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Christmas with kids in Leavenworth
Leavenworth, Washington, reinvented itself as a Bavarian village in the 1960s, and Christmas is where the story shines brightest. Every winter, over half a million lights turn the little mountain town into a storybook scene.
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Village of Lights: Christmastown
When: Daily, Nov 27 to Dec 24
Where: Leavenworth Festhalle and Downtown Gazebo, Leavenworth
Cost: Free to enjoy; some Festhalle shows are ticketed
The story of Christmas in Leavenworth
How Leavenworth celebrates
Leavenworth was close to a ghost town after its mines and sawmill closed and the railroad left. In the 1960s, business owners took out loans and remodeled downtown as a Bavarian village. Today its December feels like a German Christmas market, with choirs, carolers, food vendors and a gingerbread house contest. The downtown lights were once switched on only on weekend evenings, but the city changed that to spread out crowds, so they now stay on every night from Thanksgiving through February. The event, once called the Christmas Lighting Festival, was renamed the Village of Lights in 2021.
Christmas last year in Leavenworth
In December 2025 a storm and power outage knocked out part of the Village of Lights, but the display was fully illuminated again by December 15, with less damage than expected. Lights stay on nightly through the end of February, with events every weekend in January. Christmastown activities ran at the Gazebo and Front Street Park, and live shows played at the Festhalle Auditorium, including the Jewel Tones concert on December 20 and Manuela Horn and Her Slay Belles on December 21 and 23. Highway 2 over Stevens Pass was closed by road damage, so visitors used I-90 or Highway 97.
Fun facts about Christmas in Leavenworth
The Village of Lights displays over a half-million lights each December. In 2021 organizers added a scavenger hunt, Santa costumes from around the world, a gingerbread house competition for local nonprofits, a holiday movie night and an advent calendar giveaway with daily prizes. Shoppers can also visit the Kris Kringl shop, where families pick out a new ornament each year. One article reported about three million visitors in a year, which is a lot of guests for a mountain town in the Cascades.
Trains and Christmas near Leavenworth
Trains are part of the Leavenworth story, because it nearly became a ghost town when the railroad left. For more rail history, head west along Highway 2 to Skykomish, where the Great Northern and Cascade Railway keeps a museum and gift shop in the historic Great Northern depot, though its free miniature train rides run only from May through October. The Northwest Railway Museum in Snoqualmie has a free 1890 depot open every day and weekend train rides.
- Great Northern & Cascade Railway: A volunteer-run miniature railroad and museum in Skykomish's historic Great Northern depot, with free rides May through October.
- Northwest Railway Museum: A working railway museum with a free 1890 depot open every day and a Train Shed Exhibit Hall full of locomotives and cars.
- Issaquah Valley Trolley: A restored 1925 streetcar that runs a short round trip from Issaquah's historic Depot, with volunteers running every trip.
Traditions today
- Village of Lights: Over half a million lights glow downtown every day from Thanksgiving through February.
- Christmastown at the Gazebo: Seasonal activities and entertainment at the Gazebo and in Front Street Park.
- Shows at the Festhalle: Live holiday performances fill the Festhalle Auditorium through the season.
- Gingerbread house contests: A gingerbread house contest adds sweet creativity to December, including one for local nonprofits.
- Choirs and carolers: Singers fill the streets so the town feels like a German Christmas market.
- Kris Kringl ornaments: Families visit the Kris Kringl shop and pick out a new ornament each year.
A fact for kids
Leavenworth turned itself into a Bavarian village, and at Christmas it shines with over half a million lights. The lights now stay on every night from Thanksgiving through February.
Questions about Christmas in Leavenworth
How does Leavenworth celebrate Christmas?
Leavenworth celebrates with the Village of Lights, over half a million lights that glow downtown from Thanksgiving through February. December feels like a German Christmas market, with choirs, carolers, food vendors, a gingerbread house contest, and live shows at the Festhalle. Our Leavenworth Christmas events guide on this page has current dates.
Why is Leavenworth a Bavarian village?
After the mines and sawmill closed and the railroad left, Leavenworth was nearly a ghost town. In the 1960s, business owners took out loans and remodeled downtown in the style of a Bavarian village, without state or federal help. That makeover became the heart of the town's Christmas fame.
How many lights are in the Village of Lights?
A 2021 report said the Village of Lights displays over a half-million lights each December. The exact number can change, so treat it as a rough figure. Kids can try to guess how many it would take to light their own house, then see how far past that Leavenworth goes.
When did the Village of Lights get its name?
In 2021, the city renamed the Christmas Lighting Festival the Village of Lights and changed how it runs to reduce crowd size. Lights shine every day of the week instead of only certain days, and there is more entertainment at the Gazebo and Festhalle. The earlier start year is not given in our sources.
How long do the Leavenworth lights stay on?
In 2025 the Village of Lights was lit nightly through the end of February, with events every weekend in January and promotions in February. That is much longer than the early years, when the lights were switched on only on weekend evenings. Check our Leavenworth Christmas events guide on this page for the current plan.
What happened to the lights in December 2025?
A storm and power outage in December 2025 damaged the display, but the Village of Lights was fully illuminated again by December 15, and the damage was less than expected. It is a good story for children: the town worked together to get the lights back on for everyone.
What is Christmastown in Leavenworth?
Christmastown is the name used for the holiday festivities in Leavenworth. In December 2025, Christmastown activities were back at the Gazebo and throughout Front Street Park, with live entertainment at the Festhalle Auditorium. Plan to bundle up and spend an afternoon outdoors, then stay for the lights after dark.
What shows play at the Festhalle?
Live holiday performances run at the Festhalle Auditorium through the season. In December 2025, the Jewel Tones concert played on December 20, and Manuela Horn and Her Slay Belles performed on December 21 and 23. Show lineups change each year, so check the current schedule before you plan.
Is there a Christkindlmarkt in Leavenworth?
Our sources do not use that name. They describe December in Leavenworth as feeling like a German Christmas market, with choirs, carolers, food vendors and a gingerbread house contest. Our Leavenworth Christmas events guide on this page lists the markets and shows planned for this year.
What did Leavenworth add to its lights event in 2021?
Organizers added lighting displays, a scavenger hunt, Santa costumes from around the world, a gingerbread house competition for local nonprofits, a holiday movie night and an advent calendar giveaway with daily prizes. Programming at the Gazebo and Festhalle also ran until 8 p.m. on weekends.
How many people visit Leavenworth?
One article reported about three million visitors in a year, according to the president of the Greater Leavenworth Museum, and said crowds peak during the holidays. Arrive early, be patient with traffic and consider parking away from downtown to make the visit easier on little ones.
What is the Kris Kringl shop?
Kris Kringl is a Christmas shop in Leavenworth where families pick out a new ornament each year. It is a lovely way to start your own tradition: choose one ornament per child, write the year on it and hang it on your tree at home to remember your trip.
Is Highway 2 open to Leavenworth in winter?
Not always. In December 2025, Highway 2 over Stevens Pass was closed by road damage, and the chamber of commerce recommended using I-90 over Snoqualmie Pass or Highway 97 over Blewett Pass. Always check current road conditions and carry chains and warm layers before you drive with kids.
What is the best time to see the Leavenworth lights?
Because the lights stay on nightly through February, you have many options. Organizers began lighting them every day instead of only on weekend evenings to spread out crowds, so a weeknight can be calmer. Our Leavenworth Christmas events guide on this page has event days and times.
What will my kids like at the Village of Lights?
Young children usually enjoy the glowing streets, carolers and choirs, food vendors, the gingerbread house contest and, in some years, a scavenger hunt. Santa costumes from around the world were added in 2021. Pick one or two stops and keep the evening short, with a warm drink to finish.
How can I explain Leavenworth's history to kids?
Tell them Leavenworth was once a mining and sawmill town that lost its railroad and almost emptied out. The townspeople decided to rebuild it like a Bavarian village, and now people come from far away to see it. It is a story about a community trying something new together.
Is the Gazebo a good spot for families?
The Gazebo and Front Street Park hosted Christmastown activities in December 2025, and in 2021 the Gazebo hosted entertainment too. Families can use it as a gathering point. Check our Leavenworth Christmas events guide on this page for the current schedule of activities.
Does Leavenworth have a gingerbread house contest?
Yes. Reports describe a gingerbread house contest as part of December in Leavenworth, and in 2021 organizers added a gingerbread house competition for local nonprofits. It is a fun idea to copy at home: bake the pieces ahead, then let each child decorate a small house with candy.
What train sites are near Leavenworth?
The closest on our list is the Great Northern & Cascade Railway in Skykomish, a volunteer-run miniature railroad with a museum and gift shop in the historic Great Northern depot. Rides run weekends and holidays May through October, with no rides in winter. The Northwest Railway Museum in Snoqualmie is another option.
Can we ride a train near Leavenworth at Christmas?
Not at Skykomish, where rides stop for winter. The Northwest Railway Museum in Snoqualmie offers weekend train rides between Snoqualmie and North Bend and keeps a free 1890 depot open every day, while the Issaquah Valley Trolley returned to service in 2026. Check each website for holiday schedules before you go.
Sources
- How one village became the Christmas capital of Washington state, HeraldNet
- Formerly Christmas Lighting Festival, Leavenworth's Village of Lights makes changes to cut crowd size, Yoursourceone
- Leavenworth's Village of Lights fully illuminated as Christmastown festivities continue, Leavenworth Chamber of Commerce
- Leavenworth's Village of Lights Christmas festivities are back open, Seattleite
- Magic and lights draw crowds to an alpine village in Washington state for Christmas, OPB
- Great Northern & Cascade Railway, Rally Takes the Train
- Northwest Railway Museum, Rally Takes the Train
- Issaquah Valley Trolley, Rally Takes the Train