Village Art in the Park

Washington’s longest continually running outdoor art show transforms Front Street Park into an open-air gallery every weekend from May through mid-October, bringing nearly six decades of tradition to Leavenworth’s alpine downtown. Since 1966, the show has featured emerging and professional Northwest artists displaying vivid paintings, stunning photography, handcrafted jewelry, metalwork, pottery, and pencil work beneath tented booths arranged around the gazebo. Fridays and Saturdays run 9 AM to 6 PM, Sundays 10 AM to 6 PM, with all artwork sales handled through a central cashier that lets artists focus on creating and conversing rather than managing transactions. The nonprofit format means every purchase supports scholarships for local students pursuing arts education, with over $100,000 awarded to date alongside art supplies provided to Peshastin-Dryden Elementary, Alpine Lakes Elementary, and Icicle River Middle School.

Admission is free, making this an easy vacation win that requires no advance planning beyond showing up with an eye for Northwest craftsmanship and space in your luggage for pieces you’ll actually treasure back home. The park setting pairs perfectly with picnics on the grass, post-shopping strolls along the Wenatchee River just blocks away, and the kind of unhurried Saturday mornings that define mountain town life. Early arrivals find the best selection before popular pieces sell, and artists working live at their booths often share techniques and inspiration behind their creations. München Haus (founded 2001) sits just steps away at 709 Front Street, serving grilled bratwurst with 20 specialty mustards in their dog-friendly outdoor beer garden, while Andreas Keller (founded 1989) at 829 Front Street offers schnitzel and live accordion music in their cozy basement dining room.

Lake Wenatchee sits 21 miles north, where summer brings paddleboarding, swimming, and hiking through old-growth forests surrounding the state park. Lake Chelan lies an hour northeast, offering wine country escapes through 30+ tasting rooms and waterfront dining along the 50-mile glacial lake. Lake.com features cabin rentals at both destinations for travelers who want to pair weekend art browsing with mornings on calm water, creating May-through-October getaways that balance Bavarian village culture with the kind of Pacific Northwest lake scenery that makes Cascade summers unforgettable.