Community Boating Center - Bellingham

How to experience Beats on the Bay 2026: Three ways. All super easy. 🎶🌊

🚣 PADDLE OUT
Bring your own kayak, canoe, SUP, or other paddlecraft and launch free from Taylor Dock or Boulevard Park. No boat? No problem. Rent one from the Community Boating Center and paddle right into the concert—all rental proceeds support our local nonprofit.

🎵 WATCH FROM SHORE
No boat required! Grab a spot on Taylor Dock or along the waterfront boardwalk for great views and sound. (Just a heads up: Boulevard Park is a little too far away to hear the music well.)

⛵ CATCH THE ZODIAC
Reserve a spot aboard the historic Schooner Zodiac for the ultimate front-row seat on the water.

📅 Four Tuesdays: August 11, 18, 25 & September 1

Beats on the Bay is presented by the Community Boating Center and the Schooner Zodiac.

Reserve rentals or Zodiac tickets at boatingcenter.org/beatsonthebay

Youth Camps would like to remind you that childhood is supposed to look like this. ☀️

The best part of getting older? You finally know what’s worth making time for. 💙

At the Community Boating Center, our Silver Splash programs create welcoming opportunities for older adults to paddle, sail, laugh, learn, and build community on Bellingham Bay.

Whether you’re trying kayaking for the first time, returning to a lifelong passion, or stepping aboard one of our stable keelboats to learn to sail, you’ll find supportive instructors, new friends, and a pace that lets you simply enjoy being on the water.

Silver Splash is also a place to keep growing. Learn a new skill, connect with others who share your love of the outdoors, or discover adaptive equipment and techniques that can help you continue enjoying the activities you’re passionate about. We believe boating should remain accessible throughout every stage of life.

And because we believe access matters, Senior Season Passes are 50% off, making it easier than ever to paddle all season long.

Adventure doesn’t retire—and neither should your connection to the bay.

Visit boatingcenter.org/silver to learn more :)

Okay... it’s probably time we officially introduce the new fleet. 👋 If you’ve paddled with us this season, you’ve already met our new P&H sea kayaks! These boats are a huge upgrade for our programs and rentals, with thoughtful features that make every paddle a little smoother:

🛶 Clear sizing system to make selecting the right boat for you easy; and a range of boat styles in different sizes, so all paddlers can enjoy selecting a boat for its paddling characteristics, not just its sizing!

⚙️ Easy-to-adjust foot pegs on a mounted track. No more fussing with cables & buckles & webbing!

📦 Watertight storage hatches with simple rubber lids, including a handy day hatch right in front of the cockpit that’s perfect for your phone, Clif Bar, or sunscreen.

🌊 Skegs instead of rudders, making these boats easier to self-rescue, better for learning edging and boat control, and ideal for rolling practice. This one is a biggie!!

We loved our previous fleet and we thank them for many thousands of adventures on Bellingham Bay. After years of faithful service, they’re ready for their next chapter, and they are now listed for sale on Facebook marketplace!

Questions about the new fleet? Stop by the waterfront to chat! Paddled them already? Comment your favorite boat below!

We’re excited to launch our brand-new Adaptive Sailing Discovery Sessions this weekend!

Designed for individuals with limited mobility, these 1.5-hour sessions offer a welcoming introduction to sailing on beautiful Bellingham Bay. Sail aboard specially equipped adaptive sailboats with trained instructors and volunteers who will tailor the experience to your interests and abilities. Take the helm, trim the sails, or simply relax and enjoy the ride—it’s your adventure.

✨ No sailing experience required
♿ Wheelchair-accessible dock with adaptive transfer lift
💙 Adaptive equipment and accommodations available
💲 Tiered pricing and scholarships ensure cost isn’t a barrier

This is just the beginning. Our Discovery Sessions are the first step into our growing Adaptive Sailing Program, creating more opportunities for everyone to build confidence, community, and a lifelong connection to the water.

Visit boatingcenter.org/accessibility to learn more.

✨ Big news! Our bioluminescence intern, Ginny Boughner, is taking the virtual stage with the this Thursday as one of five featured speakers for their Lightning Talks: Bioluminescence! She’ll be sharing how to find one of the Pacific Northwest’s most magical natural phenomena—right here in Bellingham Bay.

Want to see it for yourself? Join us later this summer for one of our Bioluminescence Kayak Tours, where science meets pure magic. 🌌🛶

🔗 Learn more about our research and tours: boatingcenter.org/bioluminescence

Fairhaven hosted its own World Cup this weekend. ⚽🌊

The waterfront was absolutely buzzing. The mosh pit from Punk Fest rattled the harbor, the soft clucks of chickens floated over from the Chicken Festival, and down on Bellingham Bay, athletes battled it out for waterfront glory in the Kayak Soccer Championship.

There were ridiculous saves, questionable flops, fierce rivalries, dramatic finishes, spectacular wipeouts, and—thankfully—absolutely no controversial red card reversals.

Forget the World Cup. Forget the World Games. For one afternoon, Bellingham Bay was the center of the sporting world. If FIFA ever decides to trade grass for saltwater... we think we’re ready.

A huge thank you to everyone who paddled, played, refereed, volunteered, and cheered from the dock. You made this year’s tournament one for the books.

A special thank you to the artists who captured it all:
🚁 .l.harris for the incredible drone footage
📸 Photography
✏️ Bellingham Urban Sketchers for the art!

We’re also incredibly grateful to the and for their grant support, which helped turn this wild idea into a reality. Your investment in community events brings our waterfront to life and creates experiences that people will remember for years to come.

See you in four years? Nah... we’re open for rentals today! 🏆🚣⚽

Friends, boaters, sailors, hamsters! Lend us your ears... and your oars!

Beats on the Bay is BACK! 🎶🌊

Join us for four FREE floating concerts on Bellingham Bay:
📅 Tuesdays: Aug. 11, 18, 25 & Sept. 1

Paddle out in your own boat, watch from Taylor Dock, or grab the ultimate front-row seat aboard the Schooner Zodiac.

Presented by the Community Boating Center, your local boating nonprofit connecting more people to the bay through access, education, and community.

🎵 Full lineup + boat rentals at boatingcenter.org/beatsonthebay

Come on down to the waterfront this Saturday, July 18th! From 10 AM–6 PM, we’ve got a full day of fun at the Community Boating Center! Come on down whether you’re looking to compete, cheer, or just kick back by the bay.

Kayak Soccer Tournament | 10 AM–2 PM
Our wildest event of the summer is here! Teams battle it out from their sit-on-top kayaks in a splashy on-water soccer tournament tournament. No experience needed, sign-ups are still open! Grab some friends and get in on the action. Champions will be crowned with the FIFA Bellingham fan city scarves!

Battle on the Bay Regatta | 11 AM–5 PM
In the best breeze of the summer, watch our youth sailors race across Bellingham Bay!

Community Beach Sweep | 2:30 PM-5:30 PM
Help keep our shoreline beautiful while enjoying a paddle with fellow community members.

Salty Social All-Ages Beer Garden | 2 PM–6 PM
Kick back with a local brew, enjoy the waterfront, and catch the live game starting at 2 PM on our big screen. Whether you’re recovering from your efforts out on the floating field, rooting for your youth sailor, cleaning up the bay, or simply enjoying a sunny summer afternoon, there’s something happening all day long!

🌞Bring your friends. Bring your sunscreen. We’ll see you on the waterfront!