Bavarian Bulletin - October 20th,  2026 Edition

Prost to You!

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you to every business and member who helped make Leavenworth Oktoberfest 2026 such a fantastic success. Across three festive weekends, our village welcomed visitors from near and far, and it was your hospitality, patience, and hometown spirit that turned those visits into memories. Whether you poured a stein, served a plate of schnitzel, welcomed a guest to their room, decked out your storefront, or simply greeted a visitor with a smile, you showed the world what makes Leavenworth so special. We know festival weekends bring long hours and full houses, and we’re so grateful for the extra effort each of you put in. Thank you for being such wonderful partners. We couldn’t do it without you, and we can’t wait to raise a glass together again next year!

Here are some fun facts:

• Reserved seating in the Festhalle sold out in the first week of July.
• Our best-selling beer was… the Pineapple Mango Cider!
• Festbier came in a close second.
• Our opening weekend marked Leavenworth’s first year as a sanctioned qualifying event for the U.S. Stein Holding Association’s state competition. We sent a qualifier to state, and he took home the win!
• Outside of Washington, our top guest cities were Portland, Boise, Vancouver BC, Bend, Post Falls, Overland Park (KS), Las Vegas, Phoenix, Austin, and San Diego.
• Our farthest-traveled guest came 8,350 miles from Jakarta, Indonesia, with Seoul, South Korea, taking second place!

Somewhere tonight, someone in Texas is watching snow fall on Front Street. Someone in Ohio is checking whether the lights are on at Kris Kringl. Someone who hasn't visited Leavenworth in years is quietly planning a return trip. They're all doing it through our live webcams on YouTube, and the numbers tell a remarkable story.

Across our five live cameras, viewers tuned in more than 3.1 million times. Together, they spent roughly 300,000 hours watching Leavenworth. That's more than 34 years of nonstop viewing, all of it focused on our village.

Christmas, every day of the year

The Kris Kringl cam is the clear star. With nearly 1.8 million views, it accounts for more than half of all webcam traffic. It also holds viewers longest, at an average of over six minutes per visit. People don't just glance at it. They settle in.

That says something about what Leavenworth means to people. Our village has become shorthand for the feeling of the holidays, and viewers return to it the way they'd return to a favorite movie.

Five minutes is a long time online

On a platform built for quick clips and endless scrolling, every one of our cameras holds attention for well over four minutes on average. Most hover above five. For a live feed with no script, no host and no plot, that's exceptional.

What keeps people watching is simple: real life, unfolding in a beautiful place. Snow drifting past the gazebo. Families strolling the sidewalks. Mountains turning pink at dusk. It's calming, it's authentic, and it's uniquely ours.

Why it matters

Every view is a visit before the visit. Webcams let future guests check the weather, see the crowds and picture themselves here. They keep past visitors connected long after they've driven back over the pass. And they give our local businesses a window to the world. The Rhein Haus, Bavarian Lodge and Leavenworth Adventure Park each drew hundreds of thousands of views on their own.

No billboard or ad campaign delivers 300,000 hours of attention. Our webcams do it simply by showing Leavenworth as it is.

So the next time you walk past one of our cameras, give a wave. Someone, somewhere, is probably watching, and wishing they were right there with you.

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.

Join us for the Upper Valley Historical Society’s 12th annual cleanup of Leavenworth’s oldest cemetery — a chance to roll up our sleeves together and care for one of the valley’s most meaningful historic places. We’ll be clearing debris left from last December’s windstorm and giving the grounds the attention they deserve. Bring your gloves and any yard tools you have, stay for an hour or spend the whole day, and pack a sack lunch for a midday break. We’ll keep everyone fueled with water and dessert as we work side by side to preserve this important piece of our community’s story.

All’ Antico Mercato - All' Antico Mercato is an Italian-inspired market and café in Leavenworth offering handcrafted sandwiches featuring salumi from Cured Market, fresh coffee, and locally crafted gelato and sorbetto.

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

By November 15: The Membership Committee completes its review of all candidates and presents its choices for the slate to the Board President, to be approved by Chamber members.

The slate of selected candidates and their bios will be sent to members by email and included in this newsletter. Currently, we have seven incumbents who have all indicated they would like to serve another term, and one application has been provided to an interested candidate. If you would like to be considered by the Membership Committee, contact Troy Campbell for an application and more details.

November 19, 5:00–7:00 p.m. (location TBA)
Save the date for the Annual Chamber Membership Meeting! The meeting will not only be a chance to meet current board members and candidates but also the place where we unveil major improvements to our membership benefits, along with new marketing enhancements and opportunities.

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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