Hardware Sales Celebrates 29th Annual Tool Fair, Prepares for 30th Anniversary Bash

Hardware Sales, a family-owned hardware store in Bellingham, Washington, recently hosted its 29th annual Tool Fair, a two-day event welcoming thousands of attendees and featuring an impressive roundup of tool vendors.

Each year, the Hardware Sales parking lot transforms into a bustling marketplace of tents housing power tool vendors offering impressive deals and discounts. 

The Tool Fair began as a humble endeavor when Hardware Sales manager, Donald Newman, sparked the idea for the fair from a garage sale aimed at clearing out old inventory in the store. 

“Donald has really seen the fair evolve over the years into the full-scale community event it is today,” says Brookelyn McClellan, Hardware Sales marketing and business strategy manager.

Hardware Sales hosts around 25 vendors each year, primarily, but not limited to, power tool brands. This year’s vendor list included Makita USA, Stanley Black and Decker, Stihl and more.

The fair runs all weekendlong, occurring around Father’s Day each year. 

“Friday is our contractor day when we welcome a lot of our local professional builders and tradespeople,” McClellan says. “Saturday is more of a family and DIY day, which attracts homeowners and community members looking for great deals and inspiration.”

This year’s event brought in a total of 5,335 attendees throughout the weekend, with 34,549 units sold. The Tool Fair isn’t just for tools either—the fair also featured local breweries, coffee stands and restaurant vendors, raffles and giveaways and community building opportunities for attendees to enjoy throughout the weekend. 

Hardware Sales partnered with Stemma Brewery, a local brewery, to create a Tool Fair-themed beer garden and hosted a Friday night after-party at the brewery. Tool Fair shirts and hoodies were also sold at the event and anyone wearing one could receive discounts at select local restaurants, breweries and coffee stands.

The store is set to commemorate the Tool Fair’s 30th year with a grand celebration in 2026.

“Next year will be our 30th anniversary—and we’re planning something big to celebrate,” McClellan says. “While most of those details will be announced closer to the date, we are already working on upgrades like assigning employees to specific vendors, adding more cash registers and reconfiguring our swag tent to improve flow.”