Granger: Where Dinosaurs Spark Community Renewal

Community improvement efforts have truly come to fruition in this quaint Yakima Valley city as a result of a few dozen dinosaurs.  Granger’s civic leaders have worked tirelessly to build the city’s family friendly ‘Land Where the Dinosaurs Roam’ theme.  For the last 15 years community volunteers and city staff have fabricated life size dinosaurs and placed them throughout Granger.  The ongoing interest in prehistoric creatures is celebrated each June when the city hosts their annual “Dinosaur in a Day” event where folks work together and build a new sculpture for the community.

In addition to celebrating dinosaurs, Granger has also made huge improvements to its parks.  The city just finished constructing a Grand Amphitheatre at Hisey Park.  This new structure can accommodate up to 5,000 persons and has permanent structures for up to 22 vendors, each complete with potable water and electricity.  Granger is long known for its annual Cherry Festival and one of the largest 4^th of July fireworks displays in the Yakima Valley.  With the recent addition of the Grand Amphitheatre and permanent vendor stalls, city officials are looking to host musical events with both well known artists alongside local musicians, cooking events to complement their annual Menudo Cookoff, specialty craft shows, and plans are now being finalized for a Winos and Dinos event featuring live music with wine tasting.  The amphitheatre is a great complement to Hisey’s Park’s dinosaur-themed playgrounds and picturesque ponds and fountains.

According to city official Jack Burnes, “We are excited to see our improvement plans nearing completion and are inviting Yakima Valley residents and tourists from outside the region to come and enjoy this beautiful park and the events we are hosting each weekend during the summer season.  I commend all the volunteers who helped in these projects; their dedication throughout the years has really made a difference.”