Third Annual Celebration Unites Cycling, Music and Art Enthusiasts in a High-Energy Weekend
The Northwest Tune-Up bike and music festival drew to a close last week to a high-energy crowd, solidifying its growing reputation as a favored festival for residents and visitors energized by the outdoors. Held July 12–14, Northwest Tune-Up showcased Bellingham as a multifaceted destination where professional athletes, casual riders, music lovers and community members united to collaborate and celebrate diverse passions in a dynamic setting.
Bellingham's unique location between mountains and the ocean, coupled with its proximity to major international cities, makes it an ideal venue for such an event. Long-term investments in trail development and strategic landowner partnerships, managed by Whatcom Mountain Bike Coalition, have further cemented Bellingham's reputation as a sought-after riding destination in North America. In turn, it has created an environment that has helped Bellingham take root as a booming economic hub for dozens of cycling and outdoor brands, and an opportune location for an event of this caliber.
“We have something special here. People come to Tune-Up because they find a sense of community within the outdoors. It’s not just about watching from the sidelines—it’s about getting everyone involved in cycling or outdoor recreation, no matter their skill level,” explained Tune-Up co-founder Brandon Watts.
“Our goal is to enhance Bellingham’s best assets for its residents while also welcoming a globally active community. Visiting Bellingham is an experience in itself, and our festival reflects that spirit. Tune-Up thrives because of the community, and, in turn, we get to share the community’s incredible trails and outdoor amenities with people from around the world.”
Port of Bellingham Commissioner Michael Shepard praised the festival’s organization and impact: from day one, Northwest Tune-Up has demonstrated “fantastic organization of a major festival that is bringing so many people together to celebrate our community. I love seeing the Waterfront District activated and vibrant.”
A Showcase of the World’s Top Cycling Brands and Athletes
Seventy-five of the world’s largest cycling brands and local outdoor organizations were in attendance, providing festivalgoers a chance to demo or purchase new equipment and discover emerging brands. Numerous local non-profits and small businesses adjacent to the outdoor industry were also in attendance.
Exhibiting brands saw strong sales throughout the weekend, but many brands also commented on the significance of Tune-Up’s community-wide impact beyond the cycling industry. Lisa Cramton, Field Marketing Coordinator at Pivot Cycles, explained that “Tune-Up exposes people to what a great place Bellingham is. People want to share what they love, and as they’re exposed to this atmosphere, they’re able to spread the love and awareness of Bellingham.” In turn, she said, “It affects every single thing in a community like this,” including economic gains, hotel and restaurant capacity and infrastructure improvements.
The quantity and quality of attending cycling brands also brought out a number of professional athletes, allowing attendees to personally connect with their favorite riders in a community-first setting. In his third year of attending Tune-Up, Utah professional mountain biker Eric Porter commented on the unique connections forged among participants during the festival.
“We saw all levels of riders around the venue and at Galbraith Mountain—racing the enduro, on balance bikes, pro riders and everyone in between,” said Porter. “There are trails and jumps for every level of rider to take you from a first timer to a top-level rider.” Plus, professional athletes mingling about the festival, the lines between skill levels blurred, enabling kids, in particular, to connect one-on-one with their favorite pro rider. “It made for a great environment for riders to come together, progress and work on things they’ve always wanted to try.”
Signature Cycling Events and Exploring Bellingham’s Trails
Attendees were encouraged to discover Bellingham’s clout as a mountain bike destination all weekend, with bike shuttles, clinics and organized group rides bringing people to nearby trailheads and letting them get a taste of the 300+ miles of mountain bike trails that exist in Bellingham.
The festival also featured a daily schedule of marquee cycling events, catering to both podium-chasing athletes and casual, non-competitive riders, while inviting spectators and non-cyclists to witness they joy and camaraderie of cycling firsthand.
On Friday, July 12, nearly 60 racers participated in the Shimano Pump Track Drag Race, competing two at a time on a dual course designed to use momentum to “pump” through rollers and berms without pedaling. In the Pro Women’s division, rising pump track racer Shaelen Reno captured the top spot, followed by Ainsley Haggart and Georgia Russell. In the Pro Men’s division, Bellingham-based Talus Lantz took first place, with Davis Melkanian and Callum Halloway rounding out the podium.
Reno, who will compete at this week’s Pump Track Challenge at Crankworx in Whistler, BC, attended the 2023 Tune-Up but was unable to race last year due to a broken hand. “I came back because I couldn’t get enough of the tuned-up Bellingham vibes,” she said of her healthy return. “This year, I was full throttle with the vibes, and I had so much fun racing the pump track race and throwing down at the Maxxis Jump Jam,” a spectator-friendly showcase of talent and tricks on an expert-level dirt jump line at the Waterfront Pump Track park.
New for the 2024 festival, the Evil Gravel Gran Fundo brought a casual, non-competitive element to the festival on Sunday, July 14, encouraging kids and adults to discover Bellingham’s large network of forest roads and signature singletrack via gravel bikes and mountain bikes. Participants chose from three routes and were met with various aid stations that provided fun, friendly challenges in the form of bikes skills, dance moves, scavenger hunts and other games to accumulate points and prizes. This addition exemplified the organizers’ intentions to blend the thrill of competition with lighthearted community engagement.
Throughout Saturday and Sunday, the Outdoor Research Galbraith Mountain Enduro attracted 517 adult and youth riders for a bonus round in the Cascadia Dirt Cup series. The pro women’s podium was dominated by Bellingham’s own Jill Kintner (15:34.61), followed by Syra Fillat (17:03.35) and Ainsley Haggart (17:11.45). In the men’s pro division, Cameron Joye (14:14.00) took the top spot, with Andrew Cavaye (14:19.14) and Talus Lantz (14:41.53) rounding out the top three. For complete race results, visit https://www.racecascadia.com/raceresults.
Music and Arts
In the afternoons, the festival’s cycling events shifted gears to hard-hitting performances and niche music genres—a lineup intended to build momentum throughout the evening and showcase a dynamic range of styles and sounds. Headlining the festival was Yonder Mountain String Band, Lupe Fiasco and RJD2, with powerful performances by The Lil Smokies, Petty or Not, Indigo De Souza, Protoje and Tippy I, Magic Sword, Emancipator, The Moondoggies, Saxsquatch and Dengue Fever.
Music director Hunter Motto emphasized the festival's musical ambitions: "We're focused on pushing the scale and scope of the artists performing in Bellingham and get people moving, dancing, and having a good time."
Tune-Up introduced a secondary stage to the festival grounds in the free public zone, bringing new energy and diversity to the festival's musical offerings on Saturday and Sunday afternoons with six local bands playing acoustic sets. Serafima & The Shakedowns, Grizzly Troubadour, Analog Brass, Kian Dye, Checker Bloom and Andy Bunn Trio performed intimate sets at the Rainier Tune Town tent.
The festival also highlighted Bellingham’s growing art scene, flourishing with the support of other local community events like Noisy Waters Mural Festival. Live art spaces invited spectators into a world of creativity, with artist Max McNett painting a mural in the beer garden while Darcie Gray and Free Borsey (Tsux’vilum) collaborated on a tandem mural next to the main stage during the music. Meanwhile, chainsaw artist Leigh Woody, known for her wooden sculptures often spotted around Galbraith Mountain, carved animal sculptures and created an octopus-shaped sculpture to be used for bike stunts and tricks during the weekend’s Zero Gravity trials show.
Northwest Tune-Up Community Partnership Manager Nick Hartrich commented on the art installations and their impact on the festival: “Northwest Tune-Up goes beyond bikes. It’s a fusion of Bellingham’s local culture and community, shining a spotlight on the area’s distinct art. It’s a showcase of talent, cultures and niche communities that share traits unique to the Pacific Northwest. When diverse interests are united by common ground, the whole community flourishes.”
Beers and Biking with a Cause
True to its community-forward ethos, Northwest Tune-Up collaborated with numerous local non-profits to create fundraising opportunities for organizations that commit to growing participation in outdoor recreation. Nearly $40,000 in net profits from the craft beer garden, which served brews from over 20 craft breweries, cideries and kombrewcheries, were donated to the Whatcom Mountain Bike Coalition.
Thousands more from the festival’s secure bike parking facility were also donated to local non-profits Shifting Gears, Galbraith Gravity Racers and Whatcom Rowing Association for their efforts in building and developing participation in local outdoor recreation programs.
The festival also prioritized sustainability initiatives, working with The Cup Project to serve beverages in reusable cups and preventing more than 7,000 single-use cups from ending in the landfill. Partnerships with Perennial Zero Waste and Ridwell Recycling also enabled the festival to reduce its overall waste, including hard-to-recycle operational items, such as corrugated plastic signage.
By the Numbers
Estimated attendance over 3 days, including the free public zone: 10,000
Number of tickets sold: 4,359
Number of paid staff members: 29
Number of volunteers: 700
Number of vendor booths: 75
Number of musical artists & bands: 20
Number of visual artists & creators: 48
Additional stats may be provided for your story upon inquiry.
About Northwest Tune-Up
Northwest Tune-Up is a three-day, community-forward bike, beer and music festival in Bellingham, Washington that is dedicated to improving cycling access, fostering recreational development and preserving Pacific Northwest heritage. Nestled in the northwest corner of the state, Bellingham has grown into a cycling mainstay of the West Coast. Well-known for its access to the Cascade Mountains and San Juan Islands, the region has flourished with year-round trail and recreational opportunities and is surrounded by an active cycling community on the forefront of craft brewing, music and art. For more festival information, visit www.nwtuneup.com.
