Events, art and community connections

Downtown Bellingham is home to residents, businesses, government and visitors. Every day, there are interactions among these groups as people go about their daily routines or visit the area for shopping, eating or a specific event. While all this activity is underway, the Downtown Bellingham Partnership is working in parallel to enhance the experience for everyone who visits Bellingham’s core. Founded in 2000, the Downtown Renaissance Network, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, was rebranded in 2009 as the Downtown Bellingham Partnership.

The Downtown Bellingham Partnership team comprises seven full-time staff members, with additional part-time support in the spring and summer seasons. The team also has a contingent of volunteers, without whom many of the organization’s events would not be possible.

“All of the people involved are dedicated, passionate, creative, thoughtful, hardworking and kind, and we all care deeply about the work,” said Lindsey Payne Johnstone, the executive director, who has been with the organization for 18 years, having begun her journey as an intern during her last quarter at Western Washington University.

While some of what the Downtown Bellingham Partnership does is extremely visible, like Downtown Sounds, much of what it does is lesser known, such as its beautification projects, including landscaping, hanging flower baskets and graffiti removal. The team also serves as a conduit connecting the city, businesses and residents, bringing people together for discussions and working to create an environment that allows all parties to thrive in a downtown that feels designed for them. These different types of gatherings give residents the opportunity to chat with the mayor, explore businesses during the twice-annual wine walk, or help with the Bulbapalooza event, during which volunteers worked with the landscaping team to plant 400 new plants and 1,700 tulip and daffodil bulbs that will brighten downtown sidewalks this spring.

A recent and ongoing project, in some locations in collaboration with Paper Whale, is called Hello Lamp Post. This involves QR codes scattered around downtown on window decals (and, soon, on hotel and airport signage), giving people information about what’s happening through a 24/7 text messaging service.

Johnstone is thrilled with the work that the organization has been doing with her team, exceeding expectations, but that does not mean they are going to rest on their laurels. She has high expectations for downtown and knows her team, in partnership with the community, can continue to see positive improvements.

Johnstone and her team just finished working on a strategic plan that lays out what they want to accomplish in 2026 and beyond. The big picture is they want downtown to be a beautiful, welcoming place that attracts people seven days a week. By utilizing empty spaces (inside and out), adding murals to places such as the parking garage, and creating weekday events, Johnstone is confident the plan they have in place can be executed with the renewed sense of energy downtown has.

“We have a unique opportunity to pilot and test things, and we have the trust from the community to be able to do those things,” Johnstone said. “We have the passion to really dedicate our time and our creative minds to make a different downtown. I think the businesses and broader community can feel that genuine care.”

Besides going downtown and being involved, there are ways you can connect with the Downtown Bellingham Partnership. The DBP has a newsletter that keeps readers up to date on everything that’s happening. You also can volunteer at an event or join the INSIDER program, a downtown loyalty program that offers perks and value added at over 30 downtown businesses.

Businesses located anywhere in Washington state also can support the work of the DBP through the Main Street Tax Credit Incentive Program, which allows businesses to make a tax-deductible donation to the Downtown Bellingham Partnership’s nonprofit work and receive a state B&O tax credit equal to 75% of their donations.  This effectively redirects taxes from Olympia to right here in Bellingham, where you can see the impact in the form of flowers, live music and community connection.

More information on all the things the Downtown Bellingham Partnership is doing can be found at downtownbellingham.com.