Fairhaven Washington a Haven for Shoppers

Where to Dine, Shop and Stay in Bellingham's Historic District

Jan 2, 2009
Lisa Nichols

Fairhaven Village Inn - Fairhaven Village Inn

Bellingham's Fairhaven district enchants visitors. The historic area rests midway between Seattle and Vancouver, B.C., making it an easy stop on a tour of the Pacific NW.

Historic Fairhaven, Washington, a community on the south side of Bellingham, charms business travelers with a vast selection of shops, galleries and restaurants. Founded in the late 1880s, the district features beautiful vintage architecture and a quaint, old-world feel.

Over time, traveling for business can begin to seem like an endless grind. Business travelers can make the most of time spent out of town by taking the time to see a bit of the towns and cities they visit. Staying at a charming inn, trying out a new restaurant or going shopping in a historic district are just a few ideas for things to do that can help take the edge off, making business travelers more relaxed and often, better prepared, for that grueling all-day meeting scheduled for the morning.

Shopping in Fairhaven

The galleries and shops of Fairhaven provide an astounding array of specialty items from local store owners. Tracy Barrick, owner of the bunch store on Harris Avenue, specializes in selling lavender from her family’s farm. Artwood, a cooperatively owned gallery, features furniture, sculpture and toys handcrafted by local woodworkers. And a whirling kaleidoscope of delightful art glass and custom-made jewelry graces the shelves of Renaissance Celebration. Vintage clothing, shoes and books help round out the shopping offerings for business travelers in Fairhaven’s shopping district.

Where to Stay in Fairhaven

Located smack-dab in the middle of the historic district, the Fairhaven Village Inn, one of the inns in the Unique Inns family, features rooms looking over the commercial fisheries in the bay or lets business travelers enjoy park views from the city side of the inn. The Fairhaven Village Inn can accommodate small group meetings and receptions in an oversized suite, conference room and library. An upstairs outside porch offers sweeping views of the city and bay for happy hour and dinner. The Fairhaven Village Inn offers handicapped accessible rooms and an elevator for easy access to meeting rooms and Inn facilities.

Bellingham Restaurants Charm Business Travelers

There are more than 20 locally owned restaurants in downtown Fairhaven. The Flats Tapas Bar delights business travelers with more than 100 wines to choose from and beautifully made “little dishes” include the exceptional Macarrones, a grown up macaroni and cheese prepared with parmesan, mascarpone and taleggion cheeses and white truffle oil. Dirty Dan Harris’ is the local steakhouse, featuring custom-aged steaks, sprits and seafood for more than 35 years.

Fairhaven Festivals

Dirty Dan Days, the Fairhaven festival that celebrates the rapscallion town founder Daniel Jefferson Harris, is celebrated on the last Saturday and Sunday in April each year. Games, a motorcycle parade and the infamous “piano races”- celebrating the town founder’s wildly drunken escapades- are just a few of the annual event highlights. The “It All Ends in Fairhaven” festival runs annually at the end of May. The festival celebrates the end of the Ski to Sea race and includes food, an extensive array of crafts for sale, entertainment and a beer and wine garden.

Getting to Fairhaven

Business travelers can travel to Fairhaven by plane, train or car. Allegiant Air, Horizon and San Juan Islands Airlines all make stops at the Bellingham International Airport. Amtrak train service connects Bellingham to Seattle and to Vancouver, British Columbia. The train makes additional stops in Blaine, Bellingham, Mount Vernon and Everett, Washington. Fairhaven is located approximately 90 miles north of Seattle and 50 miles south of Vancouver, B.C.