8 Spring Events in Ellensburg 2022
Spring has officially sprung, and Ellensburg has so many events in store for all your springtime adventures. The town features an evening art walk which occurs every first Friday of the month and showcases work from wonderful local artists. In mid April, there will be a large antique market that features antiques and upcycled items from all over the Pacific Northwest. Don’t miss out on Ellensburg’s special Girls Night Out event that features many exclusive shopping deals. Starting in May, Ellensburg will open its famous Farmer’s Market on Saturday’s which sells incredible locally made food and items. If you’re passionate about birds, Kittitas County will be holding a special bird convention in the spring focused around birds and wildlife conservation. If you enjoy watching horses, make sure to buy tickets early for the Bares and Broncs horse event show in May. The Children’s Day Downtown in May is a special event that is free and will feature so many fun stations to get your kids excited and involved. Lastly, the Ellensburg Make Music Day, is a free musical festival that features live musical performances from all members of the community. There are so many fun things to do in Ellensburg during the spring! Take a look at all these events and start off the spring season with a bang.
First Friday Art Walk
Held monthly on the first Friday of each month.
If you love art, then you should check out downtown Ellensburg’s First Friday Art Walk, happening every first Friday of the month from 5-7pm at participating venues. The next event will be held on April 1, 2022, and is designed to showcase performing and visual arts on a monthly basis in galleries and non-traditional spaces in Ellensburg. The town uses this event to honor local artists and their work, and some art may even be available for purchase! The walk allows you to meet local artists and learn more about various pieces and what was inspired to create them. This event is a great evening time activity for you and some friends to go around Ellensburg and celebrate the creative local art out there. It’s a fun new experience that will get you looking forward to every first Friday of the month!
Junk-tiquen in the Burg
Saturday, April 16, 2022 | Kittitas Valley Event Center
On Saturday, April 16, the Kittitas Valley Event Center will be hosting Junk-tiquen in the Burg’s spring antiques show. Vendors from all over the Pacific Northwest bring antiques and more to Kittitas County to create a vintage antique booth for shoppers to enjoy. The entire event space is renovated into a vintage market with old antiques, upcycled items, renovated furniture, jewelry, and little nick-nacks for sale. There are so many unique and special items for sale that you won’t want to miss out on! While you enjoy your shopping, local music artists also take part and perform live music at the event space. This annual vintage shopping market has been recognized in several magazines as one of the best flea markets to shop at in the entire United States. Make sure to visit Junk-tiquen in the Burg on April 16 in Ellensburg so you can discover some truly amazing items!
Spring Girls Night Out
Thursday, April 28, 2022 | 5-8pm
Girls Night Out is a fan favorite for all the ladies of Ellensburg. Grab your friends and take part in this evening of fun and fabulous shopping deals that will leave you feeling pampered and at your best. At participating locations downtown, get ready for a one of a kind shopping experience including refreshments, raffles, added inventory, live entertainment, at home business consultants, shopping discounts and more! The Spring Girls Night out event is brought to you by the Ellensburg Downtown Association. Please join us at participating downtown locations Thursday, April 28 from 5-8pm. Ellensburg wants to celebrate all the women out there, and this is the perfect night to take your friends out and enjoy yourself! Please mark your calendars for this special event and don’t forget to tell all your friends!
Farmers Market
Every Saturday, May-October | 9am-1pm
Starting in May, downtown Ellensburg will be hosting its wonderful Farmers Market on Saturdays from 9am-1pm on 4th Street. This Farmers Market is a Kittitas County tradition that occurs every Saturday from May to October. The lively market is well known for its farm-fresh local produce, baked goods, and fine handcrafted products. Some popular vendors sell macarons, handmade kitchenware, bath and body products, fresh flowers, textile pieces, and specialty wines. The Farmers Market is always a big hit and it also showcases even more local items such as essential oils, soaps, jewelry, decor, and beauty accessories. The market is a great way to start off your Saturday morning and meet some local vendors, as well as pop into the other shops and restaurants available downtown. Ellensburg has so many amazing local items for sale and you can learn the unique stories of how these items were produced. Come on down to the Ellensburg Farmers Market starting the first Saturday of May!
Yakima River Canyon Bird Fest
May 13-15, 2022
During May 13-15, 2022, Ellensburg will host the Yakima River Canyon Bird Fest. If you love birds and are passionate about the outdoors, this event is perfect for you. This annual Bird Fest event allows you to get intimate with the endangered Shrub-Steppe habitat in Central Washington. The beginning of the event starts on Friday, May 13 and includes an evening of social gathering and community building revolving around the appreciation of Washington’s endangered bird species. The next day, Saturday, May 14, is filled with expert guided field trips with birding, geology, snakes and reptiles, fish and river bugs, history, and more. Educational booths will be set up with free educational materials and other outreach materials that highlight environmental and natural resource groups from around the state. Saturday evening will also feature a keynote speaker with a shrub-steppe focused theme which will promote larger conversation within the event. On Sunday, self-guided field trips will be featured and additional guided field trips will unpack more within the shrub-steppe species. If you have a passion for Central Washington’s wildlife preservation, please visit this special event that will bring folks together for a common goal: to spread awareness about beloved bird species.
Bares & Broncs
May 13-14 | 7-11pm | Kittitas Valley Event Center
If you like horses and enjoy watching riders compete, purchase your tickets for Bares & Broncs at the Kittitas Valley Event Center from 7-11pm on May 13-14. This event started in 2006, and every year the Ellensburg community gets together to watch bucking horses, barrel race, and mounted shooting. Bares & Broncs is presented by the Daily Record, and this year they will sanction with the PRCA and offer $12,500 in added money in the Bareback Riding and Saddle Bronc Riding. The top rodeo riders of the PRCA will be matched up with the best bucking horses from the Northwest providing great entertainment for everyone who loves the sport of rodeo. Ticket packages are now available for purchase online, so make sure to check out what deal works the best for you! The gates at the event center will open at 6pm, so make sure to buy your tickets ahead of time and get there early so you don’t miss out on all the action! This is a perfect way to spend time enjoying the beauty of horses.
Children's Day Downtown
Saturday, May 14, 2022 | 10am-1pm
On May 14, 2022, from 10am to 1pm, the Ellensburg Public Library and the Ellensburg Downtown Association invite you and your family to participate in our annual Children’s Day Downtown event! This event will be free and it will take place at the Rotary Pavilion during the weekly Ellensburg Farmers Market. Children’s Day Downtown is for families to enjoy a morning at the market with entertainment, giveaways, crafts, and more! There will be informational tables promoting youth programs offered during the summer in Kittitas County, as well as children performing music, songs, and dances. Local businesses will also be featuring craft stations, activities, and fun kids’ giveaways. If you’re looking for a fun daytime event in the spring, please stop by the Children’s Day Downtown in May. Don’t forget, this event is free and will be so much fun for the entire family!
Ellensburg Make Music Day
Tuesday, June 21, 2022
Ellensburg’s special Make Music Day is a free celebration of music happening on June 21. This historic event was launched in 1982 in France at the Féte de la Musique, and is now held on the same day in more than 1,000 cities in 120 countries. Completely different from a typical music festival, Make Music Day is open to anyone who wants to take part. Every kind of musician from young to old, amateur to professional, of every musical persuasion, is welcome to share their music with the entire community. All of it is free and open to the public. The event will be sure to offer: student performances, the special Ellensburg Strum Along event (sponsored by the Ellensburg Art Commission), and drop in children’s music classes. If you are in any way shape or form passionate about music, this celebration is for you! Please join the community of Ellensburg for this annual day that honors the gift of music. We can’t wait to see you there.
