My name is Karina Jimenez, I’m a third-year pharmacy student at the WSU College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences in Yakima. I chose the WSU PharmD program because I wanted to keep the community feeling while in pharmacy school; WSU allowed me to do this while staying close to home. My favorite thing about WSU pharmacy is the small class sizes. This allows me to not only build relationships with my classmates, but with my instructors.
For someone who has spent over 20 summers in Yakima, I have done almost every summer activity you can think of. I’ve gone swimming, hiking, fishing, and done many outdoor activities. One of my favorite things about being in Yakima is that it’s located in central Washington which means there are so many beautiful hikes and lakes that are just 1-2 hours away. But if you’d rather stay in Yakima there are many local summer events that are open to the community. I’ve narrowed down a long list of activities to my top 10:
1. Swimming/Floating at Rimrock Lake
Rimrock is a beautiful lake that is only 50 minutes away from Yakima. The water is clear and not too cold so it’s definitely worth the drive. I go every year with family or friends, and we usually spend the whole day there. We wake up early and make the drive over, have lunch, and go home in the afternoon. There are many places where you can set up camping chairs, tables, and anything you’ll need for a fun day at the lake. You can swim, float, kayak or if you’re feeling brave you can jump off the bridge into the water. I’ve never been brave enough but I heard it’s not too bad!
2. Downtown Yakima Farmers Market
Who doesn’t love a farmers market? Especially when it’s administered by the Downtown Association of Yakima (DAY). The Downtown Yakima Farmers Market is located at 15 West Yakima Avenue between First Street and Front Street, every Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. through the summer. This market is a great place to support Washington state farmers, local food vendors, handcrafted products while learning more about the Yakima community.
3. Downtown Summer Nights
On a Thursday night once a month, starting at 5:30 p.m. the non-profit Downtown Association of Yakima (DAY) holds free Downtown Summer Nights to make downtown Yakima a “great place to Work, Play, and Live.” If you enjoy live music, locally crafted beverages, tasty food and arts and crafts from local vendors then this is the place for you! This has become one of the most popular events for the summer. The atmosphere is fun and a great place to hang out with friends and family! My favorite part is listening to the different local bands and hanging out with friends.
4. Hiking at Bridal Veil Falls Trail
Out of all the hikes I’ve been to Bridal Veil Falls Trail is my absolute favorite one! It’s 3 hours and 30 minutes away from Yakima but once you’re on this hike you’ll see why it’s so worth it! The hike leads to a beautiful waterfall which is an amazing spot to take a break and enjoy a snack while cooling down. After your snack break you can either go home or continue to another waterfall and take a swim in Lake Serene. The water is clear and feels great after that long and hard hike.
5. Yakima’s Outdoor Summer Cinema
If you like to watch movies, sunsets, and enjoy free things, this is the event for you! Every summer Yakima hosts outdoor cinema night on Sunday at different parks in Yakima. This is a free event for you and your family/friends to enjoy movies (new/old) while sitting on a blanket or lawn chairs. Feel free to bring snacks or enjoy the snacks the vendors offer!
6. Fishing at the Columbia River
The Columbia River is a great place to go fishing or if you’re like me and you’re terrible at it you can enjoy the sun while you wait for a bite! It’s 1 hour and 30 minutes away from Yakima but it’s worth it when you walk away with buckets full of fish! I usually go with family and while they’re catching fish after fish I usually swim and I’m happy if I catch one! This place is great for everyone whether you enjoy swimming, fishing, or camping.
7. Fourth of July Carnival and Firework Show
If you need something to do on the Fourth of July, I recommend going to the carnival and firework show located at the fairgrounds! The carnival has free entry and has many different rides, games, and food. The best part is the firework show at the end of the night. The fairgrounds have a place where you can sit and enjoy the show, or you can also park across the street at fiesta foods and watch from there!
8. Go to Emil Kissel Park
There are many beautiful parks in Yakima, but Emil Kissel Park has it all! Whether you want to take a run, walk your dog, play basketball, or play tennis! This is a beautiful and safe park that is well taken care of and has everything a park can offer! My favorite thing to do at this park is meet up with my family and walk our dogs together.
9. Cruise the Ave in Downtown Yakima
Something that is very popular in the Yakima Valley is the Cruise the Ave in Yakima. Every second and third Saturday of summer from 6-10 p.m. Yakima Ave. will get full of classic and new cars. This event is kind of like a car show but on the road! Many car enthusiasts from the Yakima Valley come together to show off their ride. You can either cruise the Ave. or park your car and enjoy the show! It’s cool to see the community members come out and see this car show.
10. Hop Festival
This festival happens every summer in Moxee, which is only 15 minutes away from Yakima. There’s a parade, food vendors, a 5K run and live music! This is a family-friendly event with the exception of the Beer Garden Stage. My favorite part of this festival is going to the Beer Garden Stage at the end of the night to hang out with friends and family and listen to live music. There is an entry fee but it’s so worth it!
