Parades, alphorns and Bavarian spirit return with Autumn Leaf Festival

LEAVENWORTH — Leavenworth’s longest running celebration, the Washington State Autumn Leaf Festival, will return for the last weekend of the month, Sept. 27-28. The grand parade will begin at noon on Sept. 27.

Since its conception in 1964, the Autumn Leaf Festival has celebrated its visitors, community, and the turning colors of the fall leaves in downtown Leavenworth.

The tradition begins in March every year, with the announcement of the Royal Lady of the Autumn Leaves. The association appoints someone who has been influential in their service to the community, as a way to honor their involvement and best represent Leavenworth on the road.

This year, Autumn Leaf Festival Association (ALFA) selected Sandy Houston, who has spent a lifetime contributing to the community through owning local businesses, working for the school district, and volunteering her time to support education and youth programs.

Throughout the summer, Houston and the Royal Bavarians lead the chicken dance all over Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia on the Northwest festival circuit. The group attended eight festivals and won an award for their float at three of them.

“The thing that amazed me most about the festivals…was the amount of enthusiasm and excitement that people along the parade routes showed to us,” said Houston. “I wish all people in Leavenworth could see how people react to this. It's just amazing. They love Leavenworth.”

Houston was equally amazed at the number of Leavenworth volunteers who spent their weekends helping prepare, traveling, and participating in the parade circuit, including Scott and Linda Bradshaw, who were instrumental in the execution of the float, pins, and travel logistics.

“That was amazing to me, that we have so many volunteers in this town who love Leavenworth like I do, that would do that unselfishly,” said Houston.

Now, the festivals that hosted Houston all summer will gather in Leavenworth for the Autumn Leaf Festival – a grand ending to the parade season.

“I call them my festival besties, because I really made some good friends with them. They just would come up to me and say, ‘We're coming, and we're staying two extra days!’ So I think I'll probably have a house full too, just visiting,” said Houston.

The parade will be led by this year’s honorary grand marshals, the Leavenworth Alphorns. The nonprofit community association is best known for its performances, adult and youth workshops, and annual festival celebrating the long, wooden wind instrument of the European Alps.

“It's an honor to be selected,” said Janet Mano of the Leavenworth Alphorn Association. “We really respect and are excited about the opportunity to be integrated into this Leavenworth tradition.”

For decades, the Leavenworth Alphorns have been deeply involved in the town’s many festivals and parades, including the Autumn Leaf Festival.

“[ALFA] does an amazing job of promoting the Bavarian theme, and they've done that since the town made its big conversion back to this Bavarian theme back in the 1960s. And the alphorns are so much a part of the Alpine culture in Bavaria,” said Mano.

In fact, one of Mano’s favorite memories of the Autumn Leaf Festival is participating with the Alphorns for the first time; enduring the overwhelming parade size and blasting September heat, Mano got to run the parade route alongside the late Bob Johnson, one of the town’s original alphorn players and Enzian Inn founder.

For the Leavenworth Alphorns, getting to lead the parade front and center is not only an honor, but an opportunity to share their love for the instrument and music with more people. 

“We want to encourage kids who have never played an instrument, and adults who maybe played back in sixth grade, to give the alphorn a try. This is one more high visibility opportunity to do that – one more fun opportunity to do that,” said Mano.

The grand marshals will showcase alphorn enthusiasts of all ages, from seasoned players to young beginners. Of course, they will also be accompanied by their mountain goat mascot, Rico.

Taylor Caldwell: 509-433-7276 or taylor@ward.media