If Bellingham has a holiday of its own, it is Ski to Sea. Every Memorial Day weekend the whole county turns out for a 93-mile, seven-leg relay that starts in the snow at Mt Baker and finishes in the saltwater of Bellingham Bay — and then turns into a giant street party in Fairhaven.

How the race works

Teams of up to eight athletes hand off across seven legs: cross-country ski, downhill ski or snowboard, running, road biking, canoeing on the Nooksack River, cyclocross or mountain biking, and a final sea-kayak sprint across the bay to the beach. It is a genuine logistical feat, and watching the handoffs is half the fun.

The finish-line party

You do not need to race to enjoy it. The finish in Fairhaven becomes an all-day festival — food, a beer garden, live music, and a few thousand people cheering kayakers across the line. Locals stake out spots along the route to watch the bike and run legs roll through their own neighborhoods.

When and where

Ski to Sea runs on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend in late May, capping a week of related events. The course threads down the Mt Baker Highway and the Nooksack valley to the finish in Fairhaven. Come early, bring a chair, and plan around road closures — the whole town leans into it.