Spring has finally arrived! That means it’s time to get the family outdoors to enjoy springtime activities throughout the Valley. Any season you visit the cities and towns in the Yakima Valley you’ll find numerous activities for the whole family, from community celebrations, biking and farm-fresh, u-pick experiences to fishing, hiking and more. 

It’s time to play!  Here are some fun spring events especially for kids!  (And yes, you parents can come too.)

1. Kids Nature Night! “Spring Scene” March 29, 2019 Visit Yakima Arboretums’ Jewett Interpretive Center from 5 pm to 9 pm. Enjoy a night to yourself and send your children to Kids Nature Night! Kids enjoy an evening of fun and science with their peers.
2. Selah Centennial Celebration! April 3, 2019 Selah celebrates the 100^th birthday of the city’s incorporation. Join us from 5:30 – 8:30 pm for free ice cream from Kings Row, treats from Nana Kates, and a visual history of Selah through photographs, keepsakes, family recipes, and centennial memorabilia. Look for the Selah Centennial logo around town, on flags and at city-wide events throughout the year.
3. April Pools Day! April 6, 2019 Visit Lions Pool in Yakima from 1 to 3 pm. Every year, pools around Washington State host April Pools Day events for families and community members. The two-hour event includes a combination of water safety activities and free swim time. Water safety training runs from 1 to 2 pm, including elementary rescuers, life jacket, US boating safety and hypothermia awareness. Enjoy free swim from 2 to 3. A raffle for free life jackets, free swim lessons and other prizes will be held from 2:45 to 3 pm.
4. 2019 Arbor Festival “A Walk in the Woods” April 13, 2019 The 20th Annual Arbor Festival takes place at the Yakima Area Arboretum from 10 am to 3 pm! This year’s festival theme is “A Walk in the Woods,” which will demonstrate what there is to see and do out in the forests. This is a free family-friendly community event, with lots of hands-on learning opportunities, crafts and displays.
5. Dozer Days – Where Kids Drive! April 13 &14, 2019 Head to the Yakima County Fairgrounds from 11 am to 4 pm for Dozer Days – a fantastic weekend full of fun for the whole family. Kids actually get to ride and operate real dozers, excavators, cranes, articulated haulers and much more! Dozer Days also offers police and fire department experiences, pipe crawls, tire crawls and tractor ride fun for all ages. Sponsored by The Central Washington Home Builders Association.
6. Kid’s Fish-In! April 20, 2019 Bring your kids to Sarg Hubbard Park at the Yakima Greenway from 8 am to 3:45 pm for fishing fun. Kids ages five to 14 learn how to fish and enjoy the thrill of their first catch in this stocked pond. The $13 registration fee includes is a rod, reel, T-shirt and bait. Fish are cleaned and bagged in ice on site. The cost includes the online registration fee. Each child must fill out a registration with parent signature. Limit is 1,000 kids.
7. Cowiche Canyon Conservancy Earth Day! April 20, 2019 Get outside to celebrate Earth Day weekend! The Annual Earth Day Walk, meandering through Cowiche Canyon, offers a series of expert presenters who will help you interpret the wonders of the natural world. Bring the kids! The walk runs from 10 am to 12:30 pm. Meet at the Weikel / West Trailhead of Cowiche Canyon. Also be sure to check out all the community walks, open to all ages, offered by the Cowiche Canyon Conservancy throughout the year.
8. All Ages Easter Egg Hunt! April 20, 2019 Bring your basket to Bron Yr Aur Brewing Co! Last year there were 900 eggs with an all-ages egg toss and the Easter Bunny showed up. All ages are welcome and this event is pet friendly! Stay tuned for 2019 event information. Bron Yr Aur Brewing Co. offers a place when kids and adults can enjoy lunch together on a sunny spring day.  
9. Easter Egg Hunt Candy Dash! April 20, 2019 Grab your basket and hop on over to The Yakima Fieldhouse indoor soccer complex at 1015 E Lincoln Ave. for all the Egg-Citement! Enjoy music, bouncy houses and pictures with the Easter Bunny! Doors open at 11:30 am. An egg hunt begins at 12 pm for toddlers and kids up to three years. A candy dash begins at 12:50 for kids ages four to six  and at 1:40 for kids ages seven to 11. Fee: $5 for toddlers to kids up to three and $8 for kids four to 11 years. Pre-registration is required! Call 509-575-6020 for information.
10. Red’s Rendezvous X! April 27, 2019 Don’t miss the best fly fishing seminar on earth! There will be great food, beer, seminars and door prizes. Some lucky folks will win a fly rod. There will be kids outdoor activities at this family-oriented resort. A well-supervised kids air rifle range will be run for free! Catch the bug hunt at 12 p.m. Guides will take kids to the river and screen “trout food” to teach kids what trout eat and what it looks like. Kids fly casting lessons begin at 2 pm. Of course, grown-ups can enjoy casting lessons and workshops as well! Red’s Fly Shop is hosting the PNW Fly Casting Championship to raise money to support public acquisition of the Bighorn Boat Launch and Campground property in the Yakima River Canyon.
11. Parade of Gems! April 26-28, 2019 Bring your kids to the Yakima County Fairgrounds to enjoy rock and gem displays, including rough rocks, finished jewelry and cutting and polishing equipment.See Columbia basin agates, minerals and rock displays from the Yakima Valley Museum, as well as gold panning. You’ll find vendors, door prizes, a raffle, silent auction, spin the wheel, grab bags, kids activities and food. Hours: Friday 9 am to 5 pm, Sat 10 am to 6 pm, Sunday 10 am to 4 pm. Adult $5. Students $2. Children under 12 are free with adult.
12. Old Steel Car Show! April 28, 2019 Visit the Central Washington Agricultural Museum at Fulbright Park in Union Gap, Washington to see more than 175 vintage cars and other wheeled vehicles on display from 10 am to 3 pm! This annual family event includes games, rides, exhibits and more. Free for spectators! No admission fee, no parking fee! Donations gladly accepted.
13. Story time at Yakima Museum Children’s Underground. April 3 and May 1, 2019 The first Wednesday of every month Yakima Symphony Orchestra members present a story and music. In addition to this special presentation, every Wednesday at 10 am children enjoy an hour of crafts, snacks and story. $2 per adult. Free for children and museum members.
14. Cinco de Mayo Celebrations. May 3 to 5, 2019 Attend a Cinco de Mayo Celebration and enjoy the largest cultural events in the Yakima Valley, celebrating Latino heritage and culture. There will be celebrations in Downtown Yakima and Sunnyside, WA. Enjoy dancing horses, parades, folkloric music, authentic food vendors and so much more.
15. Your Canyon For A Day Bike Tour!  May 19, 2019 The Yakima River Canyon highway is closed to through traffic from 9 am to 3 pm for a 35-mile, scenic, round-trip ride. Follow the Yakima River along a gentle grade with few hills. Ride your bike a few miles or ride the whole length of the canyon. Start at the north end or south end and park in the designated parking areas. $50 per person or $85 for a family (two adults plus two children under 18). There will be registration (cash or check only, no Wi-Fi)  the day of the ride and t-shirts and concessions will be offered for purchase.

Categorized in: Family Fun