Blake Walsh

15 Free Things to Do in Yuba City, CA

  • Published 2023/02/01

The charming Yuba City is close to the Feather River at the base of Sutter Buttes, part of Sutter County, California.

The city is home to many festivals and events that tourists visit yearly.

Yuba City is known for its fantastic agricultural products and has the world’s largest dried fruit processing plant.

You can visit Yuba City and join the festivities, hang around in their unique parks for free, and enjoy the view of the Sutter Buttes Mountains.

With typical good weather and a charming environment, you wouldn’t want to miss out on the fun at Yuba City.

Here’s a list of free things to do in Yuba City, California:

Discover Yuba City at the Sutter County Museum

First up on the list of free things to do in Yuba City is the historical Sutter County Museum.

The museum was opened to the community in 1975 as a gift from the Sutter County Historical Society and other donors and has since been expanded multiple times.

This museum showcases the Yuba-Sutter community, from the first Native American tribes that once lived here to present-day Yuba City.

You can learn about this story by looking through their permanent and temporary exhibits and public programs that go in depth about what happened in the past.

Expect to see exhibits such as John Sutter, the Nisenan People, the history of recorded ethnic communities within Yuba-Sutter during the ancient times, and the history of agriculture in Yuba.

If you want to learn about the past residents of the land of Yuba, go to the Sutter County Museum at 1333 Butte House Road.

Cool off at the Splash Pad in Regency Park

Regency Park is one of the most popular parks in Yuba City.

This fabulous 5.66-acre park is shaped like a half circle featuring lots of activities and fun for the family.

The park has two playgrounds, one dry and one wet, with one green, directly next to the colorful splash pads that the kids will enjoy.

There are plenty of flat green spaces, but you can also sit next to the benches of the circular garden area and enjoy your time at the park under the shade of the trees and the smell of the flowers.

There’s also an elevated covered gazebo area, perfect for parties and events.

If you want to visit Regency Park, go west of Stabler Lane, with its round side towards Parc West Drive.

Read at the Sutter County Library

If you want a nice indoor spot, hang out at the Sutter County Library.

This public library is a historical building established in 1927, formerly the Sutter County Free Library.

The library also offers a variety of educational programs, such as citizenship and English literacy classes, literacy classes, and children’s activities and learning opportunities.

You can take a seat and relax, use the wifi and plug your chargers or devices into the outlets for free.

If you want to visit the Sutter County Library, you can find it at 750 Forbes Avenue in Yuba City.

Play Basketball at Happy Park

Happy Park is a neighborhood park here in Yuba City.

This is a 6.8-acre park with lots of green space and a playground.

There are two play areas and a playground for two age groups, complete with slides, climbing platforms, swings, and other play equipment the children will surely enjoy.

There are also basketball hoops for a quick game and a vast open field for outdoor recreational opportunities.

Happy Park is found at 1871 Pebble Beach Drive and is a fantastic family park for picnics, parties, or events.

Join the Sikh Festival and Parade

Yuba City has one of the largest Sikh community populations outside Punjab, India.

Since 1979, Yuba City has had the privilege of holding the annual Sikh Festival and Parade.

The festival honors the inauguration of the holy text of the Sikh, the Guru Granth Sahib, in 1708.

The parade and festival are held on the first Sunday of November, beginning and ending at the Sikh Temple at Tierra Buena.

This 4.5-mile-long parade is the longest in Yuba City and the whole area.

Approximately 85,000 locals and tourists participate annually; people of all religions are welcome to join the festivities.

The festival lasts for three whole days, starting on the first Friday of November after prayers in the morning and a fireworks show in the afternoon.

On Saturday, the Sikh flag is held and raised, and a public lunch starts at noon.

The festival begins on Sunday when the streets surrounding the train are lined with shops and booths filled with food, all free for everyone.

The festival also celebrates one of the three core teachings of the Sikh Religion, which is to share one’s earnings with the less fortunate.

If you want to join the parade, visit the Gurdwara Sahib Yuba City Sikh Temple at 2468 Tierra Buena Road.

Just be sure to learn about the manners and customs of the Sikh beforehand.

Bring the Kids to Holly Tree Park Playground

The Holly Tree Park is a small community park in Yuba City.

This little park is just 3.6 acres but has many trees, shaded areas, and activities.

It is also known for being clean and well-maintained.

The kids will enjoy the colorful and cute themed playgrounds and play structures geared toward older children.

The play structures, like obstacle courses, can be fun and challenging, especially the mini-rock wall.

You can also have lovely picnics on the grass as plenty of large trees tower over the park and provide plenty of relaxing shade during sunny days.

If you want to visit Holly Tree Park, go to 499 Parkview Avenue #599 in Yuba City.

Walk around the Shanghai Garden Park

The Shanghai Garden Park is a neighborhood park here in Yuba City.

It’s a nice community park just South of Shanghai Bend road, west of the Feather River.

Shanghai Garden Park is usually not crowded, making it great for a nice, quiet day with family.

There is a playground right in the middle of the park that the kids can enjoy, complete with slides and swings and a red dragon that spouts water.

There’s also a basketball court where you can play a game or two.

You can also walk around the paved trail that loops around the whole park or sits beside the tree and enjoy the garden under the shade.

Play Catch at the Bogue Park Fields

If you want to stop by a playground for the kids, visit Bogue Park.

This is a tiny park, spanning only 4.4 acres, and only has a playground, some benches, and a vast open green space for outdoor activities.

You can take the kids to the playground, watch them have fun, and interact with the local children as you sit on one of the benches.

You also use the green space and have the kids fly a kite or play frisbee.

Pets are also welcome here if they’re on a leash, as there’s a dog waste station nearby.

Bogue Park is at Crystal Creek Lane, smack into a quiet residential area in Yuba City.

Enjoy a Barbecue at Sam Brannan Public Park

Sam Brannan Public Park is a big community park here in Yuba City.

This park was dedicated to a man named Sam Brannan, the first millionaire in California and founder of Yuba City.

Here in the park, you’ll see the rock monument and plaque that tells the story of the founder of Yuba City.

There is also a huge playground area, separated for younger and older kids, with swings, slides, climbing structures, and spinning play structures.

Sports facilities include four tennis courts, volleyball courts, horseshoe pits, and even a skate park.

The park has plenty of covered picnic areas, and the uncovered ones get plenty of shade from the trees, perfect for a family BBQ.

Sam Brannan Public Park is found at 806 Gray Avenue.

Ride a Bike along the Feather River Levee Bike Trail

The Feather River Levee Bike Trail is a popular nature bike trail in Yuba City.

The trail is about five miles, offering a beautiful scenic ride with the landscape along the Feather River and providing an outline of the charming city while riding a paved trail.

Although biking is famous on the trail, people often sit by the waterfront, fish, jog, and walk around the path.

The Feather River Levee Bike Trail passes under the City’s 10th Street Bridge and the 5th Street Bridge.

People also leave the trail at these points towards the paths in Marysville.

If you want to visit the Feather River Levee Bike Trail on your own, you can find it between Northgate Drive and Shanghai Garden Park or follow the Feather River waterfront.

Play Soccer at Greenwood Parks

Greenwood Park is a great city park here in Yuba City.

It’s a modest 5.5-acre park perfect for families to visit and for children to run around in the sun.

Two playgrounds are separated for younger and older children, with slides, swings, and climbing structures.

There’s also a tiny dinosaur and a sand pit for the little children to ride.

There’s one large, flat field perfect for soccer, volleyball, and baseball, as there’s a backstop on the park’s south side.

There’s also a concrete basketball court in the middle of the park and benches and picnic tables you can rest on.

If you want to visit Greenwood Parks yourself, it’s found at 1600 Greenwood Way.

Play Disc Golf at Northridge Park

Northridge Park is a fun little neighborhood park here in Yuba City.

It’s a 4.4-acre park with eye-catching structures colored red and white.

You can walk along the paved trail that loops around the park as the children play on the playground in the middle.

There are plenty of benches and places to sit as well as shade and shelter from the sun and rain.

One unique thing about the park is its three disc golf baskets, perfect for practicing with green tees and lots of possible shots.

Northridge Park is at 1898 Clark Avenue, just east of Clark Avenue on Northridge Drive.

Other Free Things to Do Nearby

Catch Fish at Beckwourth Riverfront Park

Take a seven-minute drive from Yuba City to Marysville, California, and visit the Beckwourth Riverfront Park at 1010 Biz Johnson Drive.

This large riverfront park is named in honor of James Pierson Beckwourth.

Beckwourth first discovered the lowest elevation pass and path through the Sierra Nevadas, allowing thousands of immigrants to come to Marysville.

Plenty of outdoor dry and wet activities can be done here at this park.

The park has many sports facilities, such as soccer fields, softball fields, a golf driving range, a BMX track, an ATV and motocross off-road course, and more.

There are even free boat launching facilities, and kayaking, jet skiing, water skiing, and other water activities are allowed here.

Catch concerts and sports events at the Beckwourth Riverfront Park!

Visit the Historical Mary Aaron Memorial Museum Home

Take a five-minute drive from Yuba City to the Mary Aaron Memorial Museum at 704 D Street in Marysville.

This historical Gothic Revival home dated back to 1855 and was made by architect Warren P. Miller until 1955 when the Aaron family gifted it to the city of Maryville.

You can visit this beautiful home by yourself or with a guide who’ll tell you the house’s past and the history of Marysville.

See preserved, authentic rooms and beautiful antiques that let you vividly imagine life in the 1850s.

You can also take photos and hang around the stunning courtyard outside the Mary Aaron Memorial Museum.

Go Back in Time at the Chinese American Museum

Take a seven-minute drive from Yuba City to the Chinese American Museum at 232 1st Street in Marysville.

The museum was established in 2005 within the historical Chinatown in Marysville.

The building was once a gold rush building dating back to 1858.

Here you’ll find photographs and artifacts showing Chinese Americans’ contributions to Northern California and the history of Marysville’s Chinatown.

It was once the second-largest Chinatown in the country.

You should also find the atmosphere quite different in the area, the last remaining Chinatown of the gold rush eras, with an old Chinese school, three Chinese Associations, and a temple.

They also celebrate a traditional Chinese festival, the Bok Kai festival, where they place firebombs to be used for the festivities.

Final Thoughts

Yuba City has many charming parks ranging from quiet and tiny family parks to large parks that pull in hundreds of families each year.

Which free attraction are you most excited to visit?

This list of free things to do in Yuba City, California, should help you create an itinerary for your next budget-friendly adventure.

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