1 Dec '07. Leavenworth is a small town on the east side of the Cascades, over Stevens Pass. They've been developing the image of an "alpine Bavarian village" for about 40 years and thus managed to make it a pretty popular tourist destination. Their Christmas tree lighting ceremony, in particular, has been getting very popular in recent years. I joined a group of people on a day trip to see it. With the fresh snowfall, the fine decorations and lights, and the crowds in the streets, it definitely felt very festive, even "authentic". Driving back through Stevens Pass was a different story, but with the help of tire chains and a lot of patience, we made it safely.