A Day Trip to Leavenworth's Christmas Festival
I love the Christmas season. There is something so magical about this time of year- the lights, delicious treats, and the general feeling of joy. I have been celebrating the season in Seattle with some fantastic events but this weekend I finally visited a town with the most Christmas cheer in all of Washington (maybe even the whole PNW). Leavenworth is a cute Bavarian-inspired city located 2.5 hours east of Seattle. This town is known for views that invoke images of the Alps, German dining, and their famous Christmas Lighting Festival. If you are anywhere near Leavenworth during December I strongly encourage you to venture to this town for a day trip or weekend getaway.
My husband and I started our day by leaving Seattle around 9:30 AM. I was really looking forward to exploring the town, but I did not realize how beautiful the drive would be. We passed snowy mountains, icicles, and frosted trees. This drive could easily have been an adventure itself and is a major perk of visiting Leavenworth in the winter. We noticed Steven's Pass along our drive, which could easily be combined with Leavenworth for a wintery weekend getaway.
Snowy Drive
Since we were visiting Leavenworth during the Christmas lighting festival, we were fully prepared to deal with crowds. Luckily the town never felt too packed but we did have some trouble finding a parking spot. Along the main highway there were numerous paid parking lots. Different groups were charing $10 or $20 for "all day festival parking." If you want to park right next to the main drag of the town you can pay and find a spot in one of these lots. However, if you want to save some money (for pretzels, beer, or brauts), I suggest driving past these lots and turning down a residential side street. We ended up finding a spot on Commercial Street that was a free no time limit spot. Many other people were parked along these street and it was only about a 5 minute walk to Front Street.
After parking we headed to Front Street, where we were greeted by a multitude of cute shops and restaurants, all designed in a Bavarian style. With the beautiful Cascade Mountains and the European-style architecture, it felt like I was walking along a small town in the Alps. All of the buildings and many of the trees were decorated with Christmas decorations and holiday lights. The officially lighting ceremony was scheduled for 4:30pm, so we had plenty of time to explore before the festivities began.
Our first stop was at Icicle Brewing for a drink and an appetizer. All of the beer is made with Icicle Creek water, a creek that flows into the nearby Wenatchee River. The taproom overlooks the brewery, so you can see where the beer is being made as your enjoy your libation. I tried the Colchuck Raspberry Wheat and Austin chose the Crosscut Pilsner. A trip to Leavenworth would not be complete without a pretzel, so we ordered one to enjoy with our drinks. In addition to some surprisingly delicious mustard (I have never been a big mustard fan), the pretzel was served with a side of warm, melted Beecher's cheese. Needless to say I loved the appetizer. The menu included a selection of other small plate options, including a meat and cheese plate and a hummus plate. In the summer I would love to sit on the patio and soak up the quaint and thematic atmosphere, but we found an indoor second story window seat, which was a nice escape from the cold.
After our stop at Icicle Brewing, we decided to walk down the length of Front Street to get a better feel for the town. Front Street, the main thoroughfare through the touristy part of Leavenworth, was completely pedestrian friendly which I appreciated. I loved walking along this street and taking in the different shops and adorable decorations. I learned that Leavenworth was once a dying logging town, so in the 1960s a few Seattle businessmen had the idea to turn it into a themed town to attract tourists. It seems that these businessmen were highly successful because the streets were filled with groups excited for the chance to escape to this Bavarian Christmasy atmosphere.
Once we finished our walk we ended at a sidewalk coffee shop called Argonaut Espresso Bar. This little cafe has a comfortable patio complete with blankets, heat lamps, a gorgeous view of the mountains, and unbelievably delicious hot chocolate. While it is a little ways past the main strip of Front Street, please do yourself a favor and visit this cafe when you are ready for your first (or 3rd) hot chocolate of the day! They offer a variety of pastries, sandwiches, and espresso drinks, but the stand-out for me was the toasted marshmallow hot chocolate. This rich and delicious drink was listed on the specialty board so it might not be offered year round, but if it is available you should take the opportunity to dive into a smooth cup of warm chocolate bliss. The icing on the cake (or the marshmallow on the hot chocolate?) was the skewered toasted marshmallow that was perched on top of the cup. This was an incredibly perfect touch that put me even more into Christmas spirit. I sipped on my cup of cheer as we continued back towards Front Street to explore some of the shops.
There are enough little shops and boutiques to fill a full day so we just chose a few to venture in to. We enjoyed sampling the variety of olive oils and gourmet salts at The Oil and Vinegar Cellar. We stopped into the year-round Christmas shop, Kris Kringl, and Austin dreamed about his future dog when we browsed the selection at A Paw Above.
We decided it was time to find lunch so we joined the line at Munchen Haus and discussed which types of sausage to order. At first we were put off by the line, which stretched into the middle of the street, but it moved quickly and the food was well worth the wait. At the first window you can place an order for a sausage, appetizer (they have the pretzel with Beecher's cheese!), or soup. Around the corner is a bar where you can order from a selection of Icicle Brewery offerings. I selected the Organic Chicken Sausage and Austin ordered The Big "BOB" Bratwurst. We found a table on the upper deck, complete with a heat lamp and a picturesque mountain view. After receiving our sausages, we visited the condiment wall, which is complete with apple cider sauerkraut, a selection of toppings, and a wall of mustards. I topped mine with the apricot ginger and honey mustards, sauerkraut, and onions. I am usually not a fan of sausages, but I actually really enjoyed my lunch. If you do not like German food, there are plenty of other restaurants in the town, but I wanted to get a taste of the "local culture" during our trip.
Lunch Stop
We still had some time after lunch before the lighting ceremony, so we decided to check out another coffee shop. This time we ventured to J5 Coffee, where I ordered a peppermint mocha. This was a nice espresso bar, but if I had to choose one, I would opt for Argonaut Espresso Bar. However, this was still a great afternoon pick me-up that I enjoyed as we walked down to Waterfront Park. It might be slightly more enjoyable to walk this trail in the summer, but I enjoyed the nice riverfront views. I would love to return in the warmer season to take advantage of some of the trails in and around the town.
Waterfront Park
Once it was starting to get dark we decided to join the crowds on Front Street for the main event. Despite the crowds we didn't have any trouble finding a great spot near the gazebo in Front Street Park. Since the lights line the entire street, there is not one perfect spot to stand. However, if you want to hear the choir and have a good view of Santa, make sure you can see the front of the gazebo.
Leavenworth lights Leavenworth lights Leavenworth lights
The ceremony started with two Alphorn players from the Enzian Inn performing on their instruments. A few quick speeches were delivered, lit stars were parades to the stage, and a group sing-along of Silent Night was led by the choir. Finally the countdown began and the street was illuminated with thousands of twinkling Christmas lights. It was a gorgeous sight that I believe would have even made Scrooge feel the Christmas spirit. We walked along the street and took in the beautiful lights before making a stop into Konditori for a few European pastries. We shared an apple strudel and a large cinnamon crisp. This cafe only accepts cash, but an ATM is located inside near the pastry case.
Cinnamon Dessert
I really enjoyed our day trip to Leavenworth. This was a great escape from Seattle and I felt completely immersed in Christmas spirit. I would love to return to Leavenworth, possibly for Oktoberfest or as a summer getaway, to have a different experience in this unique town. However, I do think Christmas is the most popular time to visit, so I am glad I was able to see this the incredible display of lights, decorations, and cheer.
Have you ever visited Leavenworth? What was your favorite thing to do in this Bavarian-inspired town? Let me know in the comments below!
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