Leavenworth, Washington State's authentic Bavarian Village

Enjoy Leavenworth, Washington State's authentic Bavarian Village, in January and celebrate the best of winter. The holidays may be over, but winter is a wonderful time for families to visit Leavenworth. Bavarian Ice Fest, January 13 and 14, 2007, an annual play day hosted by the Leavenworth Chamber, is full of activities and events for all ages. Best of all, the village remains dressed in its holiday lights through the event.

Jeff Renner, King-5 News is the guest emcee for this weekend of grab bag invigorating outdoor events including, snow sculpture, tug 'o war, ice cube scramble for kids six and under, the great Frisbee sweep, and Leavenworth's famous Smooshing Contest, a unique race peculiar to the Great Bavarian Ice Fest, which began over the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday in 1987. The Smooshing contest is held on Front Street with teams of four having their toes strapped to 8' long boards trying to maneuver and glide down the street tandem style. The best thing about Ice Fest, you can cheer from the sidelines or jump right in and compete for prizes.

During the weekend visitors can also enjoy the Northwest Dog Sled Pulling Competition, a sanctioned event of the International Weight Pull Association. The IWPA is a non-profit corporation that promotes the sport of dog pulling and the working heritage of all dogs. The IWPA also promotes a program to keep dogs in good physical condition with a constructive outlet for canine competition.

The Leavenworth Winter Sports Club presents the Snow Fun Fest 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM on Sunday. Play in the snow at the Leavenworth Ski Hill. They will have all types of activities to try! Enjoy snowshoes, a snowshoe trail, obstacle course, games and more and admission is free for the event.

The Winter Sports Club at Ski Hill in Leavenworth also offers Alpine Skiing, Nordic Skiing and Tubing! For more information visit their website at www.skileavenworth.com.

Sunday evening enjoy live musical entertainment in the Gazebo in Front Street Park ending with a fabulous aerial fireworks display over downtown Leavenworth at 6 p.m. World-renowned pyrotechnics expert, Marty Schmoker, stages the 20-minute show with fireworks from France, Austria, China, Taiwan and the United States.

Leavenworth is an easy 118-mile drive east from downtown Seattle or 188 miles west of Spokane, and only 35 miles from either Mission Ridge or Stevens Pass for fantastic downhill skiing. Also on tap for the weekend are winter activities including sleigh rides, snowmobiling and snowshoeing. For more information, phone 509-548-5807, or visit www.leavenworth.org.