Thinking of visiting Leavenworth, Washington? This twinkling Christmas town is nestled in a snug valley of the Cascade Mountain range. Leavenworth’s downtown core is framed by high alpine peaks with names like Icicle Ridge. It is a must-experience destination with a major challenge.
You’ll be visiting with up to 30,000 others during peak events. That means this town with a year round population of about 2,000 can tend to bust out of it’s gingerbread buttons for infrastructure like parking and services like restrooms. With a little patience and planning, it still holds a solid place on bucket lists and annual family treks.
No wonder the demand is high. Where else can the locals of Washington State can get a quaint daytrip or weekend getaway? In a Bavarian lookalike town conveniently located central-state. It’s an easy roadtrip, especially for the eastern Washington population. For the western Washington population of greater Seattle, it’s a bit more effort, depending on road conditions. Most all points in Washington State clock in at under three driving hours. The town has hit the national radar as well, with USA Today adding it to their lists: Small Towns that Go All Out for Christmas and most Picturesque Towns.. Huffington Post gave Leavenworth a spot on the list for America’s Best Oktoberfests. Good Morning America and the Today Show have down morning feel good pieces from downtown with shops in the background that specialize in items like hats, toys and nutcrackers. Sizzling brats provide sustenance in establishments frequently named Something-Haus.
What was historically a settlers’ town on the rail line for the timber trade metamorphosed into a visual feast of Bavarian Alpine architecture upon the direction of the town leaders in the 1960s. The town was struggling with the diminishing trades, so the idea of doing something radical — creating a tourist destination, earned the attention of local businesses They acknowledged that it needed to be more than a simple refacing and remodeling. They agreed that the culture of a Bavarian village should to be embraced. The good news was that the business owners bought in. Investments were made. Major events throughout the year were planned. A main hotel was reborn and renamed Edelweiss for the Bavarian flower. The buildings are enveloped by scalloped trim, deep, expansive roof overhangs, scrolled beams and fascia, arched doorways and intricate painting on stucco. During sunnier months that rise into the 90s, flower boxes on balconies overflow with colorful blooms. It’s a gingerbread town, framed by rugged rock peaks all around.
The town leaders’ vision to transform Leavenworth into a tourist destination worked well. Every building (including the fast food restaurants) features a candyland look. Today, over two million visitors a year descend on this small town. In winter, the snow and ice of the higher elevation is the perfect Christmas backdrop. The lights and festivities transform the small town into an otherworldly, magical scene.
Christmas season features “The Christmas Lighting Festival” each weekend when over half a million lights are ceremoniously turned on as bunches of carolers sing to the streets and chestnuts are roasted on open fires. It is a serious holiday haven, if there’s room to see everything among the bustling crowds. Little ones love Santa’s arrival and work off their hot chocolates by sledding on the bunny slope in town square.
Coming in a close second place, Oktoberfest is a bawdy, beer drinking event mimicking it’s Munich, Germany cousin. The music is loud and the elbow to elbow toasting crowds (accordion-ly) can be even louder. The roots of Leavenworth’s city planners from decades ago permeate the festivities here too: Oktoberfest is highly organized. The Keg Tapping ceremonies are early afternoon at one o’clock sharp and the shuttle bus is ready for spillover to the close by town of Wenatchee, just in case you can’t get a room in this (again) sold out town.
During popular event times, the perfect Leavenworth experience suffers. Lining up with long crowds or leering for a parking space can turn the magic into a trick that you weren’t expecting. Visions of sugarplums are in the eye of the beholder. While some will be delighted and find the homemade wooden puzzles, sizzling sausages and hand crafted schnitzel, others will complain about how long it took to get some soup or pay for the trinket made in a far away Asian country.
If you lean toward the latter, a smart tip is to time your visit for “shoulder” seasons. The Christmas lights are burning through mid February. (Love a new Valentine’s idea?!). You’ll enjoy more attention at the shops and restaurants and more opportunities for jaw dropping pictures without the thousands of extra photo bombers. Does Oktoberfest sound like an event hangover? Schedule your own August-or-Septemberfest and kick back in peace with a flight from a great new brewery.
Everyone should line up to see Leavenworth, just make sure you pick your perfect time and place in line.