Naches

Naches, a pioneer town of about 830 residents, is located on the foothills of the Cascades, just 12 miles from Yakima on U.S. Highway 12.

It sits within close proximity of many sites that offer camping, skiing, hunting, fishing or rafting. During the summer, visitors can stop by one of its many road-side fruit stands or U-pick farms, explore close-by attractions like Boulder Cave or hike one of the many trails in the area. During the winter, they can plan a snowmobiling trip or check out the Oak Creek Wildlife Area to see elk and bighorn sheep being fed.

All year, visitors can enjoy shops and restaurants, including the Bron Yr Aur Brewery, D’Nile Taphouse and Nier the Nook. Just a couple doors down are two more popular hangouts: Van’s 1885 Bar & Grill and the Country Rock Café. The Walkabout Inn is on Highway 12

The town also hosts many family events throughout the year. Nile Valley Days, held at Sprick Park in mid-July, is packed with outdoor

D’Nile Tap House

12 beers and ciders • wine non-alcoholic sodas and waters paninis • German kielbasas • soup bringing great craft beertoNaches bringing great craft beertoNaches

204 NACHES AVE NACHES, WA 98937

DNILETAPHOUSE@YAHOO.COM

Small Town A Jumping-Off Point For Recreation

family-friendly activities: vendors with hand-crafted items, food booths, displays, kids’ games, live entertainment and more.

Sportsman Days in September is one of the longest-running community events in the Yakima Valley. The event features free entertainment throughout the weekend along with a midway, rides, food booths, game booths, flea markets, silent auctions, button drawings, free shows and more.

New city facilities are also on the way. Yakima County Fire District 3 Chief Alan Baird has secured enough

funding to build a new fire station in Naches, a project he has been working to accomplish for many years.

Naches is home to the Naches Ranger District that oversees a big chunk of OkanoganWenatchee National Forest lands in the area. Visitors can stop by the headquarters along Highway 12 to learn more about recreational opportunities.

To learn more about Naches events and things to do there, visit townofnaches.com.

Sunnyside

EVENT: SUNNYSIDE LIGHTED PARADE

In the heart of Yakima Valley, SUNNYSIDE is the perfect host for your winery, craft brewery and event.

MAY

Cinco de Mayo Celebration

MAY-SEPTEMBER

Friday Farmers Market

JUNE

Summer Ale Festival

SEPTEMBER

Sunshine Days

DECEMBER

Festival of Trees Lighted Farm Implement Parade

Yakima County’s secondlargest city has continued to grow in recent years, attracting more businesses with its effort to redevelop its downtown port area.

Sunnyside is well known for its big dairies. It also has wine tasting, parks, a museum, brew pubs, restaurants, lakes and the Yakima River to offer tourists plenty of reasons to spend a few hours or days.

The Snipes Mountain Brewery and Restaurant has a regional reputation as one of the best, while Varietal Brewing Co. opened to wide acclaim in 2018.

A growing number of wineries — Cote Bonneville, Tucker Cellars and Co Dinn Cellars — have also made Sunnyside a popular destination for wine lovers.

Sunnyside is home to a number of annual events, including the famous Lighted Farm Implement Parade in December, Sunshine Days in September and the Sunnyside Summer Ale Festival,

which will be held June 20 this year.

As a kick off to the holiday season, Sunnyside hosts one of the nation’s best lighted parades, the Lighted Farm Implement Parade. Farm combines, boom trucks, sprayers, grape pickers and a variety of tractors are decorated with colorful lights for a procession of 70 or more entries for a crowd of thousands. The A&E network once named the event one of the top 10 such parades in the United States. The festive occasion was the first of its kind in the area, starting in 1989.

Fans of motorsports can check out the Northwest Nitro Nationals Pro Hillclimb, which is scheduled to be held in early May at the intersections of highways 241 and 24. The event typically draws 400- 500 competitors and 3,000-plus spectators.

Learn more about Sunnyside’s many activities at cometothesun. com.

2640 E. Edison Ave #1 Sunnyside, WA 98944 Phone: (509) 839-7678 Fax: (509) 839-7462

SUNSHINE DAYS

Every September, Sunnyside holds its annual Sunshine Days, a weekend full of events suited for people of all ages. The community celebration includes a 5K run and walk, a firefighters pancake feed, vendors and bouncy houses, flea markets, a quilt show and other attractions.

Sun & Shine Car Show hosts a parade that draws cars, trucks and motorcycles.

Get a taste of the local history and culture at the Sunnyside Historical Museum, located downtown at Fourth Street and Grant Avenue. The museum, which is open Thursday through Sunday starting in May, offers a unique look at local history, including one of the largest barbed-wire collections in the nation.

Exhibits include woodcarvings, storyboard historic photos and a display of military uniforms and memorabilia from both world wars.

For more information, visit sunnysidechamber.com or cometothesun.com.

EVENT: SUNNYSIDE ALE FEST

5 0 9. 45 7. 4 8 8 6 yvpub.com Send us your story ideas at sersland@ yvpub. com YAKIMA VALLEY P UB L I S H ING

TOPPENISH RODEO

Entering its 86th year, the annual Toppenish Rodeo is one of the Yakima Valley’s oldest traditions, taking place every Fourth of July weekend in the town “Where the West Still Lives.”

Top cowboys and cowgirls from across the U.S. converge at this historic Pro West-sanctioned event steeped in the history of the American West.

In a typical year, more than 150 contestants compete in the traditional rodeo events such as saddle bronc riding, team roping, bull riding and steer wrestling. More than $5,000 in prize money is available, giving competitors an added incentive to travel to Toppenish. Kids events like mutton bustin’ and wild-cow milking are also highlights.

General admission to the rodeo grounds is free for those who just want to enjoy the carnival-style vendors on the rodeo grounds.

For more information and tickets, visit the Toppenish Rodeo page on Facebook. to participate in events such as calf and steer roping, bronc riding, bull riding, cow milking and barrel racing.

YAKIMA VALLEY FAIR & RODEO

Grandview has hosted this popular family event every summer for nearly a century.

Now in its 92nd year, the Yakima Valley Fair and Rodeo will be held Aug. 5-8 at the Country Park Fairgrounds, at 812 Wallace Way.

More than 1,000 people attend each day, with a Pro West Rodeo held on Friday and Saturday, beginning at 7:30 p.m. The number of competitors has varied from 100-250 over the years.

58 TOPPENISH JUNIOR RODEO

The Toppenish Junior Rodeo has been part of the Yakima Valley for 50 years, with contestants coming from across the Northwest to compete every August. This event gives young people a chance to compete, and offers educational scholarships, souvenirs and monetary rewards.

The organization’s goal is to encourage local youths to portray excellence in sportsmanship and to develop strong social values.

A companion event to the Toppenish Junior Rodeo over the past few years has been the Rascal Rodeo, which gives disabled people an opportunity to participate in simulated rodeo events.

Children and young adults with developmental disabilities gather at the fairgrounds on Saturday morning

The fair also features a car show on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. The show typically attracts 100 vehicles, including everything from hot rods to farm trucks, all competing for a $700 grand prize. A community parade is held on the Thursday before the rodeo.

Fair hours are 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, and 9 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday.

ELLENSBURG RODEO

The Ellensburg Rodeo is one of the “old rodeos” and has earned its place as one of America’s top 10 professional rodeos.

The annual Labor Day weekend event also hosts the World Finale of PRCA’s Xtreme Bulls Tour. Started in 1923, the rodeo has grown from

a local competition among ranch hands to the professional event it is today, with more than 600 contestants and prize money in excess of $400,000.

The best riders, ropers and wrestlers compete in what many consider to be one of the best rodeo arenas in the nation.