“Am I staying in Walla Walla over the summer? God, no!” said first-year Allison Gill.
Many other Whitman students had similar reactions to this question, expressing the belief that there is not enough to do to occupy their time when school is not in session.
Those who actually have spent summers in Walla Walla think otherwise.
“It can be a lot of fun if you try,” said junior Rand Biersdorff. Biersdorff spent the last summer in Walla Walla and said it was enjoyable for her.
“My favorite part of the summer was just getting to know other Whitties who also stayed,” said Biersdorff. “I’d run into people I recognized from campus, and we’d start talking and end up hanging out.”
Sophomore Aisha Fukushima also spent the last summer in Walla Walla and enjoyed spending time with other Whitman students.
“I got together with a bunch of other juniors and we planned bowling parties every Monday,” said Fukushima. “They also had the rock climbing wall open in parts of the summer and I learned how to rock climb.”
Fukushima enjoyed “discovering Walla Walla” on her own time. She went to the bird aviary at Pioneer Park and biked around the wheat fields.
Walla Walla is host to many summer events as well, several of which are not open the rest of the year. Many of these events are free and weekly.
The Farmer’s Market is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. all summer long. Visitors can shop from local merchants and enjoy music and a pleasant atmosphere.
The Summer Sounds Downtown, at the Plaza at First and Main streets, is put on from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday evenings, from May 31 to Aug. 30. This is a free weekly musical event, featuring musicians from across the nation as well as local artists. The music covers genres such as rock, R&B, blues, jazz, folk Celtic and gospel.
There are other summer events which happen on a one-time basis.
The Multicultural Arts Festival will take place on June 17 in Pioneer Park, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is free for attendees to celebrate music, dance, games, stories and food.
The 23rd Annual Walla Walla Sweet Onion Festival takes place July 21 and 22, with food, wine, live music, a horse show, a recipe contest and more.
The Walla Walla Community College Foundation 2007 Outdoor Summer Musical is happening July 12-14, 19-22 and 26-29 at 8 p.m. at the Fort Walla Walla Amphitheater. Rogers and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella” will be performed. Tickets for children cost $6-20 and for adults $12-20, depending on which night the ticket is purchased for.
On Aug. 4-5, the YMCA is hosting the Peach Basket Classic, a 3-on-3 basketball tournament. Hundreds of teams sign up yearly, with ages ranging from children to adults.
Of course, there are also activities that one can participate in during the summer that are available all year long. But with the extra time away from school, now might be the time for interested students to take advantage of them, such as exploring Main Street, visiting the various museums and art galleries around town, biking around the town and wheat fields or visiting Pioneer Park, as suggested by Fukushima, visiting the Blue Mountain Casino, swimming in Lake Bennington or just getting to know other Whitman students.
