Bavarian Bierwagon decorated to celebrate Oktoberfest
You’ve probably figured out that we love Leavenworth, WA anytime of year. There’s never been a season when we’re visiting and thought, “Well, that was a bust. We’ll never come to Leavenworth at this time again.” That being said, nearly everyone has a favorite season, festival or month to visit Leavenworth. For thousands that time of year is October. There are two festivals in October, Leavenworth Oktoberfest for 3 weekends beginning September 30, and Wenatchee River Salmon Festival, October 1-2. And if festivals aren’t your thing, then visit during the week. The change of seasons itself is worth celebrating.
Leavenworth Oktoberfest was organized by Projekt Bayern in 1998 and in just 14 years has grown to four venues and is attended by thousands. In 2009 Hugging the Coast named Leavenworth Oktoberfest the number one place to celebrate Oktoberfest. The festival runs each Friday evening and Saturday for the first three weekends in October beginning September 30th. On Friday the venues open at 6pm. On Saturday the festivities begin with a traditional parade at noon. Leavenworth’s Musikkapelle will lead the Bavarian processional playing traditional Bavarian folk music and polkas. Leavenworth villagers and guests in colorful Bavarian dress (trachten) and the Bavarian Bier Wagon will be there, too. At 1pm the Mayor of Leavenworth “tap the keg” in a traditional Bavarian ceremony at the Festhalle. Biergartens, pubs and restaurants all through the village will be celebrating right along with us. For more about Oktoberfest in Leavenworth see also the Icicle Village Resort Visitor Guide.
Oktoberfest in Leavenworth includes great beer, traditional German food, and bands from the US and Germany. Tickets are available online and at the door and include your admission to all venues and a commemorative bier stein. There are free shuttles between the venue and shuttle transportation for a charge to accommodations outside of Leavenworth. If you haven’t already made reservations for Friday and/or Saturday night for Oktoberfest then you might be out of luck. Many hotels are booked a year in advance for Oktoberfest. Your best bet is to call the Visitors Center to see if they know of any openings. Or call individual hotels or motels and see if they have any openings at this point. You’ll find a complete listing on our website, organized by accommodation type. There are links and phone numbers for Hotels/Motels, Condominiums, Cabins, Bed and Breakfast Inns and Lodging Services. You can stay as far away as Wenatchee and make arrangements for shuttle transportation to and from Leavenworth. Check the Festival’s FAQ’s for answers to a lot of questions about Oktoberfest. Please check out Accidental Bavarian’s Oktoberfest page for more information and links about the festival.
Traveling with kids? Oktoberfest is a family friendly event. Downtown Leavenworth is Kinderplatz with all sorts of kid-friendly activities, like a climbing wall, bouncy toys, and entertainment like L-Bow the Clown, musicians and magic acts. Children are able to be in the Oktoberfest venues until 9pm.
If you’re making travel plans for October and aren’t interested in Oktoberfest, or if you are looking for more family friendly activities in addition to the festivities downtown, check out the 21st annual, award winning Wenatchee River Salmon Festival. This is a free event taking place October 1 and 2, at the Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery. The festival celebrates the return of the salmon with education adventures. There are many interactive activities, music, art and a Native American Tribal Village. Check the website for Festival schedule and activity updates.
For more about Festivals in Leavenworth Washington check out our Festivals page, where there’s another link to the Accidental Bavarian Oktoberfest page. Follow me on Facebook and Twitter for news and links to activities and events in Leavenworth.
