| Leavenworth, Washington is one of America’s | | | | visitors and residents gather in the town |
| best cities to experience the magic of the holiday | | | | center’s gazebo to sing “Silent Night” |
| season. It’s Christmas Lighting Festival is | | | | and witness the lighting. The town is |
| one of its most popular events of the year and | | | | transformed into a holiday wonderland. Holiday |
| deservedly so. Leavenworth is a Bavarian styled | | | | music fills the village while children sled in the |
| village of about 2,500 residents in the central part | | | | park. You might even see Santa strolling in the |
| of Washington State, 2.5 hours east of Seattle | | | | streets and get to take a picture with him! The |
| and about a half hour west of Wenatchee. The | | | | aroma of food and good cheer warm the air. |
| town is in a beautiful alpine setting with majestic | | | | Visitor should arrive at least several hours before |
| Cascade Mountain peaks in the background, | | | | dusk on Saturday to allow time to find parking |
| attracting over two million visitors a year. With | | | | and participate in the festivities. Parking can be |
| its Bavarian styled facades and trees lined with | | | | difficult to find and Highway 2, the city’s |
| beautiful Christmas lights, holiday shops, live music, | | | | primary thoroughfare, and city streets are often |
| choirs, and sleigh rides, with snowy mountain | | | | jammed with visitors, including tour buses. |
| peaks in the background, Leavenworth is a | | | | Amtrak recently started train service to |
| spectacular place to visit in December. | | | | Leavenworth on its route between Seattle and |
| Leavenworth’s Christmas Lighting Festival | | | | Chicago, which may be a good option to see the |
| takes place during the first three weekends of | | | | Festival, especially in light of the occasionally |
| December each year. On Friday nights during | | | | hazardous winter driving conditions in the |
| the festival, the town is unlit, in darkness awaiting | | | | mountains. Due to the popularity of the event, |
| the arrival of the town’s Christmas lighting on | | | | accommodations in the town should be booked |
| Saturday evening. At dusk on Saturdays, | | | | well in advance. |