We're Proud to Support NW Tune-Up 2026
For the Community That Lives to Ride.
Every July, the Bellingham Waterfront and Galbraith Mountain transform into the epicenter of bikes, music, and culture for one of the most exciting events on the Pacific Northwest calendar. Up to 8,000 attendees, four days of programming, one unforgettable weekend. Backcountry Medical Guides is proud to serve as the EMS Volunteer Coordinator and first aid liaison for the 2026 NW Tune-Up, running July 10–12. This year the party kicks off a night early with the Freehub Presents MTB Film Festival on Thursday, July 9!
👉 Are you a medical professional? We'd love to have you on the team. Check out the volunteer info packet and below. 👈
What makes NW Tune-Up so amazing is that it's not one event — it's many. The festival spans the waterfront and the technical terrain of Galbraith, two distinct environments. We've built the emergency response plan from the ground up to cover both, and our goal is the same one it always is: make sure everyone has a great time, gets the help they need if something doesn’t go as planned, and makes it home in one piece.
On event days, you'll find our medical volunteers staged at strategic positions across the waterfront and up on Galbraith, radios in hand, working in close coordination with event operations and local emergency services. Every station is equipped with a field kit provided by BMG, and every volunteer operates within their scope of practice — no heroics, just solid, well-coordinated care.
Want to be part of the team?
If you hold a current certification at the EMT-Basic level or higher — whether you're a Paramedic, WFR, RN, PA, or MD/DO — we'd love to have you. Volunteers receive a full festival pass and NW Tune-Up medical t-shirt, plus knowing that a community of 8,000 people had a safer weekend because you showed up. Check out the volunteer info packet and sign up to join us.
A huge thank you to the NW Tune-Up crew for bringing BMG into the fold on this one. The work that goes into building something this big — and this good — doesn't happen without people who genuinely care about the community they're serving. We're honored to be part of it.
Volunteer Shifts + Times
Galbraith Mountain: 9:30am – 4:30pm (Thursday, Saturday, Sunday)
Waterfront — Day shift: 8:45am – 4:15pm (Thursday, Saturday, Sunday)
Waterfront — Evening shift: 3:45pm – 11:15pm (Saturday, Sunday) / 3:45pm – 10:15pm (Thursday)