Rocket Donuts Rocket 🚀 Long after Rocket Donuts closed in 2019, its iconic retro rocket still stands on West Holly Street as one of Bellingham's most recognizable pieces of public art. Designed by local artist Alexei Ford from repurposed materials, the Buck Rogers/Flash Gordon-inspired rocket became a landmark for the sci-fi-themed donut shop. It was temporarily removed for restoration before returning to downtown in 2022, where it continues to delight fans of retro-futurism and roadside Americana. Rocket Donuts wasn't just space-themed because it looked cool. It was co-created by Jim Swift, who collaborated with R.W. Goodwin, the longtime executive producer/director of The X-Files, on the 2009 sci-fi film Alien Trespass. Their shared love of 1950s science fiction heavily influenced Rocket Donuts' retro-futuristic theme