Some Big City Options
for Arts & Entertainment
The Yakima Valley’s long-standing dedication to the arts comes to life on stage, in galleries and studios and through public art installations throughout the region.
The vitality of the area’s arts scene reflects the stunning, scenic beauty of the Valley’s diverse landscapes, a commitment to the community’s heritage and its vibrant Northwest culture.
Performing Arts World-class performing arts venues and community theaters deliver a broad selection of music, dance, and theatrical performances, creating the rich cultural experiences you expect to find in larger communities.
Arts Education and Involvement Artists studios, arts associations, and community groups provide endless opportunities to refine your talents, learn about the arts and become involved with the arts community.
Vis
ual Arts Galleries and studios celebrate the talent of Northwest artists and showcase art glass, fine art photography, oil and watercolor paintings, multimedia arts, wood sculptures and vessels, fine prints and petroglyphs.
Community Art Public sculptures and art installations along with outdoor murals capture the essence of the Valley’s culture while community festivals and concerts bring music to everyone.
Enjoy performances by internationally acclaimed musicians and regional talents right in the heart of the Valley. Take in a community production or create a family tradition with a vibrant music festival.
Located in the heart of Yakima’s downtown, this grand, cultural icon with its stunning ornamentation and decorative murals, is often known as “Yakima’s jewel box.” Built in 1920, the completely refurbished Vaudeville theatre seats 1,500 people. Home to more than 150 events each year, the theatre features touring Broadway musicals, including the traditional Best of Broadway series, as well as sassy and irreverent Broadway on the Edge performances. The Good Life: Capitol Theatre Expansion Nearly Complete, Read It!
The cornerstone of the Valley’s arts community, the Capitol Theatre also presents children’s productions through its Capitol Kids programming, creating unique experiences to inspire curiosity and unleash creativity for children throughout the community. You’ll also find community performances from local musical groups, dance studios, the Yakima Follies and several local organizations such as:
Yakima Symphony Orchestra 
For more than 35 years, the Yakima Symphony has provided Yakima with an outstanding musical series featuring artists from the Pacific Northwest and around the world. Today they work closely with the Yakima Symphony Chorus and the Yakima Ensemble for Strings (YES!) providing local residents with classical music and extraordinary talent.
Yakima Youth Symphony Orchestra The Youth Symphony, along with YES!, provide an opportunity for young musicians around the Yakima Valley to play in a full orchestral ensemble setting.
The Good Life: New Maestro Takes Yakima Symphony Baton, Read It!
Town Hall Bringing internationally renowned speakers to the Valley, Town Hall provides a yearly series of informative, engaging and entertaining lectures.
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The Seasons Performance Hall Yakima County’s premier concert and arts venue, known for its unparalleled natural acoustics, provides world-class artistic nightlife, offering an incomparable selection of jazz, classical, and world music performed by distinguished international performers. Built as a church in 1902, The Seasons has maintained the elegant yet inviting, ambience of the era by preserving its original stained-glass windows, antique oak pews, columned entrance, dramatic, arched, painted ceilings and paned-dome roof atop the lovely stone building. In addition to weekly programming, The Seasons features two major classical and jazz music festivals in the spring and fall, workshops, Artist-in-Residence programs, and educational outreach.
The Warehouse Theater Company Housed in Yakima’s Allied Arts Center, the theater company has provided affordable, live community theater in the Yakima Valley for almost 60 years. They produce an impressive series of performances in the intimate 210-seat theatre, creating an opportunity for community members to experience the excitement of working on a professional theatrical production. In addition to theatrical performances, they also offer poetry readings, lectures, films, and more.
Arts Education and Involvement
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Take a class, participate in a workshop, recite your poetry at Open Mic Night, or join one of Yakima’s many arts groups. Artists studios, arts associations,and community groups throughout the Valley provide endless opportunities to refine your talents and learn about the arts. From glass blowing and fused glass classes at local studios, to classes in everything from watercolor and photography, to ceramics, and drama, you’ll find something for every talent. Become involved with the arts community by joining one of the area’s many arts associations or join a local arts cooperative.
Allied Arts of Yakima Valley The Allied Arts Center is recognized throughout the region as an arts hub dedicated to the promotion of visual, literary, and performing arts in the Yakima Valley. In a lovingly restored fruit warehouse, a group of skilled instructors offers a wide range of art classes for adults and children alike. Try your hand at watercolor, texture painting, photography, writing, collage, ceramics and drama, participate in a poetry contest or join them for poetry Open Mic Night! The Good Life: Allied Arts, A Community Treasure, Read It!
Larson Gallery In addition, the Larson Gallery is dedicated to bringing arts appreciation and understanding to the community. They open their doors to school tours throughout the year and host a number of summer workshops, allowing participants to work alongside artists and learn new skills and techniques and how to see as an artist.
Exhibits throughout the Yakima Valley celebrate the talent of Northwest artists, showcasing art glass, fine art photography, oil and watercolor paintings, multimedia arts, wood sculptures and vessels, fine prints, and petroglyphs. Explore the Valley’s numerous privately owned galleries and shops, visit noncommercial galleries supported by arts groups and community organizations, or tour exhibits during weekly art walks.
The Larson Gallery 
Opening its first exhibition in 1949, the Larson Gallery is the largest and oldest continuously operated noncommercial gallery in Central Washington. Located on the Yakima Valley Community College campus, the gallery is publicly supported by the college, the Larson Gallery Guild and the community. The gallery’s goal is to promote visual arts throughout the community, conveying the importance of art in everyone’s life. The gallery offers juried art exhibits such as the Central Washington Artists Exhibit and the Biennial National Photography Exhibit, as well as rotating exhibits celebrating Northwest culture and local heritage and those that bring world culture to our community.
Peggy Lewis Gallery Housed at the Allied Arts Center, in a former fruit warehouse, the gallery features a broad range of exhibits featuring regional artists throughout the year, as well as several juried exhibits. Enjoy opening receptions with the artist for most shows. Each December they offer The Art of Giving, hosting local artisans offering their goods for the holidays.
Make the Folklife Festival a family tradition, celebrate local arts with Tieton Arts & Humanities, take in a concert in the park, visit outdoor sculptures, and don’t forget about The Seasons spring and fall festivals.
Millennium Arts Plaza A downtown sculpture reflects the Valley’s history and hopes for its future.
Toppenish Mural Project Throughout the city of Toppenish, an extensive series of outdoor murals reflects the cultural diversity of the area.
Art Everywhere Enjoy art exhibits while you wine and dine in the Valley.
Yakima Folklife Concerts and Festival Enjoy concerts featuring regional, national, and international artists, as well as family-friendly events.
The Seasons Performance Hall Kick off the fall and winter seasons with festivals featuring acclaimed musicians.
Case of the Blues and All That Jazz Look forward to an annual festival of jazz and blues, fine wines, microbrews, and local foods.
Concerts in The Park Catch a concert in the Park with the Yakima Valley Community Band.
Tieton Arts & Humanities Celebrate the arts with events at Mighty Tieton.
For a complete list of music festivals throughout the Valley, visit the Art Matters! Guide
Millennium Arts Plaza 
In the heart of Yakima’s downtown, the Millennium Arts Plaza provides a meeting place and a symbol of the diversity of the Valley’s culture. The 80- by 80-foot sculpture designed by renowned artist, Wen-ti Tsen, allows visitors and residents alike to reflect on the past, present, and future of the Yakima Valley. Commissioned in 1999 in conjunction with the nationwide “Artists and Communities: Americans Create for the Millennium” project, each piece of the plaza conveys unique meaning for the Valley. It features water themes running throughout the plaza, objects and tools cast in bronze, handprints that represent the cultural diversity of the Valley and written works by authors ages 11 to 90, reflecting the history and dreams for the Valley’s future.
Toppenish Mural Project 
Throughout the city of Toppenish, an extensive series of outdoor murals reflects the cultural diversity of the area, depicting historical events and portraying men and women who have made lasting contributions to the city. Many reflect the city’s theme, “Where the West Still Lives.” The murals have won several awards, including the Governors Art Award and a national Prettiest Painted Places award. For a gallery of Toppenish murals, click here.
Art Everywhere Find art exhibits while you wine and dine in the 
Valley. Several area restaurants and coffee houses feature exhibits by local artists, and many Yakima Valley wineries have created gallery spaces in their tasting rooms. On your next wine tour, take some time to view multimedia arts exhibits, fine art photography, and exhibits of fused and blown glass. Don’t forget about Yakima’s First Friday and Sip & Stroll art walks!
Yakima Folklife Concerts and Festival 
If its Folk music you like, the Yakima Valley Museum and Yakima Folklife Association host a series of monthly Folklife concerts between April and October each year, featuring regional, national, and international artists. In addition, Yakima Folklife hosts its annual Folklife Festival in beautiful Franklin Park with acclaimed musicians from around the Northwest. Join them for an evening of music, dance, children’s activities, arts, crafts, and food.
The Seasons Performance Hall The fall season gets underway with The Seasons Fall Festival, featuring several days of performances by Grammy winners and jazz luminaries, as well as music workshops. The Spring Music Festival kicks off a season of outdoor performances by groups throughout the Valley.
Case of The Blues & All that Jazz In August, head to the Yakima Greenway’s Sarg Hubbard Park for a night of blues and jazz performances, award-winning local wines and microbrews, and a delicious array of foods and desserts.
Concerts in the Parks Since its origin in 1919, the Yakima Valley Community Band has a long tradition of providing live music to the communities of the Yakima Valley through free public concerts. The band performs throughout the year for various community celebrations and festivals, but is best known for its summer series of band concerts aptly named Concerts in the Parks.
Tieton Arts & Humanities 
The Washington Artist Trust and other organizations sponsor several events at Mighty Tieton to foster community, promote the arts, and unite artists in the Yakima Valley and the Northwest. Events include the Tieton Summer Solstice — Arts Unbound, a celebration of music, visual arts and book arts, Sunny Side Up!, a weekend of creative exploration for families, artists and art lovers, and Art in The Park.
