Christmas at Leavenworth 2024
The Leavenworth Christmas Market in Washington State is one of the best Christmas markets in North America that I’ve come across.
As a Brit, one thing I miss living in Canada when it comes to Christmas is Christmas markets. Europe does Christmas markets SO well (as you’d expect since they’re from there).
The Gothenburg Christmas market, for example, has everything you need to get you in the Christmassy mood.
Mulled wine? Check! Millions of twinkling lights? Check! Santa? Check!
Luckily, if you live in Washington State or the Pacific Northwest, you can experience a great Christmas market without having to get on a plane.
The town of Leavenworth, WA’s Christmas lights is the perfect place to visit this December. If you want to visit Leavenworth at Christmas, here’s everything you need to know.
Looking for more things to do in Vancouver and nearby? Check out my Vancouver travel guides which are full of information on the best things to do in Vancouver, the best Vancouver restaurants, and detailed guides for each of the main neighborhoods.
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Leavenworth at Christmas
Leavenworth is a special place all year round, but Leavenworth, Washington at Christmas is something extra special! The village is super cute at Christmas with twinkling lights, snow, and plenty of festive activities in Leavenworth for visitors from near and far.
In 2023, Leavenworth will have the Christmas lights on every day from Thanksgiving weekend, and activities run from November 24th, 2023 to December 24th, 2023.
Below are some of the best winter activities in Leavenworth at Christmas for you to enjoy!
Leavenworth Washington at Christmas
Here are some of the things you can enjoy during your trip to Leavenworth at Christmas or, as some call it, “Christmas town Washington State”.
It’s easy to see why the words Leavenworth Christmas town go together so often when you check out the events happening in Leavenworth at Christmas.
Leavenworth Christmas lights, caroling and festive events
The town of Leavenworth at Christmas is like an enchanted village. The Leavenworth Christmas lighting festival makes the town come alive with lights strung up all over the place; over 500,000 lights in fact! They’re much more impressive than the Seattle Christmas lights.
Plus, there are several other festive activities that run throughout the Christmas period including; carolers, the scent of chestnuts roasting, live entertainment and music, Gluhwein tents, a yearly children’s Cookie Crawl, photos with Santa, gift-wrapping stations, and more.
This year, the lights will be on from November 24th throughout the festive period.
The Nutcracker Museum
What better time to visit the Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum than at Christmas? The museum has over 6,000 incredible nutcrackers, some dating back nearly 500 years!
Sledding and tubing
Great fun for all the family, the Leavenworth ski hill offers sledding and tubing rides. The Lt. Michael Adams Tubing Park has a 100ft tubing hill that will provide hours of fun and laughs.
There’s no need to walk to the top either since there’s a rope tow that will do the hard work for you. After you’re done tubing, warm up at the Ski Hill Lodge with a hot drink by the fire.
Go Skiing
Before heading out to the Christmas market in the evening, spend the day skiing. Leavenworth’s position in the Cascades means you’re not far away from a number of popular ski resorts.
There’s the Leavenworth Ski Hill mentioned above, Mission Ridge, and Stevens Pass Mountain Resort all within easy distance of the town.
Family sleigh rides
If you’re visiting Leavenworth with kids, then plan a sleigh ride! Wrap up warm in a blanket and get ready for a picturesque trip through the forests of Leavenworth on a Leavenworth sleigh ride.
Gingerbread Factory
Gingerbread is the taste of Christmas and you can buy some of the best to take home to family and friends when you visit the gingerbread factory.
They not only make great cookies, but you can also buy gingerbread houses which are always fun to put together and decorate!
Grab a beer at Icicle Brewing in Leavenworth
Icicle Brewing is one of the best breweries in Leavenworth and well worth stopping in at after a day exploring Christmas Town Leavenworth or having fun in the snow at the ski hill nearby.
They also have several events throughout November and December such as movie nights, game nights, and trivia evenings.
The Leavenworth Christmas market – *Cancelled until further notice*
The Christkindlmarkt Leavenworth Christmas market is cancelled until further notice and they cite changes needed to the town’s administration.
Usually, the Christkindlmarkt is an awesome Christmas Market leavenworth outs on for the season and the Leavenworth Christmas market is always a big hit with visitors.
The Bavarian-style market has unique Christmas-themed goods including arts and crafts, lanterns and some entertainment.
If you’re feeling hungry there’s plenty of hearty German food on offer too at the Leavenworth Washington Christmas market. A gift from the Christmas market in Leavenworth is sure to please even the most difficult to buy for people in your life!
This year you can attend another Leavenworth Christmas Market – the Artisan Holiday Market where you can shop locally made and produced gifts for friends, family (or yourself!).
About Leavenworth
A visit to Leavenworth, Washington State’s Barvarian village, will make you feel like you’ve arrived in Germany.
This charming Bavarian-style village, just a few hour’s drive away from Seattle, is complete with sauerkraut, beer & bratwurst!
The buildings look Alpine with wooden balconies and cute window shutters. People dress in dirndl and lederhosen and you might even hear the Sound of Music coming from the hills (well, maybe not that last part…).
Where is Leavenworth? How to get to Leavenworth, WA
Leavenworth is in Washington State, USA. It’s in the heart of the Cascade Mountain Range between Seattle and Spokane. You can fly, drive or take the bus or take the Leavenworth Christmas train to get there.
Known as the Washington Christmas town, Leavenworth gets very busy in December so plan accordingly.
Driving to Leavenworth Washington
The easiest way to get to Leavenworth from the west coast is by taking US Highway 2. This route takes you through the Cascades and is extremely scenic.
In the winter the roads are kept clear of snow, but it’s a good idea to check the road reports before making the journey.
From Seattle, it’s about a 2 hour 15 minutes drive. From Bellingham, WA it’s between 3-3.5 hours and from Vancouver, BC it’s between 4-4.5 hours depending on how long you take to cross the border.
If you need, you can rent a car from Seattle or Vancouver.
I use comparison sites like DiscoverCars and RentalCars to book my car rentals as it’s easy to check prices and compare the best deals!
Train to Leavenworth WA
Alternatively, you can get an Amtrak train to Leavenworth. You’ll want the trail between Seattle and Chicago and get off at the Leavenworth stop.
- Amtrak Train No. 7: Departs 6:08 AM – Westbound (from Chicago) to Seattle and all intermediate stations
- Amtrak Train No. 8: Departs 4:40 PM – Eastbound (from Seattle) to Chicago and all intermediate stations
Leavenworth Christmas Train
In winter, Amtrak puts on a special Leavenworth Christmas train.
The Christmas train to Leavenworth operates every Saturday in December and goes from Seattle to Leavenworth to see the annual tree-lighting festival.
The Leavenworth snow train tour includes a continental breakfast, and onboard entertainment with musicians, magicians and Santa and arrives in Leavenworth just after 12 pm.
On the return train journey, you’ll be served dinner with more carriage entertainment.
Flights to Leavenworth, WA
The closest airport to Leavenworth is the Pangborn Memorial Airport in East Wenatchee. This airport is 30 miles from Leavenworth and there are 6 direct flights a day from Seattle flying with Horizon Air.
Alternatively, you can fly to Sea-Tac International Airport in Seattle and then transfer to Pangborn Airport, take the train, or rent a car and drive.
I use comparison sites like DiscoverCars and RentalCars to book my car rentals as it’s easy to check prices and compare the best deals!
Skyscanner is what I use to find cheap flights.
Where to stay in Leavenworth WA Christmas Season
If you’re planning to spend longer than a day in Leavenworth, then take a look at these hotels in Leavenworth, WA.
There are loads of great hotels in Leavenworth, many with the traditional Bavarian decor that you’re probably hoping for.
I’ve picked out some of the best hotels in Leavenworth to make it a little bit easier to narrow down your options.
- Sleeping Lady Mountain Resort: This resort-style hotel has a restaurant, bar and a garden with incredible mountain views.
- Icicle Village Resort: Icicle village has an outdoor swimming pool and hot tub available as well as restaurants and a bar.
- Bavarian Lodge: This attractive Bavarian building is just a few minute’s walk from some of the top Leavenworth attractions.
- Enzian Inn: The gorgeous Enzian Inn has incredible mountain views, luxurious rooms and an outdoor pool.
- PostHotel Leavenworth *Adults Only: This adults-only hotel gets exceptional reviews and it’s easy to see why. With huge, luxurious rooms, a beautiful pool and surroundings you’ll never want to leave!
- Granite Hills Inn: Another top-rated Leavenworth hotel, the Granite Hills Inn includes a delicious breakfast too.
FAQs on Leavenworth Washington Christmas events
When is Leavenworth Christmas lighting 2023?
In 2023, the Christmas lights will be permanently on every evening from Thanksgiving until the end of the festive period.
When does Leavenworth decorate for Christmas?
You will find decorations and lights from the end of November at this Christmas town in Washington state.
Last Updated on November 27, 2024 by Hannah
Hannah started That Adventurer after graduating back in 2013 and has documented all of her adventures since then. From backpacking South America to city breaks in Europe, a 3 month road trip across the USA in a self-converted van and 6 years living in Canada, you’ll find posts on all of this.
Hannah specialises in active travel and on That Adventurer you’ll find hiking, walking, biking, skiing and all sorts of active travel guides to allow you to see a destination in an adventurous way.
Now back in Europe, you’ll find new guides as Hannah and her husband spend the next year ‘digital nomading’ from Norway to Portugal, Switzerland to Scotland and places in between.
