Nestled among the mountains in the middle of Washington state, along the Wenatchee river, is the town of Leavenworth. A town that can pull the visitor straight into a wonderland reminiscent of Pinocchio's village. Traveling along the 2, if you weren't paying attention, you might miss the Bavarian Village but Leavenworth is a getaway not to be ignored. The destination has a numerous amount of festivals throughout the year including Oktoberfest: which runs three weekends in a row starting at the end of September and finishing in October.Leavenworth is a beautiful place to celebrate Oktoberfest without having to actually go to Germany. The Autumn Leaf festival has just ended, all the leaves are still in full color, and even though the weather is brisk there are enough festivities to keep you distracted. As if it were mandatory, each building in town (including the McDonald's) adorns the Bavarian style architecture and painting technique. With murals on every building, each direction you come from brings new visually stunning sites. From the picturesque surroundings to all the tourist attractions there is plenty to keep occupied.
To keep entertained while waiting for the opening of Oktoberfest (6 pm on Friday and after noon on Saturday) there are an assortment of activities around town. More than just a festival town, Leavenworth has numerous hiking trails, a park with a beach next to the Wenatchee River where people fly fish, miniature golf, restaurants and stores galore. In fact, there are so many unique shops in Leavenworth there is a tourist book describing what each shop has - as if it were an attraction in itself. And even though the whole town gets into the Oktoberfest, drinking on the streets isn't permitted unless inside the festival itself.
Once inside those festival walls there is an assortment of German beers to choose from which can be enjoyed while paroozing the booths or watching one of the multiple shows. Different stages offer a variety of activities to participate in. One tent might be dedicated to live music from award-winning bands from Germany another could be fun activities for the kids. Many of the auditoriums have a ton of tables surrounding a stage. German food can be found near any of the shows. Although mostly Brauts, other foods like a regular hotdog, BBQ Chicken, beans, coleslaw, a German pretzel, and a few others can be found with a little searching.
Remember to bring lots of cash as it costs for entry (entry tickets can be pre-purchased online or at the door and is different from the tickets used inside the festival) Everything inside the festival is dealt with in tickets. Just like the local fair you trade your money for a certain amount of tickets that can be redeemed for merchandise, food or drink. Nothing inside the festival deals with cash - it's tickets only - and though the line for the ticket venders can get long (which is why people buy in bulk), it's the ATM that gets a huge line. Just as an example of what to prepare for: the packet of 40 coupons was $40 in 2011, a beer was 5 coupons, a souvenir cup can range from 12 to 17 coupons (which you will see everyone drinking out of), a hot dog might only be 3 coupons, but a brat is 7 depending on if adding beans or coleslaw. It's easy to spend tickets so be prepared and think ahead because tickets are only good for the day they are bought, are non-refundable and there nothing is sold for just 1 ticket. We ended up with only 3 tickets left over but one couple ended up with sixteen tickets leftover. With planning this mistake can be avoided and won't be a worry. Because worrying is the last thing this town embodies. Leavenworth is an inviting place and even the shop employees are smiling and seeming to have a good time. The fun doesn't stop with the actors on stage as everyone is welcomed to dress up and wearing a silly hat is encouraged. Unsure how to dress? Think of the St. Pauli girl and you're on the right track. With a used Bavarian clothing store in town get ready to see a lot of different adaptions of that style clothing. Of course dressing up isn't necessary as it is fall in the mountains and somewhere between 40 and 50 degrees F. Thus the purpose of the hat! Not only does the goofy cap keep your head warm but they make for great conversation starters.
The convenient size of the town comes in handy at the end of the night with lodging right downtown. Even the hotels that aren't located in the "touristy" part of town are in walking distance. There are shuttles and taxi's available for non-walking distance locations so there will never be a need to drive after drinking. Check-out Leavenworth's website for shuttle schedules and lodging locations and contact information. The official Oktoberfest in Leavenworth website has Oktoberfest information and the official Leavenworth webpage has all other town and festival information and happenings throughout the year. There is more information and pictures of my trip to Leavenworth. Continue to More Pictures of Leavenworth
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