The Yakima Area Arboretum, located in the heart of our city, is a vibrant swath of green that has offered visitors a connection to nearby nature since 1967.
On April 11, 2026, the arboretum will host a grand celebration of trees and Arbor Day in Yakima. “From Seed to Sapling: 25 Years of Arborfest” is this year’s theme. The event is free.
Our community has reason to be proud. According to the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, Yakima’s ArborFest is one of the largest Arbor Day events in the United States.
Arbor Day was originally proclaimed in 1872. Pioneers moving into the treeless plains of the Nebraska Territory missed the trees they left behind. Nebraska newspaper editor J. Sterling Morton, who eventually became secretary of the Nebraska Territory, loved trees and encouraged residents and community organizations to plant more of them.
Under Morton’s leadership, prizes were offered to Nebraska counties and individuals for the largest number of trees planted properly in a single day, April 10, 1872. It was wildly successful, and it is estimated that 1 million trees were planted in Nebraska on that first Arbor Day.
Today, Arbor Day has blossomed into a celebration observed in all 50 states and in communities around the world.
The simple act of planting a tree represents hope that it will live and grow to provide clean air and water, cooling shade, wildlife habitat, natural beauty and healthier communities. Because of a tree’s long life, the benefits gained from planting one today could extend well beyond our own lifetime into future generations.
The seeds of the Yakima Area Arboretum were planted more than 60 years ago by bold visionaries with an audacious dream.
At that time, the Central District of the Federation of Garden Clubs had 36 active chapters throughout central Washington. In clubs from Cle Elum to Prosser, conversations centered on creating an arboretum that would feature trees and demonstration gardens for the public to enjoy.
There were likely plenty of scoffers who thought these women were crazy.
Fate would have it that the site of today’s arboretum was once an old farm. Acquired by the city of Yakima in 1959, there were plans to turn it into a public park. Led by Rose Druse, the garden club federation approached the city about collaborating to build an arboretum at the site. The city agreed.
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At first, the city and the garden clubs worked together. Eventually, the city found that it did not have the resources to build an arboretum but agreed that if the federation could successfully carry the project forward, it would allow use of the land.
There would be little looking back.
The clubs founded the nonprofit Yakima Area Arboretum and Botanical Garden in 1967 and, for the next 20 years, managed the grounds with volunteers. Since 1987, staff and volunteers have continued to build a living tree museum that now holds more than 1,000 specimens of trees, forbs, grasses and shrubs across 46 acres, featuring the Jewett Interpretive Center, plant collections, display gardens and natural areas.
The arboretum’s first Arbor Day event was held in 2000 and attracted 100 people. In recent years, more than 3,000 have attended the festival.
This year, “From Seed to Sapling” will celebrate ArborFest’s 25th anniversary.
Between 35 and 40 local, state and federal organizations will host a variety of hands-on learning opportunities, crafts and displays.
About 500 families will take home a tree sapling. Since trees do not come in “one size fits all,” families will consult with Dr. Tree Riffic to find the best tree for their needs. If all you have is a patio, something small like a blueberry might be the right choice. If you have a larger space, perhaps a maple tree would work. There are usually five or six types of trees to choose from.
Events like ArborFest make environmental science fun to learn. Magic happens when children catch the science “bug,” and from that spark, a passion that lasts a lifetime can grow. Nurture and encourage tomorrow’s caretakers of our environment by bringing them to the arboretum on April 11.
Bring your own reusable bag to carry home your crafts, handouts and other treasures you are bound to collect.
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