7 Yakima Truths New Residents Never See Coming

People who move to Yakima will experience a culture shock. Here are 7 things new residents should know before they move to town.

New Residents Don’t Understand This About Yakima

#1: Costco is the Spot for Cheap Eats

Somebody say $1.50 hot dogs and $1.99 pizza by the slice! Lunchtime and the best time to go is during the morning before noon and during 2 p.m. on a weekday! Also note: The city might be called Union Gap, but for some reason, most people still consider it part of Yakima. Maybe that's because it was the original city of Yakima until they moved it after a disagreement with some other locals.

#2: In Yakima, drive thru coffee stands are a lifestyle. 

You'll see a coffee stand on practically every other street corner. We will sit in our car in the long lines going around the block if we have to wait for our cup of joe, because for a majority of residents, getting our first cup of coffee in the morning from our favorite stand is part of the morning commute experience. If you live in Yakima, you will learn to survive on coffee!

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#3: Kids get their own Fishing Day

Every year at the Greenway, there is a special day where kids get free fishing rods, t-shirts, and lure to promote fishing. Thousands of fresh fish are poured into the little lake at Sarg Hubbard Park where all the magic happens.

#4: We have a trolley!

Save the trolley! It's one of the oldest in the country and the Yakima Trolley Association is actively seeking a spot on the National Historical Register for the "museum". You can see the trolley going up and down Spruce St (near Davis High School) every weekend, and during holidays, they like to pull out all the stops, pun intended.

Read More: 15 Specialty Food Stores in the Yakima Region

#5: We are serious about our festivals

Tacos, hops (for beer), music, and beer, cider, and wine: we don't mess around with our fun festivals in Yakima, so you better get a ticket and support whatever fundraiser it is!

#6: Wineries: Everybody's got their favorites

My favorites are Two Mountain Winery, Freehand, and Treveri, but everybody's got their favorites. Most Yakima locals know that it's fun to reserve one of the "bubbles" at Treveri during the winter months. Spring Barrel, Red, Wine & Chocolate, and Thanksgiving in Wine Country are big tourist seasons in Yakima (and in the Valley).

#7: We are serious about our old cars around here.

There are groups that meet up on Saturdays for coffee and cars! Car shows are heavily attended, and we don't care if it's in Yakima, Wapato, or Sunnyside, we'll be there!