Visit Leavenworth, WA
A Bavarian village in the Cascades, glowing with 500,000+ lights, Festhalle concerts, sleigh rides and a Christkindlmarkt all season long.
Plan around the festival weekends
Best window
Dec 4–8 or Dec 11–15 (peak festival weekends with big Festhalle concerts).
Come back anytime
The lights stay on through Feb 28, so you can always return.
A festival weekend in Leavenworth
Arrive & light up
Day 1Morning
- Arrive and check in. Walk Front Street to take in the 500,000+ lights (on from 6 am, best at dusk ~4:30 pm).
Afternoon
- Visit the Festhalle (free) for the gingerbread house exhibition, Santa costumes from around the world, and free gift wrapping.
Evening
- Gazebo live music at Front Street Park (free, 4–7 pm shows).
- Dinner at München Haus (709 Front St) for authentic Bavarian bratwurst & beer.
Sleighs & concerts
Day 2Morning
- Sleigh ride or reindeer farm visit (paid, book ahead).
Afternoon
- Nutcracker Museum and browsing the Front Street shops.
- Walk the Leavenworth Falls trail if snow permits.
Evening
- Festhalle concert (ticketed). Dec 5: Merry Christmas from Leavenworth. Dec 12: The Jewel Tones.
- Dinner at Mozart's Restaurant (829 Front St).
Wine & mountains
Day 3Morning
- Wine tasting at a local winery, such as Plain Cellars, 5th on Front, Water From Wine or Evergreen Family Wines. See the wineries directory for all options.
Afternoon
- Hike or snowshoe in the Cascades (Mill Creek Trail, ~1.5 mi loop).
Evening
- Movie Night at the Festhalle (ELF, ticketed), or Italian dinner at Visconti's (636 Front St).
Slow morning & farewell
Day 4Morning
- Sleep in. Breakfast and a stroll along Front Street (pretzels, strudel and coffee shops).
Afternoon
- Village of Lights Advent Calendar (Dec 1–25). Open the day's door for a small surprise.
- Last light photos at dusk.
Evening
- Depart. The lights stay on through Feb 28, so you can always return.
The two iconic inns
Pension Anna and Bavarian Lodge are the two iconic inns. Both have holiday menus.
Hotel Pension Anna
In Downtown Leavenworth. Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum and Greater Leavenworth Museum are cultural highlights, and nearby attractions include Leavenworth Reindeer Farm, Leavenworth Summer Theater, Tumwater Twister and Icicle Creek Center for the Arts. Skiing is also close by.
What's nearby: Waterfront Park (2 min walk), Front Street Park (2 min walk), Wenatchee River (3 min walk), Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum (3 min walk), Icicle Gorge (6 min walk).
Getting around: Leavenworth Station (4 min drive), Wenatchee Station (40 min drive), Columbia Bus Station (40 min drive), Wenatchee, WA EAT-Pangborn Memorial airport (50 min drive).
Restaurants: Bären Haus (901 Front St) is a short walk away. Browse more options in the dining directory.
Bavarian Lodge
In Downtown Leavenworth, a walkable area with great shopping. Leavenworth Ski Hill and Leavenworth Golf Club are worth checking out, along with Leavenworth Summer Theater, Tumwater Twister, Leavenworth Reindeer Farm and Icicle Creek Center for the Arts. Fishing, hiking/biking trails and mountain biking are nearby. Guests love the hotel's central location.
What's nearby: Front Street Park (1 min walk), Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum (2 min walk), Greater Leavenworth Museum (2 min walk), Waterfront Park (3 min walk), Icicle Gorge (6 min walk).
Getting around: Leavenworth Station (4 min drive), Wenatchee Station (41 min drive), Columbia Bus Station (41 min drive), Wenatchee, WA EAT-Pangborn Memorial airport (50 min drive).
Restaurants: Mozart's Restaurant, München Haus, Bären Haus and Visconti's are all on Front Street, a short walk away.
From Bavarian grills to fine dining
- Mana — top-rated fine dining, Top Chef contestant Colin Patterson (4.8★)1033 Commercial St
- München Haus — the go-to Bavarian grill (4.4★, 1.9k reviews)709 Front St
- Old World Chophouse — best-reviewed steakhouse900 Front St, Suite K
- JJ Hills Restaurant & Bar at Icicle Village505 Highway 2
- Bären Haus901 Front St
- Carta221 8th St
- Visconti's Italian RestaurantFront St
- Colchuck'sLeavenworth, WA 98826
Full directories
For the full dining, lodging and activities directories, visit the Leavenworth Chamber of Commerce.
What's on this season
Christmas & New Year
- Christmastown runs Nov 27 – Dec 24, 2026 (free admission).
- Village of Lights: 500,000+ lights on nightly, Nov 26, 2026 – Feb 28, 2027.
- Santa & characters at the Gazebo (Saturdays and Sundays at noon) and the Festhalle (daily).
- Live music and carolers at the Front Street Park Gazebo.
- Christkindlmarkt: a Bavarian-style Christmas market with German food, crafts and a lantern parade.
- Sleigh rides, reindeer farm and sledding in Front Street Park.
- Gingerbread House competition, glühwein tent and roasted chestnuts.
- Merry Christmas from Leavenworth Concert: Dec 5, 7:30 PM at the Festhalle.
- New Year's: the lights stay on and Winter Karneval kicks in during January weekends. No dedicated NYE event was listed, but the town is festive and restaurants are open.
Winter Karneval (January 2027)
- Día de los Reyes: Jan 2, 1–7 PM.
- Fire Dancers at the Gazebo: Jan 9–10.
- Live Ice Carvings: Jan 16–17, noon–3 PM.
- Fireworks Over Town: Jan 17, 6 PM.
- Fasching Pub Crawl: Jan 22–24.
Other festivals (year-round)
- Oktoberfest: 3 weekends in October.
- Maifest: May (Bavarian spring festival).
- Alefest: April.
- Bavarian Bike & Brew: June.
- Wine Walks: June & September.
- Washington State Autumn Leaf Festival: late September.
Drive, fly or ride the Empire Builder
🚆 Train ride
Amtrak's Empire Builder is the only direct train service to Leavenworth, operating once daily in each direction. The journey from Seattle takes approximately 3 hours and 22 minutes, departing from King Street Station at 4:55 PM and arriving at Leavenworth Icicle Station around 8:17 PM. The eastbound return train departs Leavenworth at 6:08 AM and arrives in Seattle at 10:00 AM.
Leavenworth, WA in pictures
Plan your Leavenworth getaway
Tell us your festival weekend and we will build your Bavarian Christmas around the lights, the concerts and the inns.
Prices, hours and event dates change. Confirm with hotels, restaurants and venues before you travel.