NW Getaway: Summertime in Leavenworth
A beloved alpine village straight out of Grimm’s Fairy Tales (or “The Sound of Music” if Grimm is too grim for you), Leavenworth has been a unique Pacific Northwest destination for more than 50 years. The remote town in central Washington was incorporated in 1906 as a small timber community, but as railroad lines rerouted to nearby Wenatchee, population and business waned. The economic downturn prompted city officials in the 1960s to emphasize tourism by theming the town as a Bavarian village, similar to California’s Danish-themed town of Solvang. Ever since the makeover, tourists from Seattle and all over the Pacific Northwest have visited the charming town to get a taste of the Bavarian culture (and the sausage and beer) without crossing the ocean.
Leavenworth is most famous for its Christmastime lights and festivities, but the town hosts festivals all year round, from Winter Karneval in January, to Love from Leavenworth in February, to Maifest in the spring. (Oktoberfest moved to Wenatchee, just 30 minutes away, in 2022.) While none of the signature festivals take place June through August, the almost-always sunny summer weather feels like a festival unto itself, beckoning visitors (especially from the wetter west) to hike, bike, golf, swim, stroll, eat and drink amid Leavenworth’s unique natural and built environment. In June, my husband and I took one of our daughters to experience the charm.
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