A little-known fact about Ferndale: the quaint, quiet town just north of Bellingham is filled with metalheads, creatives and daredevil ne’er-do-wells.
In the last four decades, anonymous heavy metal music devotees have expressed themselves along the infamous “Metallica Bridge.”
The bridge, a Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad track suspended over the Nooksack River, has been (illegally) painted dozens of times over the years.
“Some Ferndale residents have taken it upon themselves to paint ‘let’s listen to Metallica’ or variations of the Metallica logo on that bridge for decades,” said Riley Sweeney, the city’s communications officer.
The “Metallica Bridge” has been defaced dozens of times in recent decades with different versions of the famous band’s name. (Photo courtesy of the City of Ferndale)
The defacer’s best efforts will always be in vain: with each new Metallica logo, BNSF has plans to remove it or paint over it again.
Even so, city residents love the band, and city staff have turned it into a local icon.
“Last summer, we brought a Metallica cover band to the Pioneer Park Stage and it was the largest concert we’ve had in years,” Sweeney said. “We like Metallica in Ferndale. We like our rock and roll. We like our music, and we like it loud.”
Sweeney said there have been multiple suspects for the vandalism over the years, but no arrests or charges.
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