Bavarian Bulletin - November 3rd,  2026 Edition

Elf Movie Night & Christmas Party
Kick off the holiday season with us on Saturday, November 28, at the Leavenworth Festhalle! Grab a seat for a showing of Elf starring Will Ferrell, then join the fun with a costume contest, kids’ crafts, and door prizes. Beer, wine, cider, hot chocolate, and light refreshments will be served. Doors open at 7:00 PM.

Annual Gingerbread House Competition
Calling all bakers and builders! Registration is now open for our annual Gingerbread House Competition, with prizes ranging from $100 to $1,000. Houses are due Wednesday, December 2. Learn more and register: leavenworthchamber.org/gingerbread

This holiday season, we’re asking our downtown building owners and businesses to help make our village shine brighter than ever. With our beloved Christmas tree no longer standing on the corner, there’s a gap in our holiday glow, and we know this community can fill it together. Whether it’s wrapping storefront windows in lights, lining rooflines and doorways, hanging wreaths and garlands, or creating a festive window display, every bit of light adds to the magic. If you’re able to go a little bigger this year, now is the time. Together, we can make this our brightest season yet!

We can help you get more lights up! Downtown Businesses on pedestrian only Front Street and Commercial between 8th and Division, you are eligible for 3 free hours of the boom lift when you assist with decorating. 

We have time slots beginning, Monday, November 2 - 5 and November 9 - 12.

The hours available each day are from 7:30 a.m. ending at 4:00 p.m. Morning time slots are full Nov. 2-5 but there are afternoon slots available. Nov. 9-12 is essentially wide open.

It takes about 2-3 hours on average to complete a building. It also takes two people in the boom to decorate, therefore we have two options:

Option 1  - Someone from your team assists in the boom with decorating.
Cost:  FREE!  (Maximum is 4 hours per day)

Option 2 - Chamber staff decorates for you (you supply the lights).

Cost:  $100 per hour (Maximum is 4 hours per day)

If you would like to reserve a time slot, please contact us asap for more details.

The Holiday Spotlight Is Already on Leavenworth

December is still weeks away, and national media is already paying attention to Leavenworth. One of the biggest early wins this season comes from Condé Nast Traveler. The publication released a list of seven holiday towns around the U.S. that channel a European Christmas, and Leavenworth is on it. The premise of the piece is simple: you don’t need to cross the Atlantic to get the feel of Europe’s famous Christmas markets. That’s exactly what Village of Lights: Christmastown has offered visitors for decades. 

This isn’t the first time Condé Nast has recognized us. In 2023, Condé Nast ranked Leavenworth among the best places in the world to spend the holidays, alongside destinations like Bruges, Cologne and New York City. Repeat recognition from a top luxury travel brand shows Leavenworth’s reputation as a holiday destination is established, not a one-off. 

Coverage like this reaches exactly the travelers we want: people planning a special trip who will stay overnight, dine, shop and come back. As more stories run this season, we’ll keep sharing them. 

The holiday season is almost here, and visitors are already planning their trips. They’re calling , emailing and stopping by to ask our staff about holiday hours, and asking in our social media comments too. We want every guest to know when they can find you, so please send us your holiday hours for Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day, plus any special seasonal hours or closures.

We’ll post them on our website and in the Leavenworth Today app, where visitors check first when planning their day. If you’ve already sent your hours, thank you! If not, please reply as soon as possible so your business is included and visitors don’t miss you this season.

Respond here with your hours or call the Welcome Center at (509) 548-5807.

Ouzel Kitchen – At Ouzel Kitchen (pronounced OO-zuhl), we’re bringing you delicious eats inspired by our favorite flavors — from Latin America to the Levant. We're a casual, counter-service restaurant that takes a lot of pride in our food and drink offerings. We'd love to serve you.

Leavenworth Food Delivery - LeavenworthFoodDelivery.com is your local delivery service for the best meals in town. Skip the hassle of going out and let us bring local flavors right to your door. Order easily online and enjoy fast, reliable delivery throughout Leavenworth!

Vulnix Fire Protection will be in town on Tuesday, November 10th, offering fire extinguisher and kitchen suppression system services to local businesses and Leavenworth Chamber of Commerce members. Services include inspections, maintenance and repairs. The more businesses that sign up, the bigger the discount Vulnix can offer. To schedule service, contact their sales rep, Stephen Sanelli, at 425-246-4749 or Stephen.Sanelli@vulnixfire.com.

* Remember, these are footfalls counted by five camera locations on Front Street. The numbers are NOT individual people counts, those numbers would be lower.

Websites
Leavenworthchamber.org
Leavenworth.org

Our mailing address is:
Leavenworth Chamber of Commerce

PO Box 327
940 Highway 2 Suite B
Leavenworth, WA 98826-0327

If you have questions, please call us at (509)548-5807

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