Harvest time in the valley celebrates the area’s incredible bounty
The pinnacle of the harvest is a particularly impactful time to visit Washington’s Yakima Valley, home to more than 2,500 farms. From late summer through fall, locals and visitors alike joyfully mark the culmination of another season’s hard work. Fresh Hop Ale Festival, a showcase of wet-hop beers, and Crush, a celebration of the grape harvest, are two cornerstone October events worth planning a trip around.
Tap into the season with fresh hops
Attracting breweries from around the U.S. to showcase the best of Yakima Valley’s coveted crop, the 22nd annual Fresh Hop Ale Festival will be held on Saturday, October 4, at the State Fair Park. Taking place in the heart of American hop country, this is a singular and seasonal experience impossible to replicate on such a scale elsewhere in the country. Seek out sips from farm-to-glass Bale Breaker Brewing Company, whose brewery sits directly amid one of the family-owned company’s many lush hop fields, and Varietal Beer Company, which keeps its portfolio cutting-edge by collaborating with local hop farms and regional peers.
Start the festivities the night before at Single Hill Brewing’s Fresh Func, a post-harvest, pre-fest party in downtown Yakima featuring a funky vinyl playlist spun by DJ Nick Fenton, flash tattoos from Crave Ink, and screen printing done live by Pacific Print & Thread alongside plenty of beer and food trucks.
Make it a long weekend with Cycle Yakima’s e-bike tour — a guided ride through the shrub steppe landscapes to orchards, vineyards and breweries such as Cowiche Creek Brewing. The canyon views alone are worth the trip, but so are sips like GROWN4U, Cowiche Creek’s fresh hop IPA featuring 400 pounds of Simcoe wet hops from Loftus Ranches’ Tributary Hop Farms. The beer pairs perfectly alongside seasonal bites like creamy burrata cheese with homegrown tomatoes, and blistered shishito peppers, as well as a fan-favorite smoked prime rib dip.
Back in downtown Yakima, two adjacent businesses have drinks and dinner covered. Start with a pint at Rooted, a community gathering spot spearheaded by Shelley Desmarais, co-owner of fifth-generation family-owned CLS Farms — naturally, the taps feature regional breweries showing off the choicest hops from CLS, including proprietary varieties like tropical favorite El Dorado. Next door, have dinner at Crafted, where James Beard Award–nominated chef Dan Koommoo draws inspiration — and ingredients — from local farms for dishes like apricots (courtesy of Apricity Acres) on sourdough with whipped mascarpone and elderberry vinaigrette, and bavette steak over a squash blossom pancake with crema corn salsa.
Crush on the new vintage
Held the weekend of October 10 to 12, Crush gives wine enthusiasts the opportunity to both fete the grape harvest and learn directly at the source. Participants can expect activities like a high-energy grape stomp to the festive sound of the Celtic fiddle provided by the Katie Jane Band at Freehand Cellars and a multi-course winemaker’s dinner catered by Bon Vino’s Bistro & Bakery at Airfield Estates.
On Saturday, October 11, at Dineen Vineyards, join a select group of 30 wine lovers to go behind the scenes for a hands-on Harvest Experience exploring the foundation of wine — grapes — and how the Dineen winemaking team uses observation and sensory to make critical decisions at harvest time that will influence the finished wine for years to come.
Later, at Two Mountain Winery, raucously cheer or playfully jeer your favorite makers and crews from eight different wineries as they put their skills to the test in the inaugural Harvest Games & Crush Pad Party. From barrel-rolling to winemaking relay races, the good-spirited competition will benefit the local nonprofit Friends of Buena Library and culminate in a dance party hosted by DJ Coaster, with supreme bragging rights for the winners.
Then, have dinner at WaterFire, where chef Derrin Davis highlight’s Yakima’s abundance in dishes like his unctuous roasted rack of lamb featuring a bright and savory beet and carrot sauté, tzatziki and mint chimichurri. Pair it with Jet Black, an Alexandria Nicole Cellars syrah from nearby Horse Heaven Hills with silky tannins and notes of dark berry and tobacco.
Bring home the valley
Take home a taste of Yakima by stopping at one of the many farmstands or farm markets throughout the valley. At Johnson Orchards’ market inside a 1916 packing warehouse, grab a handmade pie stuffed with orchard-grown fruit, then pick up internationally renowned tamales from James Beard Award–winning Los Hernàndez. If this regional bounty makes it past the first dinnertime back home, both the pies and tamales can easily be frozen and portioned out slowly until your next visit — providing a vibrant taste of the valley any time of year.
In Partnership with Yakima Valley Tourism
