The calendar is full of family fun holiday festivities this season in Downtown Yakima.
It all begins this Friday, December 1st, with free horse carriage rides that begin and end at the Community Christmas Tree at Millennium Plaza.
Offered every 20 to 25 minutes on a first-come, first-served basis, the rides are provided by the Downtown Association of Yakima (DAY) and headed up by Double J. Ranch. The rides are 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm this Friday, then 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm each of the next three Saturdays; December 2, 9, and 16.
The highlight will be the annual Holiday Lighted Parade at 6:00 pm this Sunday, December 3rd. The procession will begin at 6th Avenue and continue down Yakima Avenue to 3rd Street.
No on-street parking will be allowed along the parade route from 4:00 pm on December 3rd until the completion of the parade. The parade is organized by the Sunfair Parade Association, with sponsorship from Ron’s Coins and Collectibles.
Immediately after the parade, a lighting ceremony will be held for the community tree at Millennium Plaza. Yakima City Councilmember Holly Cousens and Gary Myhre of the Yakima Chamber of Commerce will lead the tree-lighting ceremony countdown. They will also announce the parade’s winning entries.
The holiday decorations at Millennium Plaza are all supplied and maintained by DAY and the City of Yakima.
For more information about the parade, tree-lighting ceremony, and carriage rides, visit the DAY website at https://downtownyakima.com
Visit https://downtownyakima.com/events/2017-12/ for a complete list of December holiday events in downtown Yakima. They include the Capitol Theatre’s “All School Caroling Kick-Off” and “A Celtic Christmas,” as well as The Seasons Performance Hall’s “Canticus: Season’s Greetings!”