Noisy Waters Mural Festival Returns to The Portal at Bellingham’s Waterfront for Its Fourth Year
Local placemaking agency and cultural accelerator, Paper Whale, presents the fourth annual Noisy Waters Mural Festival, taking place at The Portal Container Village in Bellingham, August 14–16, 2026.
Featuring nearly 20 artists from across North America and Europe, the family-friendly festival is centered around live mural painting with the goal of activating a wider diversity of artistic representation in the local community. The festival offers spray painting workshops, mural tours by bike and on foot, kids and teens painting walls, artist print sales, a libations bar, live music and DJs, 50+ vendors at the Saturday Makers Market, an upcycled fashion show, and morning yoga sessions throughout the weekend.
As daylight fades each evening, Noisy Waters shifts into Noisy Night Mode, a 21+ experience featuring musical headliners Fleetmac Wood and Reposado, blacklight painting, and a libations bar for a multi-sensory experience unique to Bellingham’s Waterfront.
"My favorite element of Noisy Waters is the connection to world renowned artists. I love getting inspired by what others are making, watching the techniques, and hearing their stories. It feels like a summer camp for painters," said Miles Toland, 2025 Noisy Waters’ First Place Prize Winner. "We got a real taste for the community, with locals hosting us in their homes during the festival. That alone made the artist's experience feel much more connected to Bellingham."
Miles returns to Bellingham this August to complete a large mural along Samish Way.
Eight finalists were selected from a competitive application pool for the opportunity to paint 8’×8’ murals over three days before a live audience. The general public votes for their favorites, with the top three artists each receiving a paid commission to return and paint a large-scale permanent mural in Bellingham. A total of nine large scale Noisy Waters murals will have transformed Bellingham by this summer's festival.
The festival will also showcase the fourth installment of the Indigeversal Collective, a collaborative mural installation led and produced by eight First Nations indigenous artists from across North America.
Noisy Waters takes its name from the region’s own language: the word “Whatcom” is derived from the Lhaq’temish word Xwot’qom, which translates to “noisy water.” The festival is produced on Coast Salish land, the traditional home of the Lummi and Nooksack peoples, and is dedicated to the first inhabitants of this place.
In partnership with Sustainable Connections, Noisy Waters practices paint reclamation and recycling methods that continues to make this the world's first and only Towards Zero Waste Mural Festival. While admission to the festival is free, donations are encouraged. This festival is supported through a tourism grant with the City of Bellingham, and additional support from the Port of Bellingham.
For a schedule of events and artist information, visit noisywatersmuralfest.com.
2026 Competing Muralists
Catie Michel, Denver, CO
Megan Lingerfelt, Oak Ridge, TN
Oak Bloak, Denver, CO
Patrick Maxcy, Fleming Island, FL
Savannah LeCornu, Ketchikan, AK
SENHOR, Lisbon, Portugal
Turbo Bambi, Revelstoke, BC, Canada
Wayward Walls, Gibsonton, FL
Event Details
Dates: August 14–16, 2026
Hours:
Friday, August 14: 1–11 PM
Saturday, August 15: 9 AM–11 PM
Sunday, August 16: 9 AM–3 PM
Location: The Portal Container Village, 298 W Laurel Street, Bellingham, WA 98225
Ages: All ages (21+ evening programming)
Admission: FREE (donations encouraged)
Website: noisywatersmuralfest.com
About Paper Whale
Paper Whale, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, has been activating underutilized spaces in Bellingham since 2022 with a goal to cultivate community by producing multi-sensory events that inspire and creatively activate placemaking. Learn more and get involved at paper-whale.com.
