After the year we have had, I'm so excited to see Summer come along. My kids are over the moon and eagerly awaiting to finally get to use the pirate themed splash pad that was finished two years ago at Grange park in Kennewick. Be sure to lather up with sunblock because we are kicking off this memorial weekend with ninety degree weather and it's going to get toasty. Join Pasco's City View Cemetery on Monday, May 31 at 11am to honor our Veterans. They will be hosting a ceremony to dedicate a wall to our Veterans. Everyone is welcome to join.
Downtown Pasco will be kicking off the memorial weekend with a "Lucha Libre" night. The wrestle mania night will be family friendly and will happen on May 29. There will be 3 sessions at 12pm, 3pm, and 6pm. This event will be free and KnockerBall Tricities LLC will also be there with some inflatable units for the kids to enjoy for free. Knockerball will be available from 4 to 8pm.
Summer concert series kicks off with the Sacajawea Bluegrass festival at Sacajawea park from June 10 to 13 but due to covid restrictions there will be no organized concerts just camping and jamming out.. Live @5 will continue at John Dam Plaza starting June 10 at 5pm. Thunder on the Island will continue rocking weekly on Wednesdays at 6pm starting June 16. Sunset at Southridge will begin July 2nd at 4pm. Prepare yourself for a fabulous array of food and wonderful music. Art in the park will continue on July 23 & 24 at Howard Amon Park and will include a wide array of local artists. For a complete lineup, please see the concert series summary.
Kennewick Parks and Recreation will be opening all 4 splash pads memorial weekend. They will be open daily from 9am to 7pm through Labor day weekend.
While their public pool will remain closed, they will be having swim lessons available. Richland splash pad at Badger Mountain is officially open. Their hours this Summer will be 10:00am to 5:30pm through Labor day weekend. Pasco splash pads, Howard Amon kids pool and Kennewick mushroom pool unfortunately are on hold at the moment and will not open up until further notice due to pandemic restrictions. The great news is that Memorial Aquatic center in Pasco will be opening June 18 at 1pm with a limited capacity and we couldn't be happier. We purchased a pool last year but there is no comparison to the local pools and splash pad fun we have yearly and we look forward to many more memorable memories. Pasco Parks and Recreation will also be offering swim lessons. Click here for a complete list of pool and splash pad updates.
Foodie Fridays is back at Volunteer Park in Pasco June 4 and 18 from 11:30am to 1:30pm. Food Truck Night at Flat top Park in West Richland will continue on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays through September from 5 to 8pm. You can find a complete compilation of event dates, in the events summary. For all your favorite food truck cravings, be sure to check out TriCities Food Truck Map.
The movie theatres are finally back open unfortunately at the moment the Summer movie series in theatres is on hold but I'm positive our city parks and recreation departments are coming out with their own outdoor movies. As soon as I have more details, I will share it on the Summer movie series compilation.
Fourth of July will still be loaded with surprises. Gesa Carousel of Dreams has partnered with the City of Kennewick and other local businesses to provide an extravagant firework display at Columbia Park. The fireworks will be launched from the shoreline along the Columbia Park TriPlex driving range at 10:00 pm. Further details will be provided as the event date gets closer. Water follies will be kicking off July 23 to 25 and the Benton Franklin fair will be August 24 to 28.
Looking to get outdoors and try something new? I would highly recommend to try Northwest Paddleboarding.
Did you know they offer private lessons for kiddos as young as 6 years old. Lessons are $49 a person with a minimum of 4 people for an hour. The lesson includes everything from water safety to proper paddling techniques. Reserve your spot today.
Another fabulous way to try out something new is by joining Yoga in the park May 29 and June 12 at Hansen Park in Kennewick at 9:30am. The classes are absolutely free and family friendly.
Be sure to join Miss Kelly with the Richland Public Library for fun activities including story time. The events will be weekly on Thursdays at 10:00 a.m. at various outdoor locations thru June. Mid-Columbia Libraries will also be hosting an array of events dates will be added to the events summary as soon as I see them. Also, join Burbank library for their weekly story time Wednesdays at 10:30am.
Don't forget to visit your local farmers market and enjoy one of our local Upick locations. From a gorgeous flower bouquet to the best blueberries in town, you can find them all here. I will be updating the events page daily so be sure to check back regularly. One thing is for sure, everything is slowly but surely getting back to normal. Our new normal is still quite an adjustment but I will gladly take it if it means we get to explore, splash into some fun, and enjoy some BBQ with our family. I hope everyone has a wonderful memorial weekend and an amazing Summer. There is so much left to explore let's make this year memorable. Be safe and Have fun!