Full of Dutch heritage, adorable Lynden is just a short drive from Bellingham, only two hours from Seattle and five miles from the Canadian border at Aldergrove. The whole family can appreciate the arts year round in this cute little hamlet. Music, dance, stage productions, fine arts and crafts and an entire museum of Dutch heritage await. Surrounded by charming antique stores, a bakery, and cozy mom-and-pop restaurants, everyone is sure to find something to enjoy.
The Dutch began immigrating to Lynden in the 1890s and the area has since become Washington State’s largest Dutch community. From murals of people wearing Dutch traditional clothing, Dutch colonial buildings on Front Street, to Mill Inn’s 72-foot windmill, this quaint little village is a fun day trip or weekend excursion. Here are just a few of our favorite arts-related activities in Lynden throughout the year.
When you’re in Lynden, be sure to visit the Jansen Art Center. The museum offers fine art exhibitions on the main floor and in the second floor library. These change quarterly and include both solo exhibitions and collections of multiple artists. You can also catch live music performances featuring piano, guitar, singer songwriters, and often jazz and soul.
For something more hands-on, visitors can participate in one- and two-day classes in fine art, painting, ceramics, watercolor, weaving and textiles, jewelry-making and even the art of bonsai. Jansen also offers child and teen classes and four- and six-week classes in these subjects as well.
Northwest Ballet Academy and other local dancers use Jansen as a performance space so, if you’re lucky, you just might catch local periodic productions of classics like The Nutcracker and other contemporary dance performance too.
Their Ceramics Studio includes potter’s wheels, electric and gas kilns, and plenty of table room for sculpture, hand building, glazing and decorating.
Whether you’re a kid who can’t imagine life before cell phones, a collector or hobbyist, or just needing a reminder of those stories your parents and grandparents once told you, you’ll relish the Lynden Heritage Museum's collection of more than 37,000 historical objects.
The museum offers a variety of exhibits and collections:
The Claire Theatre, also known as “The Claire,” is Lynden’s central hub for community theater performances, from classic dramatic plays to uproarious musicals there. You can usually find holiday themed shows in December.
The 160-seat theater is located inside the intriguing Dutch Village Mall and presents four to six productions a year. The stage is a good height so all seats are good seats in this cozy community theater.
If you’re planning a trip to Lynden, be sure to include a show in your itinerary. It might be a new take on one of your old favorites or a production you’ve been meaning to see for a while.
The Lynden Music Festival celebrates Lynden and its musical heritage, paying tribute to musicians who have enriched the Lynden community with music.
The annual four-day festival brings established talent from the local, national and international stages to Lynden so that the community and visitors alike can appreciate diverse musical styles and cultural influences.
This festival is spread across multiple Lynden venues including Jansen Art Center, Lynden Heritage Museum, and several restaurants and brew pubs. You can catch classical, jazz, country, boogie woogie, a cappella, singer/songwriters and more throughout beautiful downtown Lynden.
Performances are free and often include food or drink specials depending on the venue.
