywhere, or turn right onto Commercial Street to enter the Parkade. Parking is free on weekends and after 5:00 p.m., except for commercial and private paid lots, which are indicated.

From Trader Joe’s: Head south on James Street. Turn right onto State Street and continue for .8 mile (or 1.28 km), then turn right on Holly Street.

Once you’ve parked, you can walk everywhere. Wide sidewalks and corner ramps make it suitable for walkers and wheelchairs, too. Downtown Bellingham offers a wide variety of shops, and plenty of places to rest and refuel with a bakery treat and a freshly roasted espresso, bubble tea, glass of wine or a craft beer and sandwich.


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Clothing:

  • Downtown Emporium
  • Sojourn
  • Texture Clothing
  • Buffalo Exchange
  • Third Planet
  • ModSocks
  • Fringe
  • The Chipper Bird
  • Wise Buys Thrift Store
  • Quinn and Fosters

Home and Kitchen:

  • Greenhouse
  • Ideal
  • Bella Flora

Stationery and Gifts:

  • Spruce Stationery and Design
  • Cresswell Boggs
  • The Lucky Monkey
  • Third Planet
  • Bison Bookbinding & Letterpress
  • Dakota Art Store

Books:

  • Henderson Books
  • Ideal (Children’s books)
  • The Comics Place

Eyewear:

  • Everything in Sight

Food and Wine Shops:

  • Mount Bakery
  • Icing on the Cake
  • Seifert & Jones Wines

Flowers:

  • A New Leaf Flower Shoppe

Shoes:

  • Hilton’s Shoes
  • Backcountry Essentials

Yarn:

  • NW Handspun Yarns

Click here for a copy of the Downtown Bellingham Partnership’s retail map

Retail Map

Shopping in Historic Fairhaven District

Getting Here is Easy!

From I-5: Head south to exit 250, Old Fairhaven Parkway. Turn right and follow Old Fairhaven Parkway for 1.3 miles (2 km). Turn right on to 12th Street. Find free parking everywhere.

From Trader Joe’s: Head south on James Street. Turn right onto State Street and continue for 1.2 miles (2 km). The road becomes Boulevard and then 11th Street. Enter Fairhaven on 11th or 12th Street and park for free anywhere.


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Clothing:

  • Serendipity
  • Blue Horizon
  • Bay to Baker Trading Company
  • Southside Trends

Jewelry and Gifts:

  • Whimsey
  • Bay to Baker Trading Company
  • Silver Moon
  • Paper Dreams

Home and Garden:

  • The Garden Room

Antiques:

  • Fairhaven Antique Mall
  • Fairhaven Rug Gallery

Handcrafted Goods:

  • Artwood
  • Good Earth Pottery
  • Renaissance Celebration
  • Whatcom Art Market
  • Gallery West

Books:

  • Eclipse Bookstore
  • Village Books

Sporting Goods:

  • Fairhaven Bike and Ski
  • Fairhaven Runners

Toys:

  • Fairhaven Toy Garden

Food and Wine Shops:

  • Haggen
  • Avenue Bread
  • Evolve Chocolate

Shoes:

  • 12th Street Shoes

Flowers:

  • Rebecca’s Flower Shoppe
  • A Lot of Flowers

Bellingham’s hotels also have great deals. Spend a night or two and give yourself extra time for exploring and shopping.


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Filed Under: Insider Blogs Tagged With: best shopping in Bellingham, Fairhaven Historic District, how get to downtown Bellingham, Make the right turn in Bellingham, shopping in Bellingham, Shopping in Downtown Bellingham, shopping in Fairhaven, Things to do in Bellingham, where to shop in downtown Bellingham, where to shop in Fairhaven, Where to shop in US

About Teresa Schmidt

Teresa Schmidt has been known to skid to a stop on a gravel road to check out a random art gallery, country store or pie stand. If there’s a hint of something worth looking at, she’s on it. Teresa is a freelance copywriter who lives in Bellingham, owns and operates Sprout Creative, and eats, drinks, runs and shops all over the highways and byways of beautiful Whatcom County.

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Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism
Visitor Center Located at I-5 Exit 253
904 Potter Street, Bellingham, WA 98229

Hours: Due to COVID-19, the Visitor Center is open limited hours: Friday, Saturday & Sunday 10am-3pm. Masks required.

Phone: 360-671-3990
Email: tourism@bellingham.org

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