Leavenworth Christmas & Village of Lights
Snow on the mountains, half a million lights in the village, and a warm room at Pension Anna around the corner from all of it.
Snow on the mountains, half a million lights in the village, and a warm room at Pension Anna around the corner from all of it.
🎄 December weekends fill months in advance. Reserve early.
Check Availability →Every December, Leavenworth turns into something most people only expect from a movie set. Half a million lights go up across the Bavarian village. Carolers fill the streets. The mountains hold their snow. The whole town glows from dusk well into the evening.
Pension Anna and Landhaus Erika both sit on Commercial Street, just around the corner from Front Street and everything happening on it. Walk out the front door and you're in the middle of it. No driving, no shuttle, no parking drama.
And when you're ready to step back from it, the hotel is quiet. A warm room, a proper bed, breakfast coming in the morning. The front door faces the festival. Everything behind it is yours.
Planning your full trip? Our Leavenworth travel guide covers restaurants, shopping, and what to do beyond the festival.
“We love the energy of the crowds and the joy on kids' faces in December. But some of our most magical times are the late evenings or early mornings after fresh snowfall, when the town is quiet and the lights are still glowing.”— Erika & Martin, Proprietors, Pension Anna




The town stays alive well into the evening. Your room at Pension Anna is two minutes away: warm, quiet, decorated for the season. Walk out into it whenever you want. Come back whenever you're done.
The village is two minutes away. But when you come back in, everything goes still. A proper room, decorated for the season, with breakfast waiting in the morning. This is what it means to be at the center of it, without living inside the noise.
Dates, what to do, tips for families, and a few things we've learned from years of hosting Christmas guests.
The lights run every day from Thanksgiving through the last day of February, 6am to 11pm. No ticket, no ceremony. December brings the most activity: gazebo entertainment every weekend with choirs, bands, and carolers; Santa at the Gazebo Saturday and Sunday at noon; strolling carolers through the village Monday to Thursday evenings; sledding in Front Street Park when snow allows. January shifts to Winter Karneval with ice carving and fireworks. February is quieter, same lights, far fewer people. Check the Leavenworth Chamber website for the current year's full event calendar.
Half a million lights on every building, tree, and roofline in the Bavarian village. The Gazebo in Front Street Park is the center of it: weekend performances, Santa arrivals, carolers, and live music from choirs, bands, and local musicians. The Festhalle hosts a gingerbread house exhibition, kids crafts, free gift wrapping, and hot cocoa. Sledding in the park when snow allows. Horse-drawn sleigh rides through the village. All of it a block away, around the corner from Pension Anna.
Leavenworth in December is built for children. Santa arrives at the Gazebo every Saturday and Sunday at noon, with photos daily through December 23rd. The Festhalle has free crafts, a story corner, letters to Santa, and a gingerbread house exhibition starting in early December. Sledding in Front Street Park when snow allows. Just outside town, the reindeer farm is worth the short drive. The village is entirely walkable and stroller-friendly. Kids who come once tend to ask to come back every year.
Most of it starts right in town. Sledding at the golf course, tubing at the Leavenworth Ski Hill. Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing on the Icicle River trails, at the golf course, or up at the ski hill — all with rentals available in town. The Leavenworth Ski Hill is small and perfect for learning, with a magic carpet and two tow ropes. Sleigh rides run out of the hatchery and Eagle Creek Ranch. The reindeer farm is a short drive. Snowmobiling near Lake Wenatchee. For bigger mountains, Stevens Pass is 35 minutes away and Mission Ridge about 40.
About 2.5 hours from Seattle via Highway 2 through Stevens Pass, one of the most beautiful winter drives in Washington. During festival weekends, parking fills completely by late morning. Staying at Pension Anna means your car is parked once and never moves. Guaranteed parking for every guest, two minutes from everything on foot.
Book as early as possible. Many returning Christmas guests book their next December stay before they check out. Six months ahead is not too soon for festival weekends. If December weekends are full, ask about weeknight stays: same lights every evening, full breakfast, fewer crowds, much easier to secure. And the best-kept secret: January more often guarantees snow in the village, the crowds are gone, rates are lower, and the lights and atmosphere are still there through the end of February. For year-round Leavenworth trip planning, see our complete travel guide.
“The late-night walk back after dinner. Quiet streets, lights still glowing, snow beginning to fall.”
Two distinct properties, both steps from the festival. Sixteen Bavarian rooms at Pension Anna, five Tirolean suites at Landhaus Erika.
Authentic Bavarian farmhouse furniture, European king beds, and the traditional alpine breakfast included every morning. 16 individually styled rooms, no two the same. Steps from the Festhalle and the Village of Lights.
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Across the street from Pension Anna. Five Tirolean suites with gas fireplaces, soaking tubs, infrared sauna, and antique Truhen. Adults only. The quieter, more luxurious option for Christmas & Village of Lights.
View Suites →The 2026 season runs November 27 through December 24. Three festival weekends bring gazebo performances, Santa, carolers, and live music. The lights run every evening from Thanksgiving through the end of February. Check the official Leavenworth website for the full event calendar.
About 2.5 hours from Seattle via Highway 2 through Stevens Pass. During festival weekends, town parking fills completely by late morning. Pension Anna guests have one guaranteed space and never need to move their car all weekend.
Traditional European breakfast served every morning, included for all Pension Anna guests. Rolls, meats, cheeses, soft-boiled eggs, jams, and coffee in the Christmas-decorated breakfast room. The best start to a festival day.
Book early. December fills faster than any other time of year. If festival weekends are gone, ask about weeknight stays: same lights every evening, full breakfast, fewer crowds. Many guests come back for both.
December fills early, often months ahead. Check availability now and secure your room before the festival weekends are gone.
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