Favorite Ways to Play, Relax and Recreate Inside
This time of year, are you among those seeking snowy winter adventures, or do you eagerly await warmer weather? Perhaps both! For those searching for signs of spring, there’s plenty of fun to be found indoors and we’ve gathered some of our favorite ways to play, relax and recreate inside.
“Steppe” it Up
The team that created High Steppe Climbing Center more than five years ago envisioned a thriving place of community for the “climbing curious” and passionate climbers alike. That’s exactly what it’s become – a place for novice, learning and experienced climbers to gather, learn, build skills, inspire each other, train, compete and have fun.One and all (including visitors) can experience the excitement of climbing on the center’s constantly changing routes. Over 7,500 square feet of climbing surface, they offer lead climbing, auto-belay, bouldering and more. All ages and all levels are welcome, with mandatory safety policies and protocols specific to children younger than four, 10 and 14. They also host workshops from beginning to expert, fun competitions and kids and ladies events.
High Steppe’s name is a nod to a climbing technique (high-step) and to the unique shrub-steppe landscape that surrounds much of the climbing terrain around the Yakima Valley.
For more indoor adventures, check out Get Air Trampoline Park or Tactical Tag for laser tag and axe throwing. You can also purchase a day pass for indoor pickleball at SOZO Sports Complex.
Game Night All Grown Up!
Yakima Valley breweries know how to plan a good time, no matter what the weather or what time of year! Check our brewery event calendar for eveything from live music, bingo and trivia nights and paint-and-sip to a brewery book swap and even a Valentine’s Day adult prom.
Head to 5th Line Brewing for music bingo, mixing great tunes with great brews and some friendly competition. Or, test your ‘80s, ‘90s and 2000s music mastery at music bingo night with Tieton Cider Works where you’ll also find a fantastic new food menu from their in-house chef, Nana Kate. In fact, there are two Saturdays left this month for chef-hosted, “Experience the Flavor” cooking classes at Tieton Cider Works.
In addition to weekly bingo, trivia takes over Single Hill Brewing Co. every Wednesday night. They host a packed house, with teams capped at six for a night of friendly, but fierce, competition. Keep testing your knowledge of facts and quirky tidbits to win prizes at trivia night with Varietal Brewing Co. and Bale Breaker Brewing Company. Arrive early to get your food truck orders in so you don’t miss a moment. Head over to the new Oak Creek Brewstillery for Thinkin’ While Drinkin’ Trivia where Google is banned!
Bale Breaker Brewing Company’s Book Swap Sundays are back through February! Book and beer lovers gather to swap a finished book for something new. If you don’t have a book to swap just leave a $5 cash donation to Yakima Valley Libraries and snag a book from the stash.
Get crafty at paint-and-sip nights at Yakima Valley breweries and mark your calendar for Crochet & Craft Brews Night at Valley Brewing Co. and enjoy beginner-friendly crochet tutorials, fresh craft beers served with love, great vibes and creative company. Finally, get ready to dine and dance the night away like it’s prom all over again at Rooted Yakima Valley’s Adult Prom, on Valentine’s Day.
Be sure to check out even more indoor activities and entertainment with Yakima Valley Wineries. Find everything from book clubs and crochet class to line dancing, yoga class and wine blending or cooking classes – not to mention the bubbly brunches, live music and winery dinners!
Get Crafty or Take a Class
Find your inner artist with paint-and-sip nights, painting parties and classes on our arts and culture event calendar. Sign up for a pottery painting or stoneware glazing event at Creative Yakima, paint a pet portrait and more!
Reserve your spot for the Fly Tying Dinner Series at Nomad Kitchen and Mercantile. This three-part fly tying dinner series led by Derek from Cascade Fly Angling is a great fit for first-time fly tiers as well as those wanting to advance their skills. Each evening includes a guided fly tying class followed by a relaxed, pre-set dinner at Nomad Kitchen, January 29 and February 12 and 26.
Join Yakima Valley Libraries for fun, family-friendly classes, led by the Yakama Nation Language Program, to learn words and phrases in Ichishkíin, an endangered indigenous language. All ages are welcome on first Thursdays at Yakima Central Library and third Thursdays at the Toppenish Library.
Each winter Cowiche Canyon Conservancy and Yakima Valley College partner to present a Winter Talk Series, exploring the unqiue shrub-steppe landscapes of the Yakima Valley and its the flora, fauna and more. See the two remaining talks this winter and watch recordings of past talks.
Relax & Rejuvenate
Find the perfect, relaxing retreat at Yakima Valley Spas. Ummelina Spa Retreat helps you escape the everyday with new and ancient spa rituals to delight the senses, restore and renew. Sage Spa at Legends Casino Hotel invites you to relax and linger in the lounge before embarking on a healing journey including their wellness pods, soaking rituals and traditional spa treatments. Leave time to try your luck in the casino. Or, get refreshed to start your week with Yoga Class, Then Pour Me a Glass! at WIT Cellars. Flow through a 60-minute yoga fusion class designed for all skill levels, then reward yourself with a well-earned glass of WIT’s delicious red or white wine.
Explore the Arts, Culture & History
Explore all the Valley’s arts venues and check out live music all around the Valley.
Tour local galleries to see the works of regional artists and catch a performance at a restored 1920s Vaudeville theatre, the Capitol Theatre. Take a step back in time at more than 10 unique museums with one-of-a-kind exhibits exploring the Valley’s historical roots and diversity. Visit the Yakama Nation Museum & Cultural Center, the Northern Pacific Railway Museum and The American Hop Museum in the middle of hop country. Explore the Yakima Valley Museum, one of only three Eastern Washington museums accredited by the Americal Alliance of Museums. Check out unique displays, including The Neon Garden featuring classic neon signs, the beautiful and vibrant Quinceañera exhibit and Let’s Take the Sporting Route: Mountaineering in the Central Cascades 1949-1970.
Categorized in: Arts and Entertainment, Family Fun, Hops and Beer, Live Music, Wine Country